POSTMODERN MUSIC BY A. NOAH HARRISON

This Music is, like, so POSTMODERN

by. A. Noah Harrison

I thought I’d give a precursor to an essay I’ll some day finish (you’ll all see!) in which I address the question of how postmodernism might apply to pop music of the last fifty years. To get semantics out of the way, when I say postmodern, I mean a work that demonstrates: conscious self-reflexivity, embrace of and departure from tradition, and use of the readymade…in no particular order, in no particular way. So there we have it. Here, I discuss three records that just ooze postmodernism. They’re all gems, so give each a listen and see what you think.

Negativland – Escape from Noise (1987)

It wasn’t until sound collage hobgoblin Negativland’s fourth album that they finally get some publicity. Not because it was good, but because the press (mistakenly) reported that its chart-topper “Christianity is Stupid” motivated teenager David Brom to kill his family. (In reality, his parents had just dissed his taste in music, which really pissed him off.) But it was good, and established them as the ultimate sonic dumpster divers of their time, early adopters of the technique known as plunderphonics. Escape from Noise is essentially one giant piece of Orwellian propaganda. Complete with clips from radio broadcasts, government tapes, even samples from real songs, the ideological agenda spews nihilism with anarchist tendencies. Many songs contain Cold War rhetoric from both sides—right wing nutjobs and commie propagandists. In effect, the record simulates the effects propaganda, barraging us with fear and hatred until we are numb.

The KLF – Chill Out (1990)

Chill Out is what happens when a London house group decides to take you on a road trip through the American south—and a trip through the last half-century—using ambient psychedelic plunderphony. Don’t make me say that again. Chill Out is a sincere effort: an immersive experience complete with moos and bird calls, TV preachers, Elvis croons, and Tuvan throat singing(?). Like Negativland, The KLF eschewed the mainstream and adopted an anarchist philosophy. The key difference is that they happened to be part of the British rave scene and were one of the most successful groups of the early 90s, which somehow makes it weirder. The whole work is an almost seamless soundscape, soothing and though-provoking. At points in the journey, The KLF seem to channel Pink Floyd or Brian Eno, while at select others, house drumbeats and familiar synth bits creep in. But these are just teasers. It might seem strange that on a house album, the house-y elements have a jarring, almost alien presence, while field recordings and ambient textures feel right at home. Funny to imagine some acne-spotted Liverpudlian teen flailing to this after taking a green pill with Kermit on it.

The Avalanches – Since I Left You (2000)

Perhaps the greatest plunderphonics (and instrumental hip-hop) record ever is this opus by Melbourne DJ wizards Bobbydazzler, aka Robbie Chater and Darren Seltmannaka, aka The Avalanches. Since I Left You is one of the most comprehensive and painstaking examples of sample-based music in recording history And it’s funky as tits. These guys didn’t play a single note, but instead cherry-picked some 3500 vinyl samples from every bargain bin down unda’. And it’s pretty much the most conspicuous middle finger to copyright law in…a long time.