J.M. Bowers is a well respected sound/noise producer who gave a very memorable performance at the Noise=Noise event at The Foundry last autumn. I have just discovered this intriguing free release for download. The source is a heavily rendered recording of Edison's famous 'Mary had little lamb' test recording. The result is a very tactile audio landscape, full of rich and uncanny detail. Recommended.
Montage by Vera Bremerton. Next Friday I'll give an experimental presentation at Noise=Noise on the strange parallels between the sonic and conceptual dystopianism of Doctor Who and first generation British industrial music. Dr. Who exposed mass audiences (often very young) to a combination of experimental electronic sound and dystopian themes, a combination that could also summarise industrial music. Dr. Who frequently presented post-apocalyptic scenarios of mutation, mind control and para-militarised societies and, in the process, at least implicitly criticised actual political and technological developments of the time, particularly those associated with the Cold War arms race. Due to budgetary constraints these visionary scenarios were often realised in a rudimentary ad hoc fashion; an approach that also applies to industrial. The early industrial groups highlighted the most serious social and political themes using very primitive electronic equipment, creating a kind of...
Comments