'The present day composers refuse to die' - the words of Edgard Varèse.

The global music scene has given the listening world a now familiar phenomenon , that of the single creator and the associated repetitive compositional structure. Now everyone with a laptop can tell everyone else on the planet the same story, and with this practice, its associated cliques, plethora of net labels and file storage portals = advertising hubs disguised as free radio, form an acceptable and recognised  'normal'.

This is due in large to the mechanics, practicalities and limitations of the production process by a single person and the realisation during composition that the music would probably need to be ideally showcased live, unless it was 'performed' as a purely laptop set where by all elements are pre recorded .Therefore in a practical sense it becomes necessary to build music into controllable layers ' one section at a time'. This process is repeated throughout the genres from Pop music's looper Souper's, ambient drone followers to electronic musicians using modular rack analogue equipment and so on.

Following the same tiresome formulae they establish a fixed pulse rhythm or loop of some kind in the mode of Steve Reich and slowly build on this adding components in a predictable way - usually the 'kick' or variations of it, followed by the inevitable improvisation based on chromaticism the building blocks of the piece, and a kind of old and tired formula in terms of dynamics that build from a low point to a loud crescendo allowing for the story to have a perceived start and end.

This style of music now dominates large sections of the global scene and seems to dictate every corner of creativity. But this ain't music, it's simply pissing about with 0's and 1's made by people who have no artistic soul or direction. Hands up if you like me are tired of seeing so called DJ's and solo artists indulge in the same boring cooking exercise, looking and appearing to be 'so into the music - man' gyrating to a 120 bpm  Kick whilst then proceeding to add the hats, blips and blobs as if they'd discovered a new and previously hidden universe. 

It is soo soo boring. Please press the stop button.

To paraphrase the words of Pierre Schaeffer  ' We can liberate ourselves politically , but music remains under the occupation of a foreign power'. 

 The art of good music requires expression over perfection , vitality over finish, fluctuation over repose , the unknown over the known, the veiled over the clear and most importantly the individual over society.

Now there's a skill in technical production, that much is obvious, but an even greater skill comes in producing a spirit .Every child should be able to create its own cosmology, unrelated to the norms of ability and technique. It is an adventure into the unknown explorable by those willing to take the risk and should intentionally insult those attuned to over mantel ikea art , 'The One Show' culture,  Spotify algorithms or the radio friendly white middle class, middle aged convenience of 6 'music'?.

And as for so called 'indie' don't get me started.

Blake Boulay

Background image:- Architect Le Corbusier and Edgard Varèse standing outside of the Philips Pavilion. Commissioned as part of the Brussels Expo 1958, this magnificent structure housed Varèse's Poème électronique, which was spatialized by sound projectionists using telephone dials. A multitude of speakers were set into the walls which resulted in a 360 surround sound experience. Project manager, architect and Musique concrète artist Iannis Xenakis specifically created 'Concret PH' which was heard as audiences entered and exited the building .