On 9/24/06, Luis-Manuel Garcia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Also, in a fit of self-promotion, I could recommend an article I wrote a years ago, called "On and On: Repetition as Process and Pleasure in Electronic Dance Music." It's in Music Theory Online, Volume 11/4, at: http://mto.societymusictheory.org/issues/mto.05.11.4/mto. 05.11.4.garcia_frames.html It focuses more on a history of why and how repetition in music came to be viewed with hostility in many circles through the 20th-century, and then the second half tries to theorize why and how the experience of listening to repetitive music can be pleasurable, powerful, etc. Again, it's not specifically on dubby techno, but the focus in my paper on minimal and microhouse might be a useful parallel.
interesting paper. the one thing i rarely see any mention of that i think really is one of the main reasons repetitive music is pleasant is the idea of zen. as with any repetitive physical labor, at some point the repetition allows the mind to shut off thought, essentially making the movement thoughtless. i was reading an old book about sword fighting written by a monk, and in it he talked about practicing something until you no longer have to think in order to be the master of what youre doing. and repetitive music makes that possible, both for the dancer, and for the deejay and even the creator of the music, depending on how he/she works. getting locked into that rhythm allows you to transcend physical limitations, i know ive had many occasions where ive danced for so long in a state close to a trance only to finally come back to reality and realise i can barely move anymore! and this happens to many people all at once in a club or rave, combined with the use of drugs leads to the complete loss of ego, everyone experiencing the same ride with no thought. like active medidtation or something. tom
