In The Meaning of the 21st Century, James Martin says: “There is such a difference… between Bach and computerized Bach, or Renoir and computerized Renoir, that a music lover would not want to listen to computer-composed Bach, and an art-connoisseur would not want to live with computer-composed Renoirs… The most interesting humans will remain unique, imitable only in crude ways… An interesting challenge is to develop the best synergy between deep non-human like intelligence and human intelligence. How can the human-NHL combination be designed to achieve the most valuable results?”
Well, I feel that in a sense we are doing this on the tour. Björk mixes acoustic instruments with electronic ones, and she mixes living performers with computer systems. I once wrote here on the blog that after beginning this work I sometimes feel that I don’t quite know where my body ends and the MACHINES begin.
It’s the way of the future, I guess.
Of course, we, i.e. mankind, are already doing this with chemicals, to get more out of life. Martin puts it this way: “Today, when Hamlet ponders, “To be or not to be”, we might say, “Oh, come on! Give him Prozac.”
We will get a lot more of that in the coming decades, when trans-humanism really kicks in.
Entries (RSS)
September 1st, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Bjork is one of the only people that can put that all in to place so good your playing and the comps and all that stuff
September 1st, 2007 at 11:41 pm
THIS IS TRUE
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:46 am
I love the cyborg sort of approach. It really excites me to use machines to empower my expression with so many variables (with midi for example) to let me have harp sounds or taiko drum sounds when perhaps I wouldnt otherwise be able to use these sounds, or to digitally record and trigger samples of life- singing, animal noises, etc….
I think Bjork accomplishes this seamlessly, and I’m so glad you, and everyone else who contributes to this sensational experience care to share with us.
Thanks for the inspiration.
September 2nd, 2007 at 2:15 pm
i think about this a lot…i think about how, if suddenly there was no such thing as electricity, so much of my work would vanish.
September 3rd, 2007 at 3:28 am
My show is next.
September 3rd, 2007 at 10:57 pm
“Björk mixes acoustic instruments with electronic ones”. And she does it like no one else does.
September 4th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
This has been a debate for quite some time.
Purists tend to disagree with any technological infringement on true “soulful expression” but really…..since all technological things begin with a human, who says that the creator’s creativity or soul cannot come through in the technological work ultimately?
I used to work in the animation department of Warner Bros and this was a constant debate back then…..should animation be completed with computers or continue to be hand drawn?…..ultimately, the computers won because the project could be completed much faster and with far fewer people. Also you could create any world on the fly and put your character in literally any environment in seconds. The interesting thing is that it was not necessarily artists involved in animation anymore….but computer wizards instead.
The purist in me still prefers the original oboe instrument to a synthetic one, and the original painting to a computerized one because of the texture the paint creates. I also will always enjoy an actual book over internet reading because of the way a book smells. However, I also believe Björk’s “New World” from Selma Songs is one of the most brilliant sonic experiences that exists because of the near perfect combination of orchestra and electonic. It really just depends on the creator.
I once attempted a song that combined a string quartet with pinball machines….I just couldn’t get it to work right and I was the creator! But I am sure the right person could make that combination work and give it equilibrium without sounding contrived……I’ll bet Björk would be able to finish it.
~Kayleigh (Lavacoolsme)