Found an interesting documentary on Netflix the other day, called Kill Your Idols. It examines the massive influence of a very tiny New York musical movement, known as "No Wave". The movement lasted just under 2 years in the late 70's. The sound was characterized as free-form, arrhythmic, atonal, emotional, experimental noise.
The No Wave philosophy was fascinating to me specially given the bitter and spiteful tone of the film. Here we have groups from older generation who felt compelled to create music that references nothing, that sounds like nothing else, as a form a backlash to mainstream culture. In this sense they were very nihilistic, rejecting the established expectations of music, being skeptical of the mainstream. The No Wavers appear to be the dadaists of the music world. The film portrays them as unique, groundbreaking geniuses who's artistry couldn't be tainted by (or attracted by) commercialization. The anti-everything mentality runs aground towards the end of the film as the revolutionaries of old begin to preach that same type of bland homogeneity that fought so hard against.
The new generation of New York musicians in the film are on one hand expected to fight the same tireless fight and are on the other accused of stealing that sound and turning it into commercial success. The hypocrisy hurts my brains.
I have some Swans, Foetus and Lydia Lunch recordings... should burn some off for you. Actually, I presented some Foetus in class when we were looking at sound work, he was working with the Lemur Project, the robot orchestra thingie. Swans has actually reassembled sans Roly Moseman (I think); the new stuff sounds a lot like the old stuff.
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