The sound of the future has been with us for longer than you might realise. Since the experimentalism of German Engineers, such as Stockhausen of the 1950's, and the French composers around the same era recording surrounding everyday sounds, electronic artists have been posing new frontiers and seemingly endless possibilities for us. Earlier still, at the end of the 19th century, Eric Satie wrote a series of background pieces called furniture music designed to let the listener fall into mood and sink into the subconscious. Although Satie never got to use the incoming advancements of music technology, it changed the way music would be used and considered over the next century. Our relationship with the computer has grown since then. It's a frightening prospect for many people. Some listeners find it tough to enjoy. The harsh and manufactured sounds can leave them feeling cold and empty, as though no human empathy exists at all in the music. Another conflict for them is absence of the human voice. It might appear to them, particularly from such alien sounds as Autechre or the hypnotic ambiance of Brian Eno, that technology dominates. I often imagine a distant future where machines, so intelligent in design and thought, compose their own unique music in their logical and inhuman view of the world. In fact, it's quite possible the computer is the instrument of our age. Where once the guitar provided an individual, everyman approach, the computer currently supplies an upgraded version of exactly this. Inspired by the mathematical cut n' paste style electronics pose, some go so far as to turn it on its head, to use the guitar as you would a generated synth. Math Rock is a direct descendant of this and the eltro/rock group Battles employ the technique brilliantly. The classic riff that was so key to traditional Rock is broken down and particalised. They sound, at least to my ears, like the army marches of a billion extra-terrestrials. The computer gives artists of broad calibers a lot of freedom. Its variety and customisation pinpoint a voice for many artists who yearn to express the so-far-unexpressed and, like the guitar, it is also universally easy to pick up and make your own.
But what I really want to look at is the way that electronic music throws out image as part of its whole presentation. Modern Indie, as one example, relies heavily on it's visual appeal: The Band Picture, The Supporting Fashion Scene and NME coverage, The Guitar Solo. Indie's not the worst offender in this department. A lot of Hip Hop would be pretty bland without it's larger-than-life look. Electronic music, on the other hand, is faceless. Any sympathy or preconceived opinion is gathered through the music, and the music alone. It must be the only genre that lets the music speak for itself in uncorrupted tone. The genre has a dedicated following but this lack of visual reference is a tricky element for the average listener to comprehend. Perhaps it's a subconscious human need to see what you hear, to be able to make eye contact or to be able to try and understand the personality behind the communication. The power of impression, of suggestion and of social politics is difficult to break away from.
Aphex Twin, originating from Cornwall, is an acid crazed sonic genius (if I can call Richard E. James that) and one of the titans of the Warp Records Label based in London. He has been responsible for creating some of the most twisted and unnerving electronic music of the last decade or so. Stacks of artists spanning many different genres of music cite him as an influence. His music is almost indescribable and is offset by strange videos and dark sights. The recognisable Aphex Twin symbol that accompanies his releases (see above picture) is a singular but ambiguous metaphor. His insane, demented smile that reoccurs over and over, on his album covers and music videos throws off the audience and mocks and destroys any accessible visual attachment or understanding. We can know nothing about him from these images. It serves only to displace himself from his music and subvert our love of images, the resulting obsession of MTV culture.
Many other Electronic artists also hide behind their work, either by choice or because they are by nature reclusive people. This separation of image from sound and severing of visual restriction forces us to focus in on their music, perhaps the only thing that matters. We are entreated to give up caring about the source and the intentions of the creator. This is their gift to us. We, the audience, are free to explore our own psyche, attach our own memories, to let flow the beautiful landscapes of our mind while listening to their music as a soundtrack. The images are of our own conjuring. It lays out a blank canvas inviting us to think for ourselves, to make the music our own.
