Mike Burr does antimusic [under deconstruction and so is the music ]
The theory behind antimusic is simply to take a rhythm and then add all sorts of discordant notes
I blame its genesis on Les Dawson - the challenge is to actually listen to them - then
you can translate them into music for real instruments and go out and stupefy a lot of innocent people
with the row you are generating - and whats more ITS TERRIFIC FUN !!!!!!
see at the base for history and theory
- INNOVATORS WE SALUTE YOU -
[all the tracks are mp3 - where they are over a Meg there will be found a note aside of the link]
here they are below: ....
Track 01 - brilliant exposition of antimusic - recently gathering dust in an old electronic cupboard but given that certain burr-jenesaisquoi
has emerged as one of the prime antimusic examples
newgrove - a moth inside your head *** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ARTISTS CHOICE ***recording 2 megs
Track 03 - cats brought to life in the catatonic system of notation - love piano
then you'll find this gem brilliant playable [assumes you've got 5 arms and 27 fingers on each hand
- though i suppose that Jolly Brant could play it !!!! ]
its got fur its so real recording 2.1 megs
Track 13 - the full cat suite of which track 03 above is only the first part - the cats and their owners are named using the system of mapping mod 7
(7 being the number of pure notes a - g - a method also employed in some of the other stuff ) - the length of the rhythms are also partly denoted by encryption etc
YES .... ONLY A LOONY WOULD DO THIS !!!!! btw this lasts about 15 muinutes and consequently will take a while to download
when mike maths and musick met cats recording 13.8 megs
Track 07 - entitled 'the land of rowena' on the mp3 - and unfinished as it is - it is linked to the poem
the land of the rowan
by your humble author which explains in words its content and structure
a piece with awesome bells recording 3.1 megs
Track 02 - a fine example of antimusic - here on Progulblesa [randomly named ] you'll find all the necessary parts
lots of rhythm allied to truly disgusting sounds and all in a discordant framework
degenerative repetitive ghastly music [with crows]recording 2.5 megs
Track 753 - a fine example SUBTLETY - here on Sevefivethree [not quite so randomly named ] you'll find all the necessary parts
lots of rhythm with a sting in the tale
its got a lovely organrecording 2.9 megs
Track 04 - brilliant anthology of organ styles from your probably by now favourite composer
an organ monkey - aptly named Orgalosholized [correctly named ] you'll find all you ever need to
know about organ styles of the world - a must for the budding organophile - and yes those
disturbing sounds are guns
its organic [with crows]recording 2.8 megs
Track 05 - an example of chilled antimusic and the beat theory of discord
sunset - warning contains weird chordal progressionrecording 2.1 megs
The history of antimusic - it began really with the odd orchestral stuff by Stravinsky and later by Schoenberg and similar then into pop with
the punk movement in the 1970's and 80's now we are progressing it into the electronic age [and i daresay there have been brave electronicas who
have already followed this path - INNOVATORS WE SALUTE YOU -
The pathway to antimusic - a personal saga -
History 01 - early weakly formed antimusic from mike burr gets electrik - note the lack of an unorthodox rhythm somewhere in the piece
and of course the lack of discord and more particularly the lack of crows [which in my view are the essence of antimusic ]
02 bear hunt
History 02 - showing fine progression and coincidentally one of music connoisseur Dave Thomas's favourite tracks
17 Hitler youth on vacation recording 5 Megs
History 03 - now were getting there with this comedy hit loosely based on an idea by
Spike Milligan
and the goon show episode
where they knock on the door in china about a thousand times
20 turkish coffeerecording 3.2 Megs
all copyright - mike burr
Sources…
Details of
Stravinsky
here on wiki
as is
Schoenberg
and from
here in merrie olde England [although there were probably precursors in America ]
Sex Pistols
and now also from England
Mike Burr
Theory and notes
These all use a 12 note western system but by detuning the individual sounds it is technically possible to generate
antichords and get them to beat against one another in a rather intimidating or unpleasant way
also it is derigeur to use non standard rhythm at some point during the piece - Noe Thats What I c Call Antimusic
The history of antimusic - it began really with the odd orchestral stuff by Stravinsky and later by Schoenberg and similar then into pop with
the punk movement in the 1970's and 80's now we are progressing it into the electronic age [and i daresay there have been brave electronicas who
have already followed this path
Image of Mike Burr painted by the artist
showing his unique six stave vertical method of composition