The back cover of Sound Unbound features a quote by David Byrne that attempts a concise definition of this collection of essays; it describes the material as being “about the remix – how music, art and literature have blurred the lines between what an artist can do and what a composer can create”. While the influence of the remix can be readily observed, it might be more useful to refer to material from editor Paul Miller’s previous book, Rhythm Science, where he contemplated the role of the DJ as a cultural filter. Rather than create a refined remix of familiar material, Miller chose to create a mash-up of diverse subjects to create an unexpectedly cohesive collection.
On the surface, Sound Unbound would seem to be about use and reuse; there are several essays that focus on sampling, artistic borrowing and copyright issues. However, this compilation also seems to hold a deeper purpose: to uncover the ways that sound is a powerful carrier for new ideas, and how ideas become platforms for the creation and adoption of new sounds.
While Miller’s background as a musician/composer might imply a focus on music as the “sound” under discussion, it is important to consider the wide range of media that are covered. Music (from classical to hip-hop) is an important part of the discussion, but so are language, visual arts, performance art, books and television. While some cases are given of overt activism – such as the “Renegade Academia” chapter by Simon Reynolds, describing the Deleuze-inspired production of the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit – even the most mundane descriptions of sound creators and implementers are rife with memetic carriage.
Essays that might seem, on the surface, to be historical pieces still resonate with deeper messages. Jeff E. Winner’s “The World of Sound: A Division of Raymond Scott Enterprises” allows us to peer into a creator’s world; not only helping us to see the technical work that he did, but also to understand this band leader’s desire to make musicians more efficient and less tied to the constraints that he found so taxing. Carlo McCormick’s interview with Alex Steinweiss, the first art director for a record label, pointed out not only the influence he received from the music, but how his artwork influenced popular culture’s embrace of that music – and even on how the music itself was influenced.
Brian Eno’s piece describing the history of bell creation (and the decisions made in the creation of bells for the Clock of the Long Now) is perhaps the perfect example of sound’s cultural impact. Starting with a simple history of the bellmaker’s craft, we are quickly introduced to an entirely new world with its own language of bell sounds (each with their implicit meaning), new communities of bell makers and bell composers, and an insider’s view of the development of meaning during a clock chime’s creation. After reading this essay, it is difficult to hear a distant clock’s peel without imagining the tale being told.
The compliment to the above is the use of new ideas to generate new sounds. Miller himself discusses the concept of sampling as a mechanism to create entirely new genres of art; by manipulating captured material, he is able to formulate novel results out of the existing narrative. While digital sampling keyboards were initially created to allow more realistic emulations of standard instruments, it was through the misuse of this device – along with the brash (and controversial) idea of recontextualizing existing media – that was the foundation of many modern musical forms.
Another area where ideas were at the heart of a new sound was the Islamic influence on hip-hop. While many people might not see the parallel between urban Islam (the Five Percenters, the Nation Of Islam) and the provocative commercial presentation of hip-hop stars, “Fear Of A Muslim Planet: Hip-Hop’s Hidden History” by Naeem Mohalemen offers a glimpse at the deep ties between the bleeding-edge sonic inventors (vs. the MTV-hyped pop stars) and hardcore Islamic belief. This is followed by a rapid-fire rap/sermon delivered by Chuck D in the next segment, “Three Pieces”, that provides an insight (although not an Islamic on) on the deep emotional river that begets hip-hop.
One is left feeling like there is a much more to be explored in this area; the notes following Mohalemen’s essay can provide some useful pointers to interesting material. In addition, though, it would be useful to follow “Fear Of A Muslim Planet” with the writings of Wu-Tang Clan member The RZA (particularly “The Tao of Wu”) to see both the personal nature of and artist’s Islamic influence as well as the difficulties of balancing ones life within a drug- and violence-ravaged culture.
Another fascinating tale in which ideas were the genesis of the sound creation process is the interview of Steve Reich and Beryl Korot on the creation of Three Tales. Starting with a commission for a piece on the Twentieth Century, we are given a tour of the creative process, and the means by which various memories and influences were used to create the musical. This ends up revealing one of the subtexts that run throughout the book – that media has become such a powerful influence that it stimulates new media. Thus, moviola images of the Hindenburg disaster become inspiration for a theater piece at the turn of the century, which may yet inspire a viewer (or perhaps a reader of this book) to create again.
The breadth of the book is quite impressive, but it doesn’t overwhelm because it has been deftly edited. Technical and philosophical treatise are interspersed with lighter historical fare, and just when you think you’ve had enough essays, an inspiring interview will be presented. Miller chose difficult ground by attempting to span both academic and popular cultural material, but therein lies his strength: he seems to be able to bridge that gap effortlessly, and almost any reader should be able to find an avenue into new insights.
That’s not to say that the book doesn’t have its weak notes. David Bernard Roumain provides a dash-off of random thought that does not resonate with the reset of the volume, and Jason Lanier complains about the lack of pop music (something Duke Ellington might have decried during the Bebop era). Beyond those few examples, however, the collection is almost uniformly intriguing, and pushes the context of sound and art far beyond its typical ghetto.
Miller has obviously pulled together a lot of his influences (and perhaps his friends) to create this cacophony of writing, but it never strays too far from the issue at hand: to explore the ways that media influences the modern world – and is subsequently influenced by it.
No comments:
Post a Comment