Starting to write this journal I have mentioned that I have been a creative nomad. Over the last ten years or so I have been recording and performing experimental music and performance art works. So in keeping with that I thought I would post a short article I wrote this afternoon for the Artist Launch Site. They have an online radio station and are working through there wiki site to share a wide range of music with people. I found some interesting music to listen to as I wrote.

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Experimental Music

A brief introduction to experimental music and an attempt to offer an “in” for the un-initiated.



Have you ever heard of Merzbow, Masonna, Sudden Infant, Justice Yeldham and the Dynamic Ribbon Device, The Nihilist Spasm Band or Zbigniew Karkowski? Know what field recording is? Heard a song composed, using  only field recordings? If your answer is no to most of these questions, this article is for you. There’s a wide variety of genres that fit into the experimental music/noise scene. i.e. noise, noise core, free improv, musique concrete, atonal music, drone music and on and on. Okay so let’s find an in here. I imagine you are at least familiar with the name John Cage. To be overly simplistic here, generally speaking, experimental music involves the use of unusual sound sources, non-typical use of traditional instruments and self made “stuff” to create audio works that do not follow the traditional structure or song form. Some things can be very abrasive whilst others can be very soothing and pleasing to the ear.

It would be impossible to say I could give you any kind of overview of the experimental music scene and all the genres there in without leaving something out. A question that you might ask yourself to know if you might be interested in exploring some of these genres. Have you ever been listening to the intro of a song and gotten annoyed or wondered why the intro did not continue instead of going into a traditional song form? If you are been curious then this might be something to check out.

If you are feeling adventurous there is a great site created by a San Francisco based sound artist hertz lion resource. You can also subscribe to his mailing list and receive a great posting choked full of info and a bi-monthly  update of concerts, of the experimental variety, going on all over the world.

Otherwise I would start with myspace and search some of the artist listed above and you might find something you like. For the more harsh stuff try merzbow or if you are wanting something a bit more pleasing to the ear try out hans fjellestad (listen to ex vivo).

That does it for now. Hopefully that gives you a place to start and you might find something you like.

Is there a sound you hear that makes you happy? What sound makes you want to crawl out of your skin?

Ciao
Reverendo


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