Conceptronica

luka

luka

Well-known member
"What we set ourselves the task of doing on this project, was really to interrogate the concept of the concept. Well, what is a concept? How do we conceive of the concept? So that the image of this project became, for us, the mirror which examines itself in the mirror. A doubling and redoubling, and this motif is something you find represented sonically, visually and thematically, again and again throughout."
 
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sadmanbarty

Well-known member
luka said:
"What we set ourselves the task of doing on this project, was really to interrogate the concept of the concept. Well, what is a concept? How do we conceive of the concept? So that the image of this project became, for us, the mirror which examines itself in the mirror. A doubling and redoubling, and this motif is something you find represented sonically, visually and thematically, again and again throughout."
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:crylarf:

i knew you'd pick that bit out! i had no idea what the fuck they were on about.
 
version

version

Well-known member
There's the perennial doubt about the efficacy of preaching to the converted.
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I haven't been to Unsound or any of these festivals so I may be way off here, but I get the impression that a sizable chunk of the audience is the artists themselves.
 
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sadmanbarty

Well-known member
Trans artist Mr Rea critiques those in the entertainment industry who she refers to as "faux-allies" with her remix of Beyonce's 'Pretty Hurts'.

"Here you have a woman whose career has been defined by exemplifying a very specific gender ideal then preaching about the harmful effects of said [societal] constructs. The audacity of it's almost as astounding a the hypocrisy."

This speaks a strain throughout conceptronica of the last 10 years; the brutal affront to what society deems beautiful. As Peruvian artist Lakshmi explains "I want my music to sound like to sound like cellulite and being covered in spots. I want it to be a wake-up call out of the haze of unrealistic beauty standards".
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poor old beyonce. She's trying her best.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
"Where we began was with this notion of polyvalent time, or of many times running concurrently. So that we set ourselves the task of representing mountain time, both the formation of mountain ranges as land buckles and folds with continental drift, and of the erosion of mountains, the flattening and eventual erasure of the mountain with wind and rain and abrasion. Or larger and slower cycles even than that such as the birth and death of stars. And to layer these monumental cycles and spans and pulses, with much shorter ones, such as mayfly time, or a soap bubbles, drifting in air and popping. So this album is really a way to complicate and enrich our habitual ways of thinking about and perception of time and music is really the ideal way to do that, as it is itself the quintessential time-based medium"
 
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sadmanbarty

Well-known member
Verizon's 90 minute 'audio-film' deEPfake explored the hot button topic of disinformation and fake news through it's use of 'word drumming' in which samples of news reports are cut up and rhythmically intersected to completely alter their different meaning. "You're there on the Internet trying to make sense of everything" Verizon explained "but you can't believe a word you're reading".
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like if todd edwards went to goldsmiths.
 
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sadmanbarty

Well-known member
luka said:
"Where we began was with this notion of polyvalent time, or of many times running concurrently. So that we set ourselves the task of representing mountain time, both the formation of mountain ranges as land buckles and folds with continental drift, and of the erosion of mountains, the flattening and eventual erasure of the mountain with wind and rain and abrasion. Or larger and slower cycles even than that such as the birth and death of stars. And to layer these monumental cycles and spans and pulses, with much shorter ones, such as mayfly time, or a soap bubbles, drifting in air and popping. So this album is really a way to complicate and enrich our habitual ways of thinking about and perception of time and music is really the ideal way to do that, as it is itself the quintessential time-based medium"
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did you actually listen to the song they're referring to? it's literally just a lazy aphex rip off with a few toaster popping noises chucked in.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
"We conducted a thought experiment. We said, well what if meme magic is real? And why not? Our notion of reality and the possible has been wrenched out of joint over the last few years and that is really another way of saying magic has re-entered the circuit. This is no longer a mechanical cause and effect universe. So why not take them at their word? This combination of word and image endlessly reproduced on screens all over the world really is creating change in accordance with the magician's will. That was the premise the music coalesced around."
 
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sadmanbarty

Well-known member
luka said:
"We conducted a thought experiment. We said, well what if meme magic is real? And why not? Our notion of reality and the possible has been wrenched out of joint over the last few years and that is really another way of saying magic has re-entered the circuit. This is no longer a mechanical cause and effect universe. So why not take them at their word? This combination of word and image endlessly reproduced on screens all over the world really is creating change in accordance with the magician's will. That was the premise the music coalesced around."
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i haven't listened to that one yet. it's such a genius idea i don't want to ruin it. i'd rather just let the idea of that music exist in my head than ruin it with reality.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
sadmanbarty said:
did you actually listen to the song they're referring to? it's literally just a lazy aphex rip off with a few toaster popping noises chucked in.
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Well this is versions contention isn't it? That it's just a sales brochure to dignify what, in actuality, is paint by number electronica. Anything but cutting edge. Ironic really.
 
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sadmanbarty

Well-known member
luka said:
Well this is versions contention isn't it? That it's just a sales brochure to dignify what, in actuality, is paint by number electronica. Anything but cutting edge. Ironic really.
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i suppose so, but it's just mad. having these huge conversations about something that doesn't really exist.
 
version

version

Well-known member
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I think it's also worth noting that the majority of us on here appear to be straight white guys so we're not exactly the target audience or coming at some of these records from the same angle as they're being made. The records dealing with identity anyway. The stuff that's just silly conceptual things about time and space or whatever is a different story.
 
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sadmanbarty

Well-known member
Verizon came under heavy criticism from fellow artists for making music deemed heteronormative. "It's appropriation plain and simple" explained queer Angolan-Dutch artist Yardren. "This is a music made by and for the marginalised exploring our conditions within oppressive societies. It's a cultural safe spade which [Verizon] is impeding."
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i've only just heard about this music and it's already eating it's own!
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
"It started with a joke and became an object of serious investigation. Xander asked me, what if, at the height of their infatuation with jungle, Mark Fisher and Nick Land had actually made a jungle record? How might their conceptual discoveries and innovations find musical form? How would the nummogram be represented rhythmically for instance? How to invoke/evoke it's presiding gatekeepers, demons and deities? It grew from there to become almost this breakbeat symphony in which every musical decision has a conceptual justification. This is where we differ from a lot of the other people you have shunted into the 'conceptronica' siding. This is a tremendously rigorous work with sound and concept mapped out one-one."
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
Unfortunate echoes of Goldie's 'breakbeat symphonies' there which I guess goes to show how far removed these people are from actual dance music discourse. There's no respect for the source material and how, as Kodwo Eshun went to some pains to explain, it is already conceptual and to a very high degree. This is the frustratingly regressive aspect to all this.
 
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