In contrast to the last four sound installation works, sound art in its broader form can fit in installations and other pieces or performances. I’m going to research further into aspects I’ve been looking into at the moment. Topics include identity within the fine art world, representing yourself within art. Heritage, culture and social class.
Madlib Medicine Show
Madlib is an unorthodox Hip Hop artist from the United States of America. He creates music/sounds that can’t really be boxed into one genre. They span from boom bap hip hop beats to lucid soundscapes with no drums. Although perhaps the canon of sound arts wouldn’t associate artists such as Madlib to be a sound artist but more an experimental artist I would argue the case that he is both. I have recently been indulging in his work and found it to be very vast. Ranging from Jazz under the name Yesterdays New Quintet where Madlib creates alter egos and plays every instrument in the production to the Medicine Show series. In particular what attracts me to this is the rough nature of the releases and episode Number two, Flight To Brazil.
Medicine show was a series of albums that Madlib released to start his own label. He released an album every month for initially what was supposed to be ten months. I found the discipline of creating constantly is something undermined in the creative world of artists, sometimes we wait for things to inspire us and give us reason to work rather than the work being the reason. To be creative is simply the reason some of us such as Madlib are on this planet for. For him it’s a constant process regardless of the monetisation and popularity of his work, this leads him to make hundreds of beats and obscure sounds and pieces.
In this series of albums, Medicine Show #2 Flight To Brazil stuck out to me due to his way of creating it, although titled as a mixtape I wouldn’t say it is. Perhaps an abstract sound art collage mixtape of music and aspects he associates with Brazil. Madlib creates a lush journey of the sonic adventure of Brazil. With travelogue audio describing which city the music comes from, as all the audio was bought from a trip around Brazil that Madlib did. He accurately showcases where in Brazil the music is from with the audio excerpts of a pilot speaking. It makes it feel like a sonic piece which in hip hop sometimes can be close but not quite there.
The music also isn’t just played like a standard DJ would. Madlib takes parts he enjoys and loops them up, skews them out of context to not be exactly just music being played. Sometimes it’s just an introduction of another song leading straight into another chorus of a different one. This leads to a more active listening experience than a usual mixtape allows, as you are more attentive as it can change at any moment. For me, this album really made me nostalgic about my upbringing in Brazil. A lot of the songs I recognised instantly took me back. The power of sounds and how immersive it is, does fascinate me.
Regarding my Installation, I feel this is something that really motivates me. The cannon in itself although I find it intensely interesting and captivating does create an issue for me. I don’t see myself in these other artists, perhaps bits here and there but my work outside of university is predominantly a reflection of my environment and emotions, situations and other aspects captured sonically and skewered to enter me and other people who live this existence. I want to showcase that in my installation and really bring people into my world. Although at first I felt shy and tempted to neglect the idea of presenting my work within an installation context I find myself motivated now to skewer my view and reclaim the space. A sonic piece with audio and sculptural elements to take over where I’m given. Lastly, the way he produced the album reminds me of an extended rap skit. Not really music but a sonification of his experience around Brazil.
The Informals II – Installation
My second choice of sound art work is an installation called The Informals II. Although I’ve previously spoken on four installations and why I chose them I chose another installation for this because of its importance within my planning and the context of my current ideas that are developing around building a sound installation.
The Informals II, was an audiovisual installation in Brighton at the Lighthouse. This is how they described the piece.
Inspired by the artists’ interest in improvisation, non-conformity and ways of living in the digital age, The Informals II explored the lives and stories of Brighton’s youths. In a time when the political climate is not representative of them, they use their music culture to challenge stigmas and stereotypes and to reclaim public spaces.
The installation brought together audiovisual documentary footage collected by the artists in Brighton. Moving images, text, and dialogue interlace, calling upon the audience to interact with, and create new narratives and meanings.
I wasn’t involved in this project as I had moved to London to start my Undergraduate degree so sadly I couldn’t be involved. But watching and attending the private viewing made me feel proud. Most of the people in this audiovisual piece are close friends of mine and when I lived in Brighton I would be amongst them most of my week. As well as Audio Active a music charity that helps young people to access workshops and equipment. For the first time, I was actually proud of the people I associate with myself in an art gallery. To be there as themselves and nothing else. It was definitely an important moment, and now I’m being offered an opportunity to present myself alone in a gallery it’s made me think of everyone else as well as myself that I can represent and reclaim the space offered. Initially, I had the idea of using my friend’s voices in the space. But since rewatching this and remembering the exhibition The Informals II I’ve thought about contrasting the sonic element to the audiovisual presented in this exhibition. I found the darkroom really made the mobile visitor focus on the audiovisual element. The darkness allows the mobile visitor to not look and try to find the speakers and so engage more with the visuals. As well the visuals projected massively on the entire wall also is very immersive. The room with no seats means it’s not a lounge back comfortable watch as other audiovisual work is. It’s not something to sit down and tuck yourself into a nice journey. It’s more an accurate and at times upsetting video to watch. I believe the artists and curators did a great job at representing my friends and allowing them this space to be reclaimed. To conclude I really enjoyed the way the audio reflected the visuals and the relationship they had together. The audio would sometimes not fit what was being shown visually but this created an artistic representation of each person shown. The Visual aspect actually enhanced the audio in this context as it gave a visual stimulation to the audio and almost gave a sense of authenticity to see who is behind the voice that is speaking. Instead of it being up for speculation and anonymity, it’s a reclaiming of the space, to show whoever it is in their rawest form.
Pierre Schaeffer – Étude pathétique
I chose this sound art piece due to the nature of the spliced up sounds. Music Concrète as pioneered by Pierre Schaeffer is an interesting art form that definitely has a connection with modern hip hop artforms. I found this piece in specific Etude Pathètique to capture my attention. I went on a research journey to find a more fine art based practitioner rather than touching the edges of music to see if there was any context towards my current decision making with my installation proposal. I found his use of cutting audio in this piece to reflect the Madlib Medicine Show in an almost identical way. The only difference is the equipment used and the intent behind it. I find this to be more of an open-ended approach without specifically creating meaning and just cutting audio up. An exploration into what’s possible.
I feel currently I want to create an audio piece using samples as this is what I find to fit my identity. As well as this I want to contrast the samples not just in a specific meaningful way but also aesthetically and artistically. To create something that sonically I enjoy which has come from this piece as an example.
Christian Marclay On Night Music
I watched this video of Christian Marclay live on Night Music, I have previously looked into his work for my first year on BA sound arts and found the physical element of his work captivating. The chopping and looping that he does with his turntables essentially do a lot of modern features on a DAW. Warping, time-stretching, pitching etc. He physically cuts the vinyls into shapes to create a new one that has different qualities.
I want to incorporate that into one of my proposals as well.