Electronica is a huge subject in music, it is everywhere and constant. This program begins as a 100th birthday tribute to John Cage but turns into an oblique, twisting history of electronic music, because what began as a purely experimental mode for soundmaking had by the late 20th Century become the standard process for making ALL pop music.
Produced and engineered by dj bennett (chillroom@killradio.org)
The "Desert Lichens of Gabbs, Nevada" piece is by Stella Beratlis and is courtesy of Michael Sheppard. With thanks to my live listeners, to John Cage, to wfmu.org, to Louise and Lee, to Dave Parker for inspiration, to killradio and radio4all.net. Feedback requested.
The Chill Room, 14 September 2012, at 10pm PST on killradio.org
160k, 100 minutes, a survey and a history
Set list: John Cage 100th birthday tribute: from Silence / Imaginary Landscape No. 1 (1939) / Empty Words / The Williams Mix (1953) / The Fontana Mix (1958) / Electronica: Can-"Oh Yeah" (1972) / Cabaret Voltaire-Do The Mussolini (Headkick) (1978) / Throbbing Gristle-United (1978) / Fad Gadget-Back to Nature (1979) / Afrika Bambaataa-Planet Rock (1982) single and Planet Rock (Soul Sonic Force) (dub version) (1986) / Kraftwerk-The Model (1978) / Steve "Silk" Hurley-Jack Your Body (1986) / Phuture-Acid Tracks (1987) / The Tape-Beatles-O For Frog (1990) / Arthur Russell-Being It (1986) / 2Unlimited-No Limit (1993) / Massive Attack-Be Thankful for What You've Got (1991) / Burial-Distant Lights (2006) / Burial-Fostercare (2009) / PSY-Gangnam Style (excerpt) (2012) / The Allophone-Bow (2012) (they're a band from Florence Italy founded in 2010) / Julia Holter-This Is Ekstasis (2012) / The Loulees-Send It Back (2012)
It is better to make a piece of music than to perform one, better to perform one than to listen to one, better to listen to one than to misuse it as a means of distraction, entertainment, or acquisition of "culture." - John Cage
Ideas are one thing and what happens is another. - John Cage