A cross-genres (ec)static perspective on contemporary experimental music

Abstract

This paper presents a particular perspective, shared across various currents of today's music that focuses on sound itself as a complex entity. Through the analysis of certain fundamental musical elements and sonic characteristics, this study explores a new method for comparing different genres of music characterized by a similar approach to sound. Taking benefit of theoretical and perceptual examinations, this strategy is applied to postspectralist and minimalist compositions (e.g. G. F. Haas, B. Lang R. Nova, G. Verrando), as well as glitch, electronic and basic-channel style pieces (Pan Sonic, R. Ikeda, Raime). Nine musical attributes are identified that help trace a new outlook on various genres of music. The study's contribution lies in its revealing of a shared musical perspective between different artistic practices, and in the establishment of new connections between pieces that belong to unrelated contexts. Keeping with the topic of the conference, this paper attempts to deal with several questions, such as (i) the "splendid of isolation" of genres of experimental music, (ii) the development of new cross-cultural methods of analysis and (iii) the future of music education and didactic approaches.