I believe that the context in which pictures or radio are being viewed/listened to affects the answer of this. For example if you are trying to understand what a particular place looked like, take London in the 1950’s, a picture would be a suitable medium. Pictures give us a sense of place and time however they can only tell us so much. Radio on the other hand can pull together a range of mediums such as voice clips, sound effects, ambience etc to create a fuller and more accurate illusion of 1950’s London. From the Arnheim source he makes it clear that a visual medium doesn’t allow the viewer to use their own imagination and fill in the gaps like radio does. With this in mind, Radio is superior (to an extent).
Thomas De Quincy’s ‘Macbeth’ essay focusing on the ‘knock on the gates preceding Duncans death.
Rudolf Arnheim, Radio Essay
Looking at a quote from the De Quincy essay; ‘The reason is that he allows his understanding to overrule his eyes.’ This point is interesting because we can do the same with sound. As a listener we uses our ears, our eyes are pretty much redundant when absorbing music or sounds. Through radio, sound or music it’s possible to ‘create the illusion’ and trick our ears into thinking we heard something. From the Arnehiem Radio source it reads; ‘If we can only succeed in producing an acoustically correct aural-impression…then you can suggest what you wish to the listener; he will make the request picture out of it, even to the fourth dimension’. The source argues that situation of listening ultimately compels us to supplement the experience with our own visuals. The listener is urged to imagine with the inner eyes. ‘Radio drama is capable of creating an entire world complete in itself out for the sensory materials at its disposal.’
In relation to the question, focusing on distorting time, this can be achieved through a number of means. One of the most obvious ones to me would be through collage. As Dr Baxter alluded us to the work of Rauschenberg, a similar mismatching of mediums can distort the listener’s perception of time. An array of sounds recorded between a fifty year period can be arranged together in a single composition. If these sounds are recognisable to a particular year/time/event etc the outcome would be a distortion of time, but only if the listener can identify them.
In response to ‘telescoping time through sound’ I feel this can be achieved by pinpointing a time, place or person, for example Jessica Ekomane’s piece ‘Citizen Band’ does this perfectly. Citizen Band (2019) is an audio radio commission piece that telescopes anonymous conversations between truck drivers and workers in Indiana and Nebraska. In a sense this piece is a good example because in my opinion it distorts, telescopes, stretches and abolish’ time. The piece is comprised of many conversations one after the other, non linear, the time is unknown. Although unknown we do get a sense of place from the speakers, how they sound and what they talk about. In 30mins the concept of the Citizen Band from a particular place in the world is enlarged, stretched through the collection of said conversations thus abolishing a ‘real’ sense of time.
Over the Christmas holidays I agreed to create an original song for a bar’s cocktail masterclass hamper in my hometown.
Hertford House is a luxurious bed and breakfast/bar/restaurant that has undergone an image re-brand since the first lockdown. The cocktail video was stylishly edited, the colours crisp and vibrant, so I aimed for my music to compliment this.
The musician brief I was sent from the Director made it clear that they wanted an uptempo, jazzy house song similar to artists such as Moodymann, SBTRKT and LTJ Bukem.
After trying a few drafts I concluded that a house song around the 120bpm mark didn’t really fit particularly well with the laid back video vibe. Instead I opted for a much slower downtempo track (110bmp) taking cues from hip-hop, house and dub. I had been listening to a lot of Kruder and Dorfmesiter so I felt particularly inspired by their sound.
As there was going to be spoken audio over the top of the video I didn’t want the music to overpower or distract. The music must be engaging and pleasant, anything too absurd would not sit well with the desired audience. Opting for a slower tempo and more melodic structure, I feel the music compliments the video.
I particularly enjoyed a task like this after learning a number of things from the Sound Art course, which I could apply to my production process. Thinking deeply about sound and ‘the right sound’ informed my process in going against the Directors initial lo-fi house track wishes. The Director was extremely pleased with the final product and felt that I had made the right decision.
From the 1998 EP ‘Pieces of a Paradox’, track A being ‘Dusty Cabinets’.
For me this track epitomises Deep House and I will explain why in a second. However, for many people the name deep house conjures the image of bikini clad models, beach parties and tacky ‘Deep House Summer Mixes’ found on youtube, soundcloud etc. Just type in Deep House on the internet and see for yourself…
Ebonics opens with a pitched down exchange between two African-American men talking about going to the club later that evening. Shortly followed by a sample from ‘The dialect of the black American’ LP, Parrish’ confrontational nature on race is evident right from the start. Contextually the choice of sample is a comment on black dialect itself but I also believe this to personify black expression, be it music, dance and art. Parrish is arguing that black expression is massively important to the growth of the world and should not be ignored. Although being ignored isn’t always the problem, more commonly it’s the blatant theft and reconstruction of certain genres, cultures and ideas. Elvis Presley is a great example of this, the so called ‘King of Rock and Roll’. I’m not denying Elvis’ talent but the fact he was a brandable, white man is a clear indication to why he was given such a pedestal as apposed to Chuck Berry and Little Richard.
Deep House as a genre is a sound quite paradoxical (notice the ep title) to the standard canon of house most people are accustomed to. Words associated with ‘House’ tend to be ‘uplifting, euphoric and otherworldly’, this couldn’t be more different from the deep strain of house music that was coming out of Chicago and Detroit in the late 80s and early 90s. Deep House has nothing to do with sunny beaches and girls in thongs contrary to popular belief. Deep has been coined the appropriate term because it explores the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. While standard house lives in the moment of elation inside the nightclub, deep house is outside, in the queue, dealing with real world problems. When I listen to artists such as Parrish, Moodymann, DJ Sprinkles and Larry Heard, it’s hard not to hear the struggle in their music.
Ebonics trudges along at around 117bpm, relatively slow for a house track you’d hear in the club. The Juno-6 chords create the sombre tone, gliding effortlessly throughout the piece while the hi-hats skip robotically. Depending on which version you listen to, either the standard 12minute version or extended 16minute version both of these mammoth songs keep you captivated and more importantly moving. The majority of Parrish’s work would be lost in a club setting, his minimal sound demands headphone or hi-fi attention, the nooks and crannies of his music are what Parrish fans adore. However ‘Ebonics’ is one track I would not hesitate to play, maybe as the night is slowing down and dancers become more reflective on the night or ‘drugged out’ (in some cases).
Usually produced live, some tracks pick up slight mistakes, clips and distortions which Parrish intentionally leaves in. This is his sound signature. Deep house isn’t pretty…It’s as Kenny Dixon Jr says a ‘product of his environment’. And when your environment is Detroit, well it’s not exactly Florence.
NOTES: Sound on Sound looping is a technique that can be used on a cheap/expensive tape recorders. This is done by extending the signals on the tape so it creates a loop or delay effect.
On a tape deck you have 3 heads; the erase head, write head and read head. The signals being put onto tape run past all three of these heads.
The erase head erases the signal as it passes.
If you remove the erase head the signals will continue and record over each other. NOTE: Expensive tape recorders and machines usually allow you to remove the individual heads as they are much bigger. With cheaper tape recorders you have to be a bit more creative.
Using a thin bit of tinfoil you can cover the ‘erase’ head so the tape can’t touch the erase head.
RON HARDY AND THE MUSIC BOX : INTRODUCTION 1976-1980
With a name like Ron Hardy, you’d be more likely to find a similar title on Pornhub. Although Mr Hardy probably had enough sex to be on par with a porn star he was instead a DJ. His contribution to music, is often over shadowed by his counter-part Frankie Knuckes; commonly known as the ‘Godfather of House Music.’
But lets rephrase this common statement to ‘the Godfathers of House Music’.
Before exploring Ron and the Music Box any further it would make sense to re-cap some of the people and places important to the evolution of American dance music around this period.
THE PLAYERS;
Ron Hardy: Ron Hardy was born in Chicago, Illinois on the 8th of May 1958. He began his DJing career at Chicago’s gay club Den One in 1974. However it was at the mythical and short lived nightclub ‘The Music Box’ that Ron Hardy really made a name for himself.
Frankie Knuckles: A New York native, Knuckles was best friends with Larry Levan (Levan would go on to DJ at the famous Paradise Garage) from school. The boys teenage and early adult life was spent going to and working at the NYC nightclubs. Knuckles was a regular dancer at The Loft, he blew balloons up at the gallery and DJ’ed at the Continental Baths. Struggling to find work in NYC, Knuckles moved to Chicago to work for Robert Williams at ‘The Warehouse”.
Larry Levan (Left) Frankie Knuckles (Centre)
Robert Williams: Owner of the Warehouse and Music Box, Williams was a key component in the foundations of what we call House music. He funded and managed spaces for thousands of predominately young black, gay people in Chicago that they could call a spiritual home. Williams was also in on and off relationships with Hardy and Knuckles throughout these periods.
Steve Dahl: Is a radio presenter, starting in Detroit and then moving to Chicago. He was openly against the ‘Disco’ phenomenon that had taken over the US since 1977, coinciding with the horribly inaccurate white washed film Saturday Night Fever. Commercially Disco is deemed to be a genre that spawned from the film, most people are un-aware that organised parties playing funky r&b, soul, black dance music, date back to 1970 in NYC. Dahl is another key anti-figure in House musics creation. Most notably after his Disco Demolition Night which took place on July 12, 1979. The idea was to end disco by allowing people to get tickets at the box office for a Red Sox game if they brought $0.98 (for WLUP’s frequency) and at least one disco record. More than 50,000 fans showed up, the records were collected and blown up. This was racist, homophobic and disgusting forcing the fans of dance music to go back underground.
THE PLACES;
TheWarehouse: Setup and owned by Robert Williams, the Warehouse (206 South Jefferson Street) opened in 1976 as an after hours juice bar. Juice Bars were commonplace in major cities across the US in order to curb the liquor license and closing time. If no alcohol was sold the club could stay open much longer. In 1977, after Larry Levan turned down playing in Chicago, favoring his weekly spot at the Garage, Frankie Knuckles agreed to become the regular DJ. Its from this club, officially named US Studio that the term ‘House’ got its name.
The Music Box: Opened in 1982, the Music Box was Williams’ answer to Knuckles opening of the Powerplant. Knuckles decided to leave The Warehouse and begin his own foray into the business after the admission fees doubled at the Warehouse. Williams hired Ron Hardy to DJ at the new club, a pivotal step in the creation of House music. The Music Box differed to its predecessor as a younger and more heterosexual audience began attending, thus altering the intensity and feel of the club.
The Power-plant: Opened in 1982, the Power-plant became Knuckles’ new home and personal business venture after leaving the Warehouse. It is often believed that this separation between Knuckles and Williams created a rivalry between the two clubs.When in fact this separation created a diverse community that interchanged between the clubs.
Cabrini-Green Projects: The Cabrini-Green Projects was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) located on the Near North Side of Chicago. At its busiest period of occupancy, there were 15,000 inhabitants. Please make note that these projects were poorly designed and neglected by the local government leading to a huge increase in crime. Over time the Cabrini-Green Projects became a point of reference for the problems/racism with project housing in the USA. The Music Box was situated very close to these housing projects.
While writing up my notes for Yassmin Fosters lecture I remembered this passage from the book ‘Love Saves the Day’ by Tim Lawrence. Relating to sound system culture, this passage describes the constant innovation for ‘perfect sound’. I’m interested in the way different cultures and people attempt to reach this sonic excellence and there backstory;
Unable to turn his sonic fantasy into reality, Mancuso turned to sound system specialist Alex Rosner, who had developed an unbreakable bond with music ever since a joint performance with his father at Auschwitz had saved his life. ‘The commandant recognised the two of us from the concert, and he winked at my father as he pulled all the other kids away,’ says Rosner, who played the accordion alongside his fathers violin. ‘All the other children were killed.’ Once in America, Rosner studied electrical engineering, but a sideline in installing hi-fis became so successful that he ended up building the stereophonic discotheques at the Canada A-Go-Go and the Carnival-A-Go-Go stands at the Worlds Fair 1964-65.
Pretty mad…Rosner would also go on to invent the first cueable DJ mixer.
The Dance: The thing itself, the body or the dance you could visit, attended
Playing Out: Playing outside of your normal space
The Set: The equipment, the sound system
The Sound: Subjective
Yassmin is a sound woman, sound has led her down the path of arts. Sound is continuously moving.
She was born into a sound system and drumming household. Learning through a cultural experience you don’t know is happening. At a younger age we are oblivious to the impact of our current situation, we become swept away by everything. It isn’t until later in life that we can look back and analyse/understand.
Foster is also interested in the social, political and physical aspects of dance and dance culture. Why do we twist our torso? Why do we move our head and clap our hands?
Foster runs the Legs Eleven Sound System
Within a sound system there is a selector, deejay and mc. The first selects the music that is played, the second plays the music on the turntable and the latter engages with the crowd by talking, chanting etc.
Legs Eleven is made up of Yassmin and her two sisters, the idea birthed from their fathers sound system. The sisters recognise the handover between their father and them, although they are a female sound system, the influence and knowledge from her father guides them. He has taught them everything about sound, learning through doing.
Safe Space
Creating a safe space that is warm and inviting ; must have music, food and beverages. David Mancuso said it best “I wanted to create a place in which you could fall asleep and not worry about your wallet being taken”
HOW TO CREATE A SAFE SPACE?
SMALL AXE: LOVERS ROCK
Foster says that the dance in the show isn’t very representative of what she remembers.
Before looking at Disc Jokey culture and parties I’d just like to mention that a large proportion of my understanding has come from particular sources; books, articles, films and interviews. Like any good underground movement not enough has been documented or inspected closely. Here is a list of some sources that have fuelled my interest in dance culture. I would recommend everyone to read these as they are great!
BOOKS:
Love Saves the Day ‘A History of American dance music culture 1970-1979‘ by Tim Lawrence (2003)
Life and Death on the New York Dance-floor ‘1980-83’ by Tim Lawrence (2016)
Mars by 1980 ‘The Story of Electronic Music’ by David Stubbs
Techno Rebelsby Dan Sicko
Last Night a DJ Saved my Life ‘The History of the DJ’ by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton
Kraftwerk: Future Music from Germany by Uwe Shutte
How to DJ Properly by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton
My primary point of interest in terms of ‘Sound Art’ is the creation, evolution and analysis of DJ/Party culture. I refrain from using the word ‘Nightclub’ because the connotations associated with the business aspect are not of much concern to me. I am interested in the way ‘parties’ operate as social/sound spaces and how they can give us a microscopic insight into the cultural, social and political landscape of a given time and place.
Party culture and the history surrounding these events are often hugely overshadowed when analysing our past. For example in schools, a place (poorly) designed to prepare the upcoming generation for life puts its main emphasis on conflicts and politics. How do we expect to break away from the mentality of ‘you vs them’ when all we learn about is division? Focus is predominately on the bad people of this world, missing out the pockets of good and inspiring humans. Why should we solely learn about someone that won a battle, brought down a head of state or married a horse?
For one I am interested in DJ/Party Culture because I’m an aspiring DJ myself and this small corner of the music/sound canon has brought me a lot of joy. The reason I’m studying Sound Art is because my favourite producer Theo Parrish was a student of this field and I truly believe in the positive effects dancing and listening to music on a superior system has on our mental/physical health. The pioneer David Mancuso spearheaded the idea of community, inclusion and expression with his opening party ‘Love Saves the Day’ on Valentines Day 1970. I intend to base the majority of my research from this point. My reasonings will be explained at length later in my blog.
Being a history student myself I’m not oblivious to how important our general history is, of course we should learn about these things. However cherry picking history is dangerous. So if we are going to cherry pick, why don’t we pick something that is positive for once. Winning a war isn’t positive in my eyes. Coming together is.
“I want a situation where there are no economic barriers, meaning somebody who didn’t eat that day or only has a few dollars in his pocket can eat like a king. Theres no difference if you have a lot of money or a little.” David Mancuso
