According to Adam Curtis’ documentary All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace (reviewed, not glowingly, by Gaw here), mankind is facing an existential crisis brought on by the realisation that computers will not, as we expected, deliver Utopia, but have instead left us feeling powerless in a system we cannot change.
For myself, I enjoyed Caitlin Moran’s rebuttal to this in The Times: “I don’t know if I agree with Curtis: that we thought computers would save us, but that they have left us instead “believing that we are powerless in a system we cannot change”. Everyone I know thought that computers would be good for playing Daley Thompson’s Decathlon on, and then, later, ordering Christmas presents from Argos. I don’t think that we ever expected them to deliver Utopia. Just an inflatable mattress and three Barbie caravans.”
Anyway, machines may not have delivered Utopia, but they sometimes get pretty close when it comes to music. Here are four electronic tracks of sublime beauty…
Richard James, aka Aphex Twin, is a mad Cornishman responsible for a load of utterly loopy music, most of which can only be enjoyed if accompanied by the consumption of illicit mind-altering substances. The exception is his album Selected Ambient Works 85-92 – an eminently accessible collection of computer music that is quite unrivalled in terms of beauty and creativity (though not production values). It’s a record that suggested James would be the Mozart of electronica – alas, his later stuff is more like Stockhausen. Anyway, everyone should own a copy. I could have picked any of the thirteen tracks, but this is Heliosphan…
Even more influential than Aphex Twin is Brian Eno. Not that I’m overly bothered about who’s who in the history of electronica here – just in musical loveliness. Another Green World – famous as the theme tune for BBC documentary strand Arena – is as perfectly self-contained and precise as one of Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies. ..
Smokebelch II, a 1993 track from experimental London act Sabres of Paradise, must have one the highest ‘unpleasant-sounding name : melodic prettiness’ ratios in popular music. One is reminded of Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel playing a beautiful, delicate piano piece and then announcing that it’s called ‘Lick My Love Pump’.
Lastly, My Girls – a 2009 track from Animal Collective which, when I posted it on Think Of England, was described by Malty as “Phillip Glass’ Einstein on the beach mixed with a dishwasher tablet advert”. And who am I to argue with Malty?
All stone cold classics! Great selection Brit, they’re all sounding great in my office with the rain outside
The Aphex Twin track is outstanding and better still he’s from Cornwall! Thanks Brit.
Well then Brit, yer man Curtis is conversing out of his botty, confusers are the new black, at his very moment me and wor frau are posing on a hotel balcony near the the San Miniato, suffering from Sandroitise and ogling terracotta pantiles, knocking back the red stuff whilst, I say whilst we follow, on said ladies laptop, junior who is furiously pedaling the Ride the Divide race and has just crossed into northern Montana munching on a bar of whatever, all courtesy of tracker, Google Urf and Street and I5 Sandy Bridge, man you couldn’t make it up.
As ever, missing you badly, M.
Nice music by the way, great satisfaction is given by your liberal dispensation of intellectual pasture, indeed not since Twin Peak’s log Lady has so much been broadcast.
PS, 18.39, it’s just started raining cats and dogs..
Glad you enjoyed chaps.
Malty! Good to hear you’re alive. You’ve missed tons, including Blogmanship.
I watched AWOBMOLG.
I found myself thinking ‘hang on mate, I’m not sure you’re right about this (or that or the other).
I assumed it was because I was to thick to understand what he was getting at so I watched it again on the BBC iPlayer and again on the BBC iPlayer.
But no, he’s just another miserable doom-monger feeding the gullible, misguided and easily led on his specially prepared archive footage, stills and portentous voice over dystopia.
Bring back James Burke I say.
He was much better at it.
O.S.M. B:nn
(Sadly your taste in electronic music is the same as mine.)
addendum:
I should have typed:
(Sadly your taste in electronic music is NOT the same as mine.)
Without the caps lock on obviously.
Sorry about that.
I was typing with furious fingers.
O.S.M. B:nn
I thought that was a bit odd, OSM.
The third part of All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace was particularly nonsensical.
Anyway, Adam Curtis-watchers should tune in to The Dabbler on Thursday morning, because Noseybonk is featuring him.
I just don’t get Aphex Twin, despite enjoying an awful lot of electronic music (and, thinking about it, isn’t there really an awful lot of it about – electronic music, that is – almost too much for the description?).
My thoughts exactly. Curtis leaps from stepping stone to stone of his argument like a hyperactive frog while I’m on the first stone shaking and wobbling and thinking this is a bit precarious.