January 24, 2004

Noise Annoys

The Centre for Research in Modern Philosophy is hosting a conference on Noise Theory. Not intentionally a joke, we must assume.

What, you ask, is "noise theory"? Beats me. You'll have to attend NOISETHEORYNOISE#1 to find out. If you're in London, you can go for a mere ten pounds on the day of show, eight in advance. (And that includes tea, coffee and sandwiches.) Sounds delicious.

I like contention #4:

Refusing the dualism of 'theory' as cultural form and 'noise' as sensible matter, we invite interventions that put theory and noise on the same immanent level so that noise is allowed to override theory as it tries to grasp the non-significance of the former. Instead of remaining an inert cultural artefact, the material intensities unleashed by noise should be allowed to reconfigure the parameters of theoretical possibility and catalyse new modes of engagement between thought and sound. The point is to usurp the dualism of 'Theory' and 'Noise' by means of the immanent continuum 'noisetheorynoise'.

Immanent continuum? Perhaps all will made clear by Nick Smith of the University of New Hampshire, when he presents his intervention (Why Hardcore Goes Soft: Adorno, Japanese Noise and the Extirpation of Dissonance.) But, personally, I'm betting on the wonderfully-named Julius Nil, author of Scrabbling the Lock: Accepting Failure in Lachenmann, Autechre and Resplendent (among others).

(via Crooked Timber.)

Posted by Dr. Frank at January 24, 2004 03:49 AM | TrackBack
Comments

did you ever hear your mother scream?

sorry i couldn't think of a more clever comment in response to your entry. i just came back from dj-ing a middle school winter dance, and i'm having a massive migraine.

i just wanted to be first.

Posted by: anne at January 24, 2004 06:23 AM

apparently my head hurts so much, i can't even quote lyrics correctly.

Posted by: anne at January 24, 2004 07:34 AM

25 years ago, radical, theory-obsessed British university types produced Gang of Four. Now they produce...this? At first, Frank, I actually doubted the veracity of your post, but the link really does look authentic. The other 3 "contentions" (sounds like a high-school debate 1AC, for all you fellow former debaters out there) seem to add up to, "You thought we couldn't hold a conference about noise, eh? 'Nothing to analyze,' you said. Hah!"

Maybe the Brits are holding conferences based on dares.


P.S. If Julius Nil is really legit he'll get up to give his paper and just scream for 20 minutes. That would actually impress me, in a sort of Situationist way.

Posted by: Nick at January 25, 2004 12:07 AM

Listening to the radio the other night, I heard the Nihilist Spasm Band for the first time ever. A quick lookup on allmusicguide.com told me that they're generally regarded as "the first noise band." They got started in the 60's.

Reading this, I thought, "Whoa!"

Posted by: geoff at January 26, 2004 06:57 PM