Tribal Music vs Brain Music

I am going to write a lot this time because it has been a while since i wrote before.

Let me first preface this by saying that i am in no way attempting to write in any sort of standard scholarly format. I have always tried to write in a way that best describes the way i think about things in my head. since i have been mentally multitasking for the last two weeks, I might have a more varied post. If i have multiple points that i expand on quite a bit, i will try to repost them as separate blog entries.

I have always been into thinking about thinking. sometimes living in my thoughts comfortably and happily, and other times when things arent right, or when something is new in my brain, i try to separate my observational part of my brain from the active part of my brain and observe. separating my consciousness: this is why i have had brief moments of stress-induced schizophrenia in the past. i wont elaborate on that right now...

I have thought to myself, who is myself? what is this me that i speak of? who am I? who iz ME?

i was hanging out with my fiancee, Sam at the columbus circle fountain and went on somewhat of a trail-blazing stream of thought, dividing separate aspects of myself into a sort of primitive diagram. i will draw up this diagram and put it up here eventually. (oh god, this is a whole essay waiting to happen, which i will do at a later date...)

another thing i have been thinking about is "what is the function of music to us as humans?"

Based off my diagram, i have come up with a few different functions of music. The first function is the most primitive one, and coincidentally, also probably the hardest to comprehend.

I often ask myself, "why do i like this?" especially when i am really grooving out to something that is incredibly basic in terms of its use of harmony and rhythm. unlike most people who go to music school, I don't disregard a certain kind of music just because it doesnt appeal to the brain. ok, so an example: electro/house. in a previous post, i mentioned my fascination with Wolfgang Gartner, who is a brilliant electro producer. the fascination is purely physical, similar to the one when a gorgeous woman walks down the street in a thin dress on a windy summer's day. there is some sort of animal instinct that says "DANCE" similar to the instinct that says "FUCK." obviously, since i am an evolved human being and understand the concept of ego and super-ego, i can choose whether or not to act on my primal, animalistic urges.

i wont get too psychological because i am not a psychologist; i am a musician and an engineer. i am also not a writer or philosopher (but i am hoping to change that.) my goal in life is to be a renaissance man. a well-rounded well-educated creative individual who solves problems, creates brilliant art, and advances society as a whole. i dont read a lot of books, but i read wikipedia and the new york times every day (obsessively.) i read the new york times because i want to know what is going on. the choice of the new york times over any other newspaper is one that is obvious to intelligent people who live in Manhattan (I dont want to sound pretentious, but i also dont want to explain my choice of newspaper in this essay.) the reason i go on wikipedia is because i am a person who likes to have questions answered.

i have no sympathy/empathy for people in society who have no urge to ask questions or try to have their questions answered. often when an argument comes up, i will say to two people "I will not participate in an argument that could be solved by wikipedia." in this day and age, arguing over the birth dates of a basketball player or a young, attractive actress starring in a movie about wizards is a waste of time.

ok, so back to my point on the function of music. the first one, as i have stated, is a physical, tribal, communal, dance-inducing one. many people in society regard this as the highest function of music. i will not argue what the highest function of music is because it is my job to keep that belief to myself. it may be that i think that there is no highest function of music, that they are all equal.

equality. (another tangent)

equality is something i think about a lot. i tend to think about words that are used as reasons to send 18 year olds off to die for our country. equality, liberty, freedom. all words with multiple meanings that can be skewed to fit your context. I believe that people are not equal and that they are equal at the same time. it depends on the context of the conversation. individual people are not equal in intelligence, creativity, physical ability, or any sort of objectively measurable way. it is stupid to think that this is the case. if people were all equal in this sense, the world would not be exciting. it is the inequalities that exist in this world that create beauty. the inequality between man and woman, between different cultures, between different intelligence levels, between different sexual preferences. inequality in many ways is more beautiful than equality. "Ben you are racist!" no i am not. it is a shame that you are programmed to think that my belief that inequality exists (and is a beautiful thing) is a racist belief. it seems that those who most often preach (and i mean preach) tolerance are some of the most intolerant people i have met. before i end this tangent, i must say that i do believe that everyone is equal in terms of basic human rights. every person in america should have the right to all of the things explicitly given to them in the constitution. if you want to understand specifically what i interpret the constitution to mean, then feel free to come over, have a few drinks and argue all night.

ok back to music. another function of music is the part that engages the brain. this function is the reason why babies are encouraged to Mozart if they want to become smart someday. Music blatantly has an effect on the brain. i treat music like a drug most of the time, treating my music library as a pharmacy, trying to diagnose my emotional state, and spending time trying to find just the right remedy to treat my emotional disease.

oh have i ever mentioned that i treat emotions as a disease? well kind of. i think of myself as part human, part machine, a cyborg who decides his own fate. emotions are part of that human thing. some are harmful and useless to the task at hand (if the task is more utilitarian), and others are catalysts for tasks that are more "human" tasks. humans are innately emotional-driven, illogical creatures that learn things so they can get control of their animal side and become productive members of society. i sound like a total utilitarian right now. "how can you create art, you robot?" you ask. but i never said i get rid of emotions altogether. i live for emotions, for the good emotions. this is why i love music. music is a drug with no side effects except ringing ears (on occasion.) all art is a drug in some sense. this is how i run my life. i am a complete junkie. but i love it.

music treats the brain and the body. Mozart makes your kid smart; Beethoven makes your kid into a triumphant badass (...waiting for science to back me up on this one.) but understanding what music/art in general does to your mind/body will make you much more capable of controlling your emotions, or making your emotions go totally out of control (which is fun too.) i have had music overdoses before.

since i am a music scholar, i make a lot of music for my brain. HORSE FORCE is brain music. i wrote a sonata using bits of noise i collected from the internet. ROCK HOLE is a blend of the two, lyrically brain music and rhythmically tribal body music. my new project that i am working on with my Viking friend (STRIKING VIKING) is pure tribal body music. it is music you listen to before you fight someone.

anyway, i got quite a bit out. i hoped you enjoyed my Willy Wonka boat journey into the depths of my brain.

PCZ OUT AND EQUALITY FOR ALL

-Horse Man

OMG I LUV MYSPACE

its cool to listen to new music. everyone knows this. however, the best place to find new music is myspace (contrary to popular belief.) this is no secret to those of us who actually use myspace for musical purposes.

there two reasons Why myspace is cool. 1) anyone with a computer can put music on myspace, rather easily at that. 2) unlike review sites, myspace lets people speak for themselves. 1st amendment ftw! the "bio" and "about me" sections are nice, but i personally think the top friends feature says the most because it says what artists are actually listening to. (or at least should be used that way)

if social networking sites were equated to systems of government/economy, Facebook would be democratic socialism, Myspace would be a free-market democracy, and twitter would be communism (not only because they limit how much you can say, but for the fact that the "trending topics" section encourages people to think like sheep.)

and for those who were wondering: anarchism would most likely /b/ 4 chan (which many people wouldnt consider a social networking site to begin with.)'

also, in this allegory, making your own website would constitute an Absolute Monarchy.

alright i am done allegorizing. back to myspace.

i have a few myspaces for different music projects, some are very old, and one is a huge inside joke. without myspace, i would not be able to deliver my music to so many different people, for absolutely no cost other than a little bit of my time.

Myspace fact:

the greatest and worse decision myspace ever made was to allow users to use limited html to modify their pages. the reason why everyone older than 12 decided to say goodbye to myspace and hello to facebook is because facebook doesnt let you put rainbows as your background when people click on your page. i hope someday facebook changes this. having html enabled on myspace is very useful if you know what what youre doing because you can actually make your page look cool. however, most of the pages you encounter on myspace look like a 12 year old girl's bedroom (note: i do not frequently spend time in 12 year old girl's bedrooms.)

so the layout of your page is very, very important. (<--- take note, musicians.) almost always, if someone has amazing art on a myspace, i will spend more time giving the music a chance.

when i made my HORSE FORCE myspace, i intentionally made the most flashy page possible and for some reason, it has gotten the most visits out of any of my myspaces (by far.)

i get probably 5-10 friend requests and LISTEN TO THEM ALL (like every good A&R guy should.) this might seem like a waste of time (and most of the time it is) but every once in a while, while listening i find something i absolutely love. sometimes its someone who does a specific genre very well and is unheard of outside of the genre. sometimes it is someone who is a bedroom producer or garage band that has very good ideas, but just needs someone to help record and refine their stuff (these ones i take note for obvious reasons.)

but my absolute favorite kind of unheard artist is one who has an inconspicuous page with hilariously good music. these kind of artists are like good barbecue places. i am not going to explain my metaphor.

a good example of one of these kind of artists is a guy by the name of MMIFODA who friend requested me today. this german guy says that he is "experimental/j-pop/breakbeat" and that is about as accurate as a description as anything. it is techno/hardstyle influenced (in the most comical way possible,) it is driven by breakcore-ish programming (i am a sucker for good drum programming) but its the subtle use of blatant samples and ironic superimposition that makes me love it.

the first song on his player is untitled. it starts with some goofy german sample, goes into some drum and bass pad, and then BAM smacks you in the face with the most unexpected tempo change ever. love it. honestly the only reason i listened to the whole thing was because of the goofy german sample, but when the second half of the song kicked in (which actually sounds good and could be a whole other song) it FUCKED me up. i guess i like music that fucks me up. good electronic music should be danceable, but it should also laugh in your face at how much better than you it is.

i realize i am over-glorifying a myspace page that is not as genius as i make it out to be. it is true that a lot of good electronic music comes from dumb people making genius mistakes. thats probably why i like it so much. its the common man's music.

viva la electronica.

electronic music doesnt like you either

let me start out by saying that i love all music, including electronic music.

just in case you didnt know, electronic music is the way of the future. 90% of what you hear on pop radio was created using electronic instruments. for those of us in who record music, we are somewhat split. most of us (at least those who have real engineering jobs) embrace digital technology as a faster, more efficient way of working. the old ways of recording music to tape with real instruments are pretty much a novelty in the current day and age. although it might be trendy to track to tape or print vinyl (i love vinyl by the way,) it is still a trend, and should not be treated as an alternative. side note: if you are into this kind of music or interested in music recorded on analog tape, check out Jack White's new project, the Dead Weather. it was recorded on 8 track 2-inch at 7.5 ips. ill assume you know what that means...

just so you know, i think electronic music is pretty cool. these days you dont need to buy a guitar or take guitar lessons or play drums or even sing. all you have to do turn on your computer (which you do every day anyway) and mess around with some audio software (i realize I'm over-simplifying.) some people are amazing at it, and these people (with the right guidance) usually see some sort of success, especially in Europe. sometimes i wish america wasnt so into bruce springsteen. bruce springsteen is ok i guess...

quick question:

How many americans can name 5 electronic musicians outside of Hip Hop (which i consider electronic music) that arent Daft Punk or Justice?

Answer: id say probably 10% or less.

i went to music school and learned nothing about the history of electronic music. there is a history you know. how many people know the difference between drum and bass and house music? or how many know that techno refers to a specific kind of electronic music? or that "electronica" as a genre is not a real genre (begin argument here)? stupid americans.

i love rock and hip hop and pop just as much as anyone else. i am a music lover. but 99% of Americans who are also self-proclaimed "music lovers" are complete idiots when it comes to the exponentially expanding world of electronic music. most people thought auto tune was a talkbox, like the one stevie wonder used. it wasnt until Jay-Z said that auto tune was dead that people actually googled it and found out that it was a plug in. well thanks Jay-Z, i guess...

i am not one to get frustrated easily over other people's stupidity. i learned at an early age that doing so is a waste of time. i dont like to rant either, unless it is a rant of passion. i guess this is a rant of passion.

ok ok, im almost done, just do me a favor and next time you claim to listen to "everything but country," do yourself a favor and say "everything but country and the endlessly vast world of electronic music."

remember, listening to justice and daft punk doesnt count. they are merely a drop of water on the surface of an even greater ocean of music.

heres an idea: how 'bout you scroll down on justice's or daft punk's page and click on SebastiAn. while youre at it check out wolfgang gartner (avoid tunes with lyrics) and fake blood. like what you hear? this is commonly called "house music" or more recently "electro." electro used to refer to the early 80s music popularized by Afrika Bambaata, but now it is synonymous with the term "house music." there you learned something today. now you're cooler than your friends.

hey you know what? if you like this kind of music, check out my friend's blog. he does all the work for you, you fat, lazy american.

you know why europeans dont like us? because we're stuck on acoustic instruments. those damn europeans and their advanced use of technology.... boom chic ack chick boom chic ack chick...

well if youre mad at me by now, it probably means you have some work to do, so get on it. im gonna go away now and advance music into the 21st century.

see ya later caveman.

10 rules of blorg

from Horse Force

to Horse Force

1. do not post drunk

2. if you do post drunk, please edit it later or delete it

3. as a matter of fact, edit posts as much as you can to make them as clear as possible (thanks Ed and Derek)

4. post frequently

5. use as public board for ideas

6. remember that writing is about brain--->page

7. when it is blorg time, blorg with all your might

8. post links to stuff so people know what you are talking about

9. reply to all relevant comments pertaining to a thread, no matter how old it is (lower priority rule than rules 2-8.)

10. the most important rule: its about sincerity. do not post things you do not mean. you may post things you feel, but if your feelings change, remember rule 3.

ahh there we go. 10 rules to insure good writing.

now to work on them...

why i make blorg

awkward blog post

i guess anyone can read this so im gonna use a bit more discretion than i use when i write things for myself.

i mostly want to use this blorg not as a diary, but more as a monologue to incite dialogue.

the cool thing about the internet is anyone can access anything (unless you want pronz in china) the other cool thing is you can say/view whatever you want (except CP. if you dont know what CP stands for, then that is a good sign. you havent been exposed to enough internets)

i have many ideas about how to best use the internet. in fact, my long-term goal for my life pretty much centers around the idea of contacting people through the internet.

i know this sounds weird and pathetic, like i am going to just be on myface and spacebook all day. what i mean is that like most artistically-minded people, i want to express myself in many ways.

i define "Art" or "art" or art as anything people create with the intent of expression. so when you post twitter posts, or update your facebook status, or decide what color shoes to wear, or even talk to someone with the intent of expressing yourself, you are making art. you are an artist.

so the next time someone brags to you about being an artist, tell them they arent special. then they will have something to write their sad poetry or indie folk songs about. im not saying that sad poetry and indie folk are bad, sad poetry can be good and indie folk rock can be good, just as much as any other form of art. but just because something is art, doesnt mean its good.

art exists so people have something to talk about other than the weather. i think the reason we talk so much about the weather is because it is such a complex thing to understand. it has to do with air turbulence, ocean currents, atmospheric pressure as well as many huge (literally) ideas that take some time and metaphor to grasp.

the other reason is that it changes from day to day. the weather is interesting to discuss with anyone any day for about 30 seconds.

those 30 seconds seem so meaningless to many of us. we see "small talk" as this sort of necessity, when it really is just a social tool. its sort of like when a dog sniffs another dog's ass. however, ass sniffing as well as ass kissing might be the two most valuable skills you have to get ahead in the world. at least thats what we're taught...

ass kissing is all fine and dandy and so is ass sniffing, as long as deep down inside, you know who you are. most people walk around everyday not knowing how their own ass smells.

a lot of people use art as a sort of mirror to figure out who they are. it is a valuable tool for this. i think everyone starts as an artist this way, even at a very young age. children who carry around a specific toy or belonging are in a way doing the same thing that duchamp did with his "fountain" . Duchamp's fountain may be one of my favorite pieces of art of all time. It literally embodies my whole view of art and accomplishes nothing else. he defined art more so than any other writer ever could. he may have been a chaos-obsessing dadaist, but sometimes the best realizations come out of chaos.

i also love chaos, by the way. like duchamp, i also value the idea as above the object. if you disagree, i would love to discuss this opinion with you.

but i digress...

art exists first to identify ourselves, but later it becomes a means of communication. the highest form of art is that which communicates the best. (again if you disagree, please point out flaws in my argument, after all, it is an argument, not a scientific thesis)

the way i arrived at this conclusion was through the study of an instrument. every instrumentalist that i talk to all seem to have the ultimate goal of "saying" whatever they want with their instrument. their instrument is to exist as an extension of their brain. just like your hand reaches for something without you consciously telling your muscles to move, an instrumentalist wants their instrument to be able to play with as little physical or mental effort as possible.

i really think that this is true of all art. you learn your tools, you master your skills, play your rudiments and scales, learn your color theory, your harmony, learn how to mix certain kinds of clay, paint, or channels on a console. you learn to tie your shoes, you learn to brush your teeth, you learn to write. you learn to use the internet. you learn to speak. you learn to do a lot of things, but these things are all tools. tools for you to express yourself. tools for you to get to know who You really are. (intentional upper-case)

a skilled artist is one who masters these things to the best of their ability.

ok you have done that.

too bad, you still arent as good as Michelangelo, sorry.

but why?

well michelangelo didnt even consider himself a painter. what an asshole. he considered himself a sculptor first.

he was a master in every sense of the way, but it was his endless curiosity and insatiable hunger to communicate that drove him to create in every way. (note i said create and not express. this is my point)

to be like God, mankind needs to create. this is the first encounter we had with God as a species, our inception. our creation.

i mean this in an artistic, non-religious context, for those of you easily offended by religion. if you are offended by religion, or anything that people believe, you are wasting your time in life. another discussion to have later...

first expressing, then creating. i think a pretty good way of looking at things.

the reason i starting this blogging thing today is to practice writing. i dont care how many people read it at first because i am approaching this as the way one approaches a college education. expressing and creation are not the goal, familiarizing oneself with one's tools are the goals. to become a master before you become a creator.

not to say that expressing or even creating can be a useful byproduct of an education. (behold my masterpiece I completed while in college, my college thesis if you will...)

did i get you to visit my site? this is another thing i am learning as an artist. everything i do, i approach with the intent of becoming a better artist. this may sound pretentious, but if you replace the word "artist" with the word "human," perhaps you will get a better idea.

i think human and artist should be synonyms. = one of my life goals

* * *

i dont know, have i made my point yet? if i havent, feel free to ask me questions via any social networking site. i am making a point not to edit myself too much. i honestly havent read this from the beginning before posting. it is a test of whether or not i can write from my brain to the paper without removing myself from myself, similar to the way Mozart wrote music. it was in his head before he "copied" it down on to paper.

you will notice that i make many music references. one of the main things i will use this blog for is for posting links to things i find interesting on the internet. those of you who dont like to hear people's opinions or read things like this should just click on the links and enjoy them out of context. many links i will post out of context anyway.

such as this one. i never liked this song until i saw the video. if someone can tell me why, i think it might reveal something about myself to myself.