IDM 2.0, how electronica is becoming social

Icarus

While most of the 90s generation of electronic music producers seem to be stuck recycling old ideas, locked in a groove of nostalgia, others are venturing into new domains of music. In recent months I have witnessed concerts by Tom Jenkinson (with Evan Parker), Mika Vainio (with Hild Sofie Tafjord), Ollie Bown (with Tom Arthurs) and Sam Britton (with Lothar Ohlmeyer), improvising with other musicians on stage. This week, I read the news about the Vladislav Delay Quartet (featuring Mika Vainio of Pan sonic on electronics, Derek Shirley on double bass, Lucio Capece on saxophones & bass clarinet and Vladislav Delay himself on drums) and the Moritz von Oswald Trio (with Vladislav Delay and Max Loderbauer). A pattern arises.

It seems a logical progression for these vanguard producers of early electronic dance music. Having engineered all the possible forms of their respective musics, being free on stage to interact with other musicians now liberates them from the constraints and expecations of the club scene. Others who have taken this path are Kieran Hebden (with drummer Steve Reid) and Dan Snaith (with Caribou). Some have taken the opposite route, like Method of Defiance (Bill Laswell’s elite club consisting of jungle innovators Fanu, Amit and Paradox, and improvised music icons John Zorn, Herbie Hancock and Pharoah Sanders), who play hardcore, jungle and breakcore.

A generation of sound searchers and beat sculptors is about to be unleashed on stage together for the first time. This will create immense opportunities for jazz and improvised music venues to reach a new and young audience. But it will also bring with it the responsibility, both for the venues and the artists, to negotiate the right environment and circumstances to perform. Too often have pop venues destroyed the finesse of a studio artist, rarely has an arts venue judged the value of these musicians on its merits.

With the formation of new bands, improvised music is about to be electrified.

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Published:: 23.04.08 / 12am

Category:: Electronic music, Experimental, Improvised music, Post-jungle

anon 06.05.08 / 7pm

I’d disagree with most of this. Think of the logics of a dwindling CD market and the understanding that live performance is where musicians make money instead your point that electronic musicians have “engineered all forms of their respective musics”. Building a larger performative ensemble to creative a more ‘authentic’ live experience makes sense especially given the technologically opaque forms of instrumentation (’what is he doing there’) and the underwhelming view from the crowd of an isolated individual performing. None of this means that the isolated singular master-composer has really ceded any ground to true improvisational communication between various musicians.

Just a thought!

Morgan 30.06.08 / 9pm

I actually agree with both the sentiments above. I think it’s really awesome that more and more people are wanting to collaborate in live contexts, particularly given the fact that many electronic musicians these days hide behind a laptop (i.e. “technologically opaque forms of instrumentation”). This is really not fun for people watching.

Bob Moog had once said that it’s important that we don’t forget to play together - there’s something magical about creating music with others. Machines are simply the channel for something outside ourselves (I think he was tlaking about this with either Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman).

Also, I think live music has always been ‘electrified’ - we’ve been feeling energetic about live music for thousands and thousands of years - we like rhythms:)

Juha van 't Zelfde 02.07.08 / 2pm

Thanks both for commenting. It is nice to see people joining.

Juha van 't Zelfde 10.07.08 / 11am

I am not sure if the “dwindling CD” argument is that strong. Most of these musicians have never sold a lot of CDs, and although the numbers have declined, I do not believe this is a new argument. They have always performed live, at Sonar, Mutek, Sonic Acts and all the other festivals and music venues that have been supportive of these artists. The change I notice is of teaming up. Looking at it from an economic perspective and from my experience as curator, they could be worse off playing in ensembles because they will have to share fees and might become less interesting because of declining agility (it is easier to fly in one artist than four).
The “what is he doing there” argument is a recurring one, but is sometimes dismissed as romantic. Ollie Bown and Sam Britton make the most incredible music live on stage by means of extraordinary computer programs, but their stage presentation is not really exciting (unless you are friends with them, then you might enjoy Ollie’s beard being lit by an Apple). Watching Stockhausen manning his mixing desk isn’t the fanciest thing either, seeing most conductors and over-acting musicians at work neither. It could be a change of expectation, something we just have to accept. Or it could be something to work on, like the Raster-Noton gang seems to be doing. However, although I do acknowledge the dramatic quality of a musical performance, the lack of does not have to result in a less “‘authentic’ live experience”.
This post was not a statement, just an observation. Since we are on some path now, does anyone else have some thoughts on this?

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IDM 2.0, how electronica is becoming social

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