Richard is an artist who works in painting, drawing, writing and creating music. The way I would describe his artwork would be colourful and abstract. Typically mixing these abstract ideas of humans with these colourful and also dark ideas. Below is an example of his artwork.
‘Whale’
2021 207cm x 182cm Oil, oil bar and studio detritus on canvas and board
Richard is well known for starting up the creative community called Constant Flux. Constant Flux is a community that combines artists with learning difficulties and the D.I.Y. scene that is prominent in the UK.
Constant Flux
Constant flux is an incredible project. For many reasons, but I feel it’s important to note my experiences of working in the field of supporting young adults with learning difficulties.
I worked in care which specialised in helping young adults with special needs become more independent and expressive. I worked in a group in which the young adults had the most tendency to be extremely violent, in this group it is running on a 2-1 basis. 2 staff, 1 young adult. This job could be fun, but incredibly difficult and it could switch at the flick of a switch. So you are constantly looking out for yourself, staff, and more importantly, other young adults. Apart from that 2 days a week I would work with a musician called Stephen Noyce, who is a multi-instrumentalist. He would come into the facility and he and I would bring instruments like an electronic drum kit, guitar, microphone and percussion in for the young adults to play on. Typically to a song they have chosen, which is typically a Disney track or some rock/pop from the ’70s-’90s e.g. Micheal Jackson.
We found this to be a great way for the young adults to express their emotions and themselves through music, it’s very fun. The environment in these classes would be very upbeat and supportive. I learnt a lot from the young adults and they learnt from me, so it’s a win-win situation I guess.
Anyhow, the way I found Richard approached this was excellent, getting people who are sadly marginalised from society to express themselves through art. Whether it’s playing in bands, creating visual art, or anything else. It seems like a very safe space for them to create and not feel suppressed by societal norms that shouldn’t exist in the same place. I like the way the group releases music through various formats e.g. streaming, cassette. Having multiple ways for people to find this work is great and how Richard has set up tours for bands formed in this space and one-off exhibitions is fantastic for them to get themselves out into the world of touring in a safe environment.
Closing Words
I will definitely be applying what I’ve learnt from Richard and his indevours when I go back to working in care over the summer.
References
richardphoenix.com. (n.d.). Richard Phoenix. [online] Available at: https://richardphoenix.com/.
Anon, (n.d.). Constant Flux. [online] Available at: http://constantflux.co.uk/about/.
“a philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will”.
The concept behind the track was the phrase “I have no mouth & I must scream” is repeated throughout the track until it is drowned out by the progressively more aggressive noise and sound. The way I interpreted the track was the phrase “I have no mouth & I must scream” is a way to say no matter how loud I scream, no matter how much I do. Does it matter in the end? This relates back to the ideas of Existentialism. Exploring the issues of humanity, dread, and anxiety. Existentialism is an absurd concept, but a very real one.
Eraserhead is the debut film of surrealist extraordinaire David Lynch. The film follows Henry, a man living in an industrial world. He accidentally impregnates his girlfriend, a woman he really is not too fond of. The baby is born prematurely. To the point, it doesn’t look human.
(Above is the baby). Frederick Elmes – Cinematographer
How Eraserhead inspired this project was primarily through the use of sound in the film. Created by Alan Splet and David Lynch. The sound is industrial, using lots of low drones, noise, and samples. The use of drones is what in particular inspired me. The way this was recorded was done in a very D.I.Y. mindset which I personally am very fond of. e.g. David playing a sound through a radiator vent, then having alan on the other side of the vent recording the sounds coming through. Which would have a natural reverberation to it.
I have no mouth, & I must scream – (short story)
I have no mouth, & I must scream is a short story from 1967. This short story was a pioneer of mixing horror and sci-fi. As they were both very separated genres at the time. Horror typically is religion-based (rosemary’s baby) and sci-fi typically was quite goofy and camp (star trek). For me, it was more the title of I have no mouth, & I must scream, than the actual story itself. I think it’s such a fascinating title that can be used and interpreted in many ways for myself.
Ramleh is an experimental band that has spanned many genres over many years. From power electronics to noise rock. The way they influenced this project was with their 1987 release ‘Hole in the heart’.
Hole in the Heart explores power electronics in a more subtle way to other artists in the genre (e.g. Whitehouse) by having more of an emphasis on drones, and more melodic content as well. The opening track ‘Bite The Bolster‘ almost gives off a Fripp & Eno -esque sound. With what sounds like looping guitar melodies with these faint reverb-coated vocals.
On my piece, I tried lacing in some more subtle moments, primarily at the beginning and end. With the usage of drones, field recordings, and using effects like resonators, reverb, and mishby (broken tape machine vst). I like the way Ramleh used these sounds and still created a very unsettling atmosphere without being too in your face. But that being said, being in your face isn’t always a bad thing…
Throbbing Gristle – Industrial, Ambient, Noise.
Throbbing gristle was experimental audio and visual arts project from 1975 to 1981, 2004 to 2010. Throbbing Gristle were pioneers of industrial music and electronic music as a whole. With records like ‘The Second Annual Report‘ and ‘D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle‘ under their belt.
How Throbbing gristle influenced this track was primarily through the song ‘Hamburger Lady’, one of their most well-known and infamous tracks. From the album ‘D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle‘. The track has this deep synth drone that lingers throughout the piece and a slow kick pattern. The part that took the most inspiration on my part was the way vocals are used.
The vocals sound like they are being run through a vocoder and tremolo. Resulting in the chopped-up pattern of the vocals. The song is about a victim of a horrible car accident. Below is a passage of lyrics that brutally describe the injuries this woman has suffered.
“She’s dying She is burned from the waist up On her arm Her ear is burned off, her nose is burned off, her eyelashes are burned, her fingers are burned She can’t hold anything up and with medical advances, there’s no end in sight for the hamburger lady “
Throbbing Gristle – D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle Artwork by Hipgnosis
The lyrics are based on a letter written by “Blaster” Al Ackerman”. I always liked the way this track unsettles you. In particular with the vocal passages. In my piece (i have no mouth and I must scream). I repeated the phrase through the song. To the point, it is drowned out by pure chaos. Until the end.
Whitehouse – Power Electronics.
I have talked extensively about Whitehouse in this document, and for good reason. William Bennet & Phillip Best (among other members in their long-spanning career) have created something incredible. Bennet coined the term ‘power electronics’ on Whitehouse’s seventh record ‘Psychopathia Sexualis’ in 1982.
Whitehouse influenced this project through the usage of rhythmic noise. As seen on songs like ‘Why You Never Became A Dancer’ and ‘Wriggle Like A Fucking Eel’ there is a constant rhythmic quality to it, but done in such an abstract way that it’s completely different to throwing a jungle drum rhythm over the vocals. On my piece ‘I have no mouth and I must scream’ when the power electronics start to fade in there is a rhythmic pattern to it that really suits the track
Power electronics is an inherently extreme genre, in terms of sound and lyrical content. Sound-wise power electronics contain passages of noise, screaming vocals, distorted synths, and some rhythmic qualities to name a few. A good example of what power electronics ‘sounds like’ would be with the track ‘Why You Never Became A Dancer‘ by Whitehouse.
This song features some of the main features of power electronics. Distorted rhythmic loops, yelling vocals, and graphic lyrics. The song is a response to the short film ‘Why I Never Became A Dancer’ by Tracy Emin. In which she talks about her casual sex life as a teenager among other topics. She entered a dance competition to try and get out of London. But was yelled at by a gaggle of boys in a harassing manner. In the track William Bennet (sole consistent member of Whitehouse) critiques Tracy. With lines like “Another bed staining cunt” which is in reference to Tracy’s art piece called ‘My Bed’. Possibly critiquing the work as being pretentious. The track perfectly shows off what power electronics has to offer.
Lyrically lots of power electronics focus on the themes of child abuse, murder, sexual assault, racism, sex, misogyny, and drug addiction just to name a few. Examples of this would be Deathpile’s song ‘Shrine‘ of his record ‘G.R.’ which is an album written from the perspective of Gary Ridgway, aka the Green River Killer.
Gary Ridgway is a convicted serial killer responsible for the murders of 71 people through the years 1982–1998. Most of these murders were of young women. Gary was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole and was convicted on 49 murders, though he confessed to 71. Shrine is written about the murder of Carol Christensen that took place in May of 1983, she was 21 at the time of her murder. Below there is a brief summary of what happened to Carol.
Passage from https://www.karisable.com/grkchristensen.htm
“It appeared her body had been dunked in water and reclothed backwards, she had one shoe on the wrong foot, the other shoe was not found. She had a bag placed over the head. Two cleaned fish were laid across her body. She had raw sausage around her, a wine bottle in her hand, and two cleaned fish across her chest, believed by some to symbolize the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ.”
Hence the title is called ‘Shrine’. She was turned into one.
Jonathan Canady (one half of Deathpile) writes about the actions committed by Gary, with lyrics like…
“I told them I never had sex with herBut I not only fucked her I made her into a shrine Body and blood “
This is an example of the raw, and brutal lyrics power electronics are known for. As graphic as it is, it makes sense why. Since the whole record is written from the point of view of a real serial killer. And it is interesting to hear this tragic story from the view of a sociopath. Some other lyrics are…
“The beginning of May ’83 I picked her up on the strip Fucked her Choked her with fishing line Took her body to Maple Valley Stripped her Baptized her in the river Put her clothes back on Bag over her head Two fish across her body Meat in her hand Wine bottle next to the body My shrine”
G.R. album cover
In the lyrics above you can see that deathpile took exactly what happened to Carol and wrote it from the point of view of Gary. It is a very unsettling track to listen to. With this repeated phrase ‘Body and Blood’ being said throughout the song.
G.R. is a very influential project, even being sampled on experimental hip hop trio ‘clipping.’s song ‘Body and Blood’. Named after the repeated phrase in the song Shrine.
It’s not just the contents of the songs that can cause ‘controversy’. Even the titles are provocative, like Whitehouse’s ‘A Cunt Like You’, Deathpile’s ‘The First Whore’, and Anenzephalia’s ‘Mechanical Rape’. Is it done for shock value? I mean sure, it’s not uncommon for power electronics acts to thrive in controversy.
Power electronic artists are infamous for using nazi and fascist imagery in their live shows, and graphic imagery in general. In my opinion, I find the use of nazi imagery quite boring and comes across as they are trying too hard. It goes without saying, but personally, I am fully against racism, fascism, homophobia, and any hate directed towards people because of their heritage. I like exploring disturbing ideas and concepts. And using graphic imagery, But do not agree with them in any way, shape or form.
A lot of power electronics (in particular Whitehouse) are incredibly satirical, like in their song ‘Wriggle like a fucking eel.’ Which is a critique of modern dance songs telling people how to dance. Here’s an excerpt.
“You boy! How’d you like to wet your feet in a cold swimming pool? What does your voice sound like underwater? At night? Can you do the chicken-skin swim? Can you do the chlorine gargoyle? Can you wriggle? Like an eel? “
With lyrics like “Can you do the chicken-skin swim? ” and “Can you do the chlorine gargoyle? “. Clearly, mocking dance moves that both William and Phillip view as dumb and pointless.
Even though groups like Whitehouse are satirical in their content. They do not shy away from discussing difficult subjects. In the aforementioned song ‘A Cunt Like You’ of the album ‘Mummy and Daddy’. Whitehouse is talking about mental abuse. Here’s an excerpt…
“Listen to the sound of being alive You look like a fucking bat You old slut I really loathe vulgarity, so common Your disgraceful cellulitis You will never be the same again, cunt Fucking stereotype Fucking stereotype You take just like a cunt Cunt fucks just like a cunt You ache like a cunt Cunt fucks just likes a cunt Cunt ”
Whitehouse – Mummy & Daddy Album Cover. Artwork by Trevor Brown
You can see how Whitehouse doesn’t shy away from vulgarity in their music, showing how hateful they are against whoever they are talking about. I find this song, amongst many other tracks in their discography, very moving. As it brutally describes these awful actions taking place in such a raw and unfiltered way. It’s quite refreshing. I also find it puts you in the shoes of someone completely different from yours. The song is produced by Steve Albini of Big Black fame, another group that isn’t afraid to provoke. Even though the lyrics are vulgar, it works with the context of the track and works very much in its favour.
Conclusion
Power Electronics is a largely misunderstood genre I believe. There is a general misunderstanding of what the power electronics scene stands for and advocates. At this moment there are more black, lgtbqia+, and female noise and power electronics artists. For example, Dreamcrusher is a queer African American noise artist challenging the boundaries of noise music. Lingua Ignota is a female producer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist combing noise, power electronics, neo-classical, and other avant-garde genres together.
Now just like in any genre, there are genuine racist, misogynistic, and fascist bands and artists for sure. But I believe labelling power electronics as a racist, homophobic, and misogynistic genre. Is just plain false.
Japanoise is a subgenre and subculture of noise music based out of Japan. Pioneerd by the likes of merzbow, harantash, masonna, and Hijokaidan to name a few. Japanoise had a huge influence on experimental music and the noise scene as a whole. The believed start of Japanoise was on the 8th of May 1960. On this day 6 young musicians, all Japanese. Formed a group called ‘Group Ongaku’. They had two tape recordings of noise music, all created using a mixture of traditional musical instruments along with a vacuum cleaner, a radio, an oil drum, a doll, and a set of dishes. They then manipulated the tape of the speed, which in turn would distort the music even more. This is where it is believed Japanoise was truly born.
After Lou Reed’s undisputed masterpiece ‘Metal Machine Music’ was released in 1979. An at the time 23-year-old man called Masami Akita decided to start making noise music. This is the man we now know as Merzbow, a force to be reckoned with in the noise scene. Merzbow really started coming into his own in the late 1980s. This happened because when he started to tour more, he could only bring a specific amount of gear. So this ended up with him making the noise music he was known for in the 1990s (Pulse Demon, Venerology, etc).
I have a very personal connection to Japanoise, as it was my entry point into noise music, with artists like Merzbow, harantash, and masonna being big turning points for me musically. You can hear the Japanoise influence in the piece for this project. With the harsh repeating noise, with a mixture of both low and high frequencies.
Just as a content warning for anyone viewing this page, in particular in the section titled ‘Fascism, misogyny, and racism in power electronics‘ there is discussion and examples of lyrics containing very strong language with themes of murder, sexual assault, rape, and mental abuse, to name a few. I refuse to censor this as it is art. But I know the discussion of these topics can be uncomfortable for a lot of people, it is for me too. So heads up. This is a combined post of multiple blogs I wrote relating to this project.
Japanoise
Japanoise is a subgenre and subculture of noise music based out of Japan. Pioneerd by the likes of merzbow, harantash, masonna, and Hijokaidan to name a few. Japanoise had a huge influence on experimental music and the noise scene as a whole. The believed start of Japanoise was on the 8th of May 1960. On this day 6 young musicians, all Japanese. Formed a group called ‘Group Ongaku’. They had two tape recordings of noise music, all created using a mixture of traditional musical instruments along with a vacuum cleaner, a radio, an oil drum, a doll, and a set of dishes. They then manipulated the tape of the speed, which in turn would distort the music even more. This is where it is believed Japanoise was truly born.
After Lou Reed’s undisputed masterpiece ‘Metal Machine Music’ was released in 1979. An at the time 23-year-old man called Masami Akita decided to start making noise music. This is the man we now know as Merzbow, a force to be reckoned with in the noise scene. Merzbow really started coming into his own in the late 1980s. This happened because when he started to tour more, he could only bring a specific amount of gear. So this ended up with him making the noise music he was known for in the 1990s (Pulse Demon, Venerology, etc).
I have a very personal connection to Japanoise, as it was my entry point into noise music, with artists like Merzbow, harantash, and masonna being big turning points for me musically. You can hear the Japanoise influence in the piece for this project. With the harsh repeating noise, with a mixture of both low and high frequencies.
Fascism, misogyny, and racism in power electronics
Power electronics is an inherently extreme genre, in terms of sound and lyrical content. Sound-wise power electronics contain passages of noise, screaming vocals, distorted synths, and some rhythmic qualities to name a few. A good example of what power electronics ‘sounds like’ would be with the track ‘Why You Never Became A Dancer‘ by Whitehouse.
This song features some of the main features of power electronics. Distorted rhythmic loops, yelling vocals, and graphic lyrics. The song is a response to the short film ‘Why I Never Became A Dancer’ by Tracy Emin. In which she talks about her casual sex life as a teenager among other topics. She entered a dance competition to try and get out of London. But was yelled at by a gaggle of boys in a harassing manner. In the track William Bennet (sole consistent member of Whitehouse) critiques Tracy. With lines like “Another bed staining cunt” which is in reference to Tracy’s art piece called ‘My Bed’. Possibly critiquing the work as being pretentious. The track perfectly shows off what power electronics has to offer.
Lyrically lots of power electronics focus on the themes of child abuse, murder, sexual assault, racism, sex, misogyny, and drug addiction just to name a few. Examples of this would be Deathpile’s song ‘Shrine‘ of his record ‘G.R.’ which is an album written from the perspective of Gary Ridgway, aka the Green River Killer.
Gary Ridgway is a convicted serial killer responsible for the murders of 71 people through the years 1982–1998. Most of these murders were of young women. Gary was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole and was convicted on 49 murders, though he confessed to 71. Shrine is written about the murder of Carol Christensen that took place in May of 1983, she was 21 at the time of her murder. Below there is a brief summary of what happened to Carol.
Passage from https://www.karisable.com/grkchristensen.htm
“It appeared her body had been dunked in water and reclothed backwards, she had one shoe on the wrong foot, the other shoe was not found. She had a bag placed over the head. Two cleaned fish were laid across her body. She had raw sausage around her, a wine bottle in her hand, and two cleaned fish across her chest, believed by some to symbolize the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ.”
Hence the title being called ‘Shrine’. She was turned into one.
Jonathan Canady (one half of Deathpile) writes about the actions committed by Gary, with lyrics like…
“I told them I never had sex with her But I not only fucked her I made her into a shrine Body and blood “
This is an example of the raw, and brutal lyrics power electronics are known for. As graphic as it is, it makes sense why. Since the whole record is written from the point of view of a real serial killer. And it is interesting to hear this tragic story from the view of a sociopath. Some other lyrics are…
“The beginning of May ’83 I picked her up on the strip Fucked her Choked her with fishing line Took her body to Maple Valley Stripped her Baptized her in the river Put her clothes back on Bag over her head Two fish across her body Meat in her hand Wine bottle next to the body My shrine”
G.R. album cover
In the lyrics above you can see that deathpile took exactly what happened to Carol and wrote it from the point of view of Gary. It is a very unsettling track to listen to. With this repeated phrase ‘Body and Blood’ being said throughout the song.
G.R. is a very influential project, even being sampled on experimental hip hop trio ‘clipping.’s song ‘Body and Blood’. Named after the repeated phrase in the song Shrine.
It’s not just the contents of the songs that can cause ‘controversy’. Even the titles are provocative, like Whitehouse’s ‘A Cunt Like You’, Deathpile’s ‘The First Whore’, and Anenzephalia’s ‘Mechanical Rape’. Is it done for shock value? I mean sure, it’s not uncommon for power electronics acts to thrive in controversy.
Power electronic artists are infamous for using nazi and fascist imagery in their live shows, and graphic imagery in general. In my opinion, I find the use of nazi imagery quite boring and comes across as they are trying too hard. It goes without saying, but personally, I am fully against racism, fascism, homophobia, and any hate directed towards people because of their heritage. I like exploring disturbing ideas and concepts. And using graphic imagery, But do not agree with them in any way, shape or form.
A lot of power electronics (in particular Whitehouse) are incredibly satirical, like in their song ‘Wriggle like a fucking eel.’ Which is a critique of modern dance songs telling people how to dance. Here’s an excerpt.
“You boy! How’d you like to wet your feet in a cold swimming pool? What does your voice sound like underwater? At night? Can you do the chicken-skin swim? Can you do the chlorine gargoyle? Can you wriggle? Like an eel? “
With lyrics like “Can you do the chicken-skin swim? ” and “Can you do the chlorine gargoyle? “. Clearly, mocking dance moves that both William and Phillip view as dumb and pointless.
Even though groups like Whitehouse are satirical in their content. They do not shy away from discussing difficult subjects. In the aforementioned song ‘A Cunt Like You’ of the album ‘Mummy and Daddy’. Whitehouse is talking about mental abuse. Here’s an excerpt…
“Listen to the sound of being alive You look like a fucking bat You old slut I really loathe vulgarity, so common Your disgraceful cellulitis You will never be the same again, cunt Fucking stereotype Fucking stereotype You take just like a cunt Cunt fucks just like a cunt You ache like a cunt Cunt fucks just likes a cunt Cunt ”
Whitehouse – Mummy & Daddy Album Cover. Artwork by Trevor Brown
You can see how Whitehouse doesn’t shy away from vulgarity in their music, showing how hateful they are against whoever they are talking about. I find this song, amongst many other tracks in their discography, very moving. As it brutally describes these awful actions taking place in such a raw and unfiltered way. It’s quite refreshing. I also find it puts you in the shoes of someone completely different from yours. The song is produced by Steve Albini of Big Black fame, another group that isn’t afraid to provoke. Even though the lyrics are vulgar, it works with the context of the track and works very much in its favour.
Conclusion
Power Electronics is a largely misunderstood genre I believe. There is a general misunderstanding of what the power electronics scene stands for and advocates. At this moment there are more black, lgtbqia+, and female noise and power electronics artists. For example, Dreamcrusher is a queer African American noise artist challenging the boundaries of noise music. Lingua Ignota is a female producer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist combing noise, power electronics, neo-classical, and other avant-garde genres together.
Now just like in any genre, there are genuine racist, misogynistic, and fascist bands and artists for sure. But I believe labelling power electronics as a racist, homophobic, and misogynistic genre. Is just plain false.
Artists that inspired me
Ramleh – Power Electronics, Noise.
Ramleh is an experimental band that has spanned many genres over many years. From power electronics to noise rock. The way they influenced this project was with their 1987 release ‘Hole in the heart’.
Hole in the Heart explores power electronics in a more subtle way to other artists in the genre (e.g. Whitehouse) by having more of an emphasis on drones, and more melodic content as well. The opening track ‘Bite The Bolster‘ almost gives off a Fripp & Eno -esque sound. With what sounds like looping guitar melodies with these faint reverb-coated vocals.
On my piece, I tried lacing in some more subtle moments, primarily at the beginning and end. With the usage of drones, field recordings, and using effects like resonators, reverb, and mishby (broken tape machine vst). I like the way Ramleh used these sounds and still created a very unsettling atmosphere without being too in your face. But that being said, being in your face isn’t always a bad thing…
Throbbing Gristle – Industrial, Ambient, Noise.
Throbbing gristle was experimental audio and visual arts project from 1975 to 1981, 2004 to 2010. Throbbing Gristle were pioneers of industrial music and electronic music as a whole. With records like ‘The Second Annual Report‘ and ‘D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle‘ under their belt.
How Throbbing gristle influenced this track was primarily through the song ‘Hamburger Lady’, one of their most well-known and infamous tracks. From the album ‘D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle‘. The track has this deep synth drone that lingers throughout the piece and a slow kick pattern. The part that took the most inspiration on my part was the way vocals are used.
The vocals sound like they are being run through a vocoder and tremolo. Resulting in the chopped-up pattern of the vocals. The song is about a victim of a horrible car accident. Below is a passage of lyrics that brutally describe the injuries this woman has suffered.
“She’s dying She is burned from the waist up On her arm Her ear is burned off, her nose is burned off, her eyelashes are burned, her fingers are burned She can’t hold anything up and with medical advances, there’s no end in sight for the hamburger lady “
Throbbing Gristle – D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle Artwork by Hipgnosis
The lyrics are based on a letter written by “Blaster” Al Ackerman”. I always liked the way this track unsettles you. In particular with the vocal passages. In my piece (i have no mouth and I must scream). I repeated the phrase through the song. To the point, it is drowned out by pure chaos. Until the end.
Whitehouse – Power Electronics.
I have talked extensively about Whitehouse in this document, and for good reason. William Bennet & Phillip Best (among other members in their long-spanning career) have created something incredible. Bennet coined the term ‘power electronics’ on Whitehouse’s seventh record ‘Psychopathia Sexualis’ in 1982.
Whitehouse influenced this project through the usage of rhythmic noise. As seen on songs like ‘Why You Never Became A Dancer’ and ‘Wriggle Like A Fucking Eel’ there is a constant rhythmic quality to it, but done in such an abstract way that it’s completely different to throwing a jungle drum rhythm over the vocals. On my piece ‘I have no mouth and I must scream’ when the power electronics start to fade in there is a rhythmic pattern to it that really suits the track
Concepts that inspired the track
Existentialism
Oxford dictionary describes Existentialism as…
“a philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will”.
The concept behind the track was the phrase “I have no mouth & I must scream” is repeated throughout the track until it is drowned out by the progressively more aggressive noise and sound. The way I interpreted the track was the phrase “I have no mouth & I must scream” is a way to say no matter how loud I scream, no matter how much I do. Does it matter in the end? This relates back to the ideas of Existentialism. Exploring the issues of humanity, dread, and anxiety. Existentialism is an absurd concept, but a very real one.
Media that inspired the piece e.g. book, film, game, etc.
Eraserhead – (film)
Eraserhead is the debut film of surrealist extraordinaire David Lynch. The film follows Henry, a man living in an industrial world. He accidentally impregnates his girlfriend, a woman he really is not too fond of. The baby is born prematurely. To the point, it doesn’t look human.
(Above is the baby). Frederick Elmes – Cinematographer
How Eraserhead inspired this project was primarily through the use of sound in the film. Created by Alan Splet and David Lynch. The sound is industrial, using lots of low drones, noise, and samples. The use of drones is what in particular inspired me. The way this was recorded was done in a very D.I.Y. mindset which I personally am very fond of. e.g. David playing a sound through a radiator vent, then having alan on the other side of the vent recording the sounds coming through. Which would have a natural reverberation to it.
I have no mouth, & I must scream – (short story)
I have no mouth, & I must scream is a short story from 1967. This short story was a pioneer of mixing horror and sci-fi. As they were both very separated genres at the time. Horror typically is religion-based (rosemary’s baby) and sci-fi typically was quite goofy and camp (star trek). For me, it was more the title of I have no mouth, & I must scream, than the actual story itself. I think it’s such a fascinating title that can be used and interpreted in many ways for myself.
References
Bennet, W., 2021. Whitehouse – Why You Never Became a Dancer Lyrics | Genius Lyrics. [online] Genius. Available at: <https://genius.com/Whitehouse-why-you-never-became-a-dancer-lyrics>
Genius. (n.d.). Whitehouse – A Cunt Like You. [online] Available at: https://genius.com/Whitehouse-a-cunt-like-you-annotated
Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Japanoise. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanoise.
Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Gary Ridgway. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Ridgway.
Sable, K. (n.d.). The Green River Killer Carol Ann Christensen. [online] www.karisable.com. Available at: https://www.karisable.com/grkchristensen.htm [Accessed 24 Nov. 2021].
The prominence of Germany in the pioneering of sound art and experimental music is detrimental. With artists such as Karlheinz Stockhausen, Peter Vogel, Christina Kubisch, and Ulrich Eller. All hailing from Germany.
Germany still to this day is pushing the boundaries of electronic music and also in the terms of constantly creating new ways to create music. For example, Koma Elektronik is a german company that is creating incredible pieces of equipment like the field kit series. Which are built to help with experimentation whether you’re doing early musique concrète style sound or Whitehouse-esque power electronics, it can do most things.
Artworks
In Germany during 1980, a renowned sound art exhibition called ‘Für Augen und Ohren’ – which translates to ‘For Eyes and Ears’ in English, was held. This exhibition was huge, having 74 participating artists and musicians. Playing sound from both deceased and alive musicians at the time. The exhibition had work dating back to the 14th century. An example of that would be this astronomical clock in Strasbourg from 1354. Inside the clock they’re are these automatically operated bells. Here is a video that better shows what I’ve explained. The bells start at the 1:10 mark.
‘Sehen und Horen: Design und Kommunikation (Seeing and Hearing: Design and Communication)‘ was held in colonge in 1974. This a more lesser-known exhibition but an equally important one. This exhibition but an emphasis on the senses of sight and hearing. How they did that was by butting 600 instruments from 16 different countries in a room. I personally find this fascinating, as there are so many different types of instruments from different cultures it is good for people to learn what cultures from other countries.
Hotspots
Strasbourg automatically operated bells
Sehen und Horen: Design und Kommunikation (Seeing and Hearing: Design and Communication
Für Augen und Ohren
Glossary
‘Kommunikation‘ – German for ‘Communication’
‘Objekte‘ – Object
Conclusion/Future Work
In conclusion, this article really shows how detrimental Germany was to the growth of sound art as a whole. With exhibitions like ‘Für Augen und Ohren’ having 74 musicians in one place, having music spanning from modern-day, all the way back to the 14th century. Showing that sound art wasn’t just a modern thing.
And ‘Sehen und Horen: Design und Kommunikation (Seeing and Hearing: Design and Communication‘. Having over 600 instruments from 16 countries, showing a mixture of sounds and styles from all over the world. I found that in these two exhibitions there is an emphasis on mixing cultures and different time periods together. This perfectly sums up what a lot of sound art represents (to me at least). Mixing cultures and time periods together to create something forward-thinking.
References
www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Astronomical Clock Strasbourg Cathedral. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKgZB3P45Kw.
Noy, I. – Touching Sound Art – Curatorial Practises in West Germany
