SOUNDTRACK: NEGATIVLAND-Tiny Desk (Home) Concert #206 (May 6, 2021).
I’ve been a fan of Negativland since 1987 when I discovered Escape From Noise. I even saw them live back in 2000–a very unusual concert, indeed. I should have known that Bob Boilen knew of Negativland–he knows everything–but it’s always a surprise when someone has heard of them.
It may at first seem that Negativland’s sound collage is an unlikely candidate for a Tiny Desk concert, but honestly, how many bands can you think of making music since the late 1970s while sitting pretty much at their desks? Formed in the Bay Area, Negativland are proud subverters of culture, causing trouble while having fun.
Negativland are provocateurs, taking aim at the media and how technology alters our perception of the world. You can hear that on their 2020 album, The World Will Decide. This Tiny Desk (home) concert looks frightfully similar to the way many of us work these days — on video conference calls, reacting in real-time to our colleagues, dissecting our interactions … but also occasionally having fun.
Negativland create four tracks in 18 minutes–it’s samples and original music looped and repeated.
The found sounds of Negativland come from original members David Wills, Mark Hosler, and Jon Leidecker (from left to right on the bottom of the screen), with visuals by Kevin Slagle [digital images] and Sue Slagle [print images–you can see her hands] (top of the screen).
I don’t know if these songs come from an album or if they were made just for this Concert. The first track “It’s Normal” opens with a sample saying “It’s normal for something to come to your attention/you’re watching live music online/the national anthem is being sung to a click track that you can’t hear.” And another saying “It’s Ok, ask me if it’s gong to be okay.”
Then a beat starts and all five start waving their finger to the beat. Holser was wearing a pug mask. When he takes it off he is wearing a Coronavirus mask, but he takes that off too–but all you can see is his gear. Davd Willis (The Weatherman) has one of the more notable recorded voices in “music.” I’m delighted to hear him speak, although he doesn’t just yet. To start with he’s just playing with a mirror.
Then Jon asks what year is that Booper from? Willis answers “2010 it never leaves Seattle.” “It never leaves Seattle?” “Damn right.”
Samples continue, “we’re goin to verify every single experience. Of course you can’t record everything that happens.”
The noise segues into “No Brain” with a sample “the simple fact is the world is trillions of times more complicated than we experience it.” Samples of “meaningless data” and David playing with a remote that’s making buzzing sounds. David: “my favorite remote control.”
The sample says “the world turns to meet your gaze” as it segues into “Reality Game.” The sample: “we’re going to verify every single experience.” And “You don’t have to pay people to participate. Participation is its own reward.”
Throghout the clips there’s been all kinds of visuals floating around. Scenes from movies and random patterns, as well as words that float around on pieces of paper. Then comes a clip of whales floating in space.
Sample: “Patterns. We think that they mean something. Transparent bowling balls with monkeys inside them hooked up to the biometric monitors floating in outerspace.”
A new sample, “What does subaltern mean?” (Willis laughs… “angry guinea pigs, hee hee”. “You will have no idea who else is playing the game” (“I don’t give a damn”) “Got it?” (Nope).
Then Jon asks David, are you in the mood for singing? I might be. Yea ,I’m getting a bit more excited. I feel like I might want to sing.” This is all intro to “I’m Going To Sing Now.” of course his singing is just mumbling incoherent nonsense and making silly noises, including “I’m singing at the Tiny Desk. I have no idea what that means but I’m doing it.” I alwyas wondered if The Weatherman was crazy. This des not help in my decision.
The song ends with the sample, “So this person can in fact sing.”
After some silence, David asks, “Is that it?” and then someone triggers the sample: “Shop as usual…. and avoid panic buying” (as heard on Escape from Noise).
O doubt this Concert gained them any new fans, but it’s always great to see them doing stuff.
[READ: June 1, 2021] “Atlanta”
The June 11 issue of the New Yorker had several essays under the heading “Summer Movies.” Each one is a short piece in which the author (many of whom I probably didn’t know in 2007 but do know now) reflects on, well, summer movies.
The title of Miranda July’s essay is not about a feature film, but about a short film that she made.
When she moved into a new apartment, she found a copy of the Thunderball soundtrack wedged in a drawer.
Great, she decided, this would be the soundtrack to her movie (which she hadn’t made yet).
Her movie was inspired by the 1996 summer Olympics (it was 1996). The movie was an interview with a 12 year old Olympic swimmer and her overbearing mother. Miranda played both roles. She set some scenes at the YMCA–but no swimming scenes because she didn’t swim. (more…)
