blog eight

Rhythmic Cinema:

“…the selection of sound becomes the narrative” (85).

I took this quote to mean that whatever we (the listeners) choose to recognize most in the song is the one that we will interpret.  The verses or words that may be our favorite may also be the ones that speak to us the most.  Perhaps we are doing this subconsciously, but we all interpret our own meanings based on the emotions we have in regards to particular sections or lyrics.

Rhythmic Space:

“…we live in a world so utterly infused with digitality that it makes even the slightest action ripple across the collection of data-bases we call the web” (89).

We live in a world that is hard to imagine life without the web.  Whether someone is posting a blog or uploading a picture, these actions become available on the web for all to see, comment on, share, manipulate, etc.  The slightest actions we do on the web may not seem important to us, but the widespread availability of information makes for a completely data-driven society.

Errata Erratum:

“The flocking instinct holds the geometry of ideas together” (93).

In this part of the book, Miller was discussing artist Marcel Duchamp.  Duchamp was known for not only his ready-made art but was also known for his constant questioning of “what is art?”  By asking questions like, “what is art,” Duchamp was able to push people past their usual  realm of thinking, and truly explore their own beliefs and opinions.  Paul D. Miller likely provided the example of Duchamp because everything to do with music, art, etc. is all subjective.  This is proven by the constant questioning of works, and people’s likes and dislikes.

The Future is Here:

“In a moment…the strangeness—strange mess—of global culture, hip-hop, and operating as a DJ on a global level crystallized before my eyes” (105).

I thought that Miller’s use of “strange mess” in regards to “strangeness” was really interesting.  Typically I would not interchange these words, but it makes a lot of sense in regards to the context.  Here we are with an overload of data, technology, the web, and so forth, and we are expected to not only understand it all, but also know how to use it.  DJ’s like Miller have benefitted from this so-called “strange mess” because the overload of information can allow for DJ’s to come up with new beats, sounds, and samples and can continue to grow in their music.

The Prostitute:

“Messages need to be delivered, codes need to be interpreted, and information, always, and is hungry for new routes to move through” (112).

This was my favorite quote from tonight’s reading.  I think that Miller hit it spot-on when he said “information always is hungry for new routes to move through.”  This is so obvious in our culture, just look at the abundance of social media sites/outlets, photo sharing, etc.  We are always looking for the coolest and newest way to  get information across, and a good example of this could be Foursquare or Facebook’s check-in option.  Even though it is a little creepy, people still “check-in” because they want other users to know what cool thing they are doing or how much fun they are having.

After spending some time on “Who Sampled,” I chose the song “Creep” by Radiohead.  Creep samples a song that I have never heard of before, or even a band I have ever heard (!).  Creep samples “The Air that I Breathe” by the Hollies.  It is interesting to me that a song like Creep samples anything because it is unlike anything I have ever really heard.  I also find it interesting that even some of our older favorites are sampled.  Today, nothing surprises me in regards to sampling, especially because of rap and hip-hop, but a band like Radiohead surprised me.  Now that I have listened to the Hollie’s version, it does sound a little similar, and both songs have somewhat of a sad tone with sad lyrics.

I thought that the idea of sampling altogether could be related to the quote from “The Prostitute”: “Messages need to be delivered, codes need to be interpreted, and information, always, is hungry for new routes to move through” (112).  Songs become old, and newer generations either don’t have access to them or have never heard them before.  Newer, younger bands can be the new “routes” or outlets for the music or “information” to be heard.