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Music and associative vernacular media

Aug 26, 2010 | 1 comment

This is a short video taken by one of the artists involved in the Aftershock Project in Manchester earlier this year. In it, some musicians are composing a song together. A week earlier, most of them had never met. A week later, they had performed that song together on stage in front of a packed audience, and returned to their homes in England, France and Italy.

By itself, the video is fairly unremarkable, though it does give a brief insight into the creative process, which normally would be hidden from an audience. Musicians traditionally tend to like presenting finished things.

But what it represents in terms of a methodology, a process and a way of ‘making internet’ with respect to music (and musicking) is something that really interests me – and has formed the basis for much of my academic work over the past year or so.

Because what’s interesting is not the video itself, but the way in which that video potentially links to other, related videos from within the same context – and makes connections from which narrative meaning can be constructed.

Call it associative vernacular mediation.

In other words, just as you can build something unique with a set of Lego bricks, you can create a multi-perspective story using these rough-and-ready vernacular video clips.

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So what exactly is this Aftershock thing?

Feb 1, 2010 | 0 comments

Backstage after the gig
Backstage, after the gig

If you missed it, I’ve spent the last 10 days in Manchester as part of Nitin Sawhney’s Aftershock Project.

Aftershock has been going for about 10 years now, and I’ve been involved in the last three events, which were supported by the European Cultural Foundation. The first was in Genoa, Italy in June last year. The second was in Marseille, France in September – and this one brought together some of the musicians from the first two for a final event in Manchester.

My own involvement in the project is a little bit weird and complicated, so I thought I should explain that a little.

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Photo of the day – 028

Jan 28, 2010 | 0 comments

The band at work
Another day at Aftershock

Day 8 of 10 in Manchester for the Aftershock Project. It’s pretty full on and everyone’s pretty tired – but we have a final set list, and the musicians pretty much know what they’re doing across the board now. Best of all, the gig is sold out.

So now it’s just a matter of them rehearsing until it’s really tight, and for me to start to make a note of some of the things I’ve learned along the way in doing this project and putting it all online.

The stats are interesting, if you like that sort of thing. A slow growth curve but really starting to pick up. The interpersonal dynamics have been really interesting, as well as the different responses to the technology.

I’ve got a few more interviews up on the site now. Tomorrow I want to try a couple of different approaches. Perhaps even film and upload a whole runthrough. We’ll see.

I’m also going to try and get out of the venue a bit tomorrow and take photos of something other than musicians.

Photo of the day – 025

Jan 25, 2010 | 0 comments

Out recording sounds in Manchester
Out and about in Manchester

Today the Aftershock musicians were given a task that involved them going out into the city and collecting sounds to inspire and incorporate into a new song.

Above (L-R) are Marika the percussionist, Roberto the singer, Eoghan (pronounced ‘Owen’) the drummer, Denis the guitarist, singer and electronic noisemaker, and Nick the bass player.

I went with them and documented some of that. Here’s a video:

Photo of the day – 024

Jan 24, 2010 | 0 comments

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Relaxing on the couch while David finishes the album

Sitting in an apartment in Manchester, while my roommate David puts the finishing touches on his band’s album before it gets sent off to New York to be mastered tomorrow. Really lovely way to spend an evening (for me at least – David’s stressing a bit…).