At 11:18 PM 12/14/98 -0800, E, Shaun Russell wrote:
>>Has this question ever been really covered?
>
> Yes; check the archives from about four months ago.
Shall we replay some of the posts? Or, at least a few riffs from them.
>>I'm extremely curious what [the list] would classify as "Extropian Music".
>
> It is probably impossible to pinpoint any one kind of music as
>extropian. Music, like any art, is objective only to the ones who peruse
>it. My tastes may differ from those of most other people (and they do) yet
>since I am an extropic individual, does that make my tastes extropic?
>Doubtful. A lot of the owness falls upon the musicians themselves; for
>example (and mind the possible bias) the Mike Oldfield album _The Songs Of
>Distant Earth_ could be considered extropic due to the fact that it mirrors
>Arthur C. Clarke's excellent book of the same name --indicative of
>Oldfield's intentions. However, many extropians may not care for the music.
I agree with you. If the musician's intent is to make music that inspires, or uplifts, then this could be extropic. If the musician is him or herself an extropian in her views and how she performs her life, then the music, no matter what the "sound," would be extropian. If the musician's intent is to work with science by computing a new sound to author his vision, then this would be extropic. However, if the musician is not simpatico with the extropian philosophy but produced music that documents extropian views, then this too would be extropic. Conversely, if the musician is extropian in views, but produces music that is negative, uses terminology that salutes death, or summons up ideas that are in conflict with the extropian philosophy, then there would be the question of what the purpose of the music is -- be it to bring people down with the sound, or remind them what that bad feeling is to result in a desire to move beyond bad feelings the music inspires. (These are a few examples.)
> On a similar note, my own music compositions may not convey a lot
>about my optimism towards future progress or desire for extended mortality,
>yet they give me, an extropian, an outlet for different kinds of expression
>--pleasing and displeasing to others' ears. Needless, to say, it depends
>upon the musician's objective as well as the listener's discretion to
>decide what makes music "extropic" or not.
Again, I agree. Some music inspires me, but the musician may know nothing about extropian ideas. However, because for me music causes a "feeling," I enjoy that feeling subjectively above the artist's objective.
Natasha Vita-More: http://www.natasha.cc Transhumanist Art Centre - Home of Extropic Art: http://www.extropic-art.com **NEW** Transhuman Culture InfoMark: http://www.transhuman.org PRESS RELEASE: "We are transhumans ..." Meme Orbits Saturn in 2004!
"The best defense is an aesthetic offense."