I have been trying to decide for years what to call my music. At first, in 2016, I called it Electronic Music, then electronic experimental music, but it is so much more than just that, so I discovered the following things about my music/ and here's how we can break down and describe My music by Core Genres/Techniques:
- Glitch: Clearly a significant component, referring to the intentional use of digital errors and artifacts as sound.
- Musique Concrète: The use of recorded, manipulated sounds from nature, refrigerators, and industrial sources directly points to musique concrète principles, where sounds from the real world are treated as musical material.
- Noise/Industrial: The "harsh" sections and use of industrial sounds align with noise music and industrial music aesthetics.
- Ambient/Drone (potentially): The "beautiful sections" could lean into ambient or drone territories, offering contrasting sonic landscapes.
- Experimental Electronic: This is the overarching umbrella that encompasses all these diverse approaches.
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Sound Sources & Instrumentation:
- Field Recordings: Recorded sounds from nature, refrigerators, and industrial environments.
- Found Sounds: This term can also apply to the refrigerator and industrial sounds, as they are non-traditional sound sources.
- Synthesizers: A fundamental tool in electronic music.
- Guitar Feedback: Incorporates an element from rock/noise music into the electronic context.
- Processed Vocals: My voice, altered to the point of not sounding like a voice, is another form of sound manipulation and textural element.
- Field Recordings: Recorded sounds from nature, refrigerators, and industrial environments.
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Compositional Approach:
- Improvisational: This adds a spontaneous and often unpredictable element to my sound.
- Non-Algorithmic: I'm intentionally not using computer-generated compositional rules, relying more on direct manipulation and improvisation.
- Improvisational: This adds a spontaneous and often unpredictable element to my sound.
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Intended Experience:
- Listening Experience: This is key – it's designed to be absorbed and engaged with by a listener, rather than primarily for dance or background.
- Listening Experience: This is key – it's designed to be absorbed and engaged with by a listener, rather than primarily for dance or background.
How to Describe My Music:
Instead of a single, neat genre label, my music is best described by its characteristics and influences.
"Highly experimental electronic music incorporating glitch, musique concrète, and noise aesthetics. It features a rich tapestry of processed field recordings (nature, industrial, domestic sounds), synthesizers, manipulated guitar feedback, and heavily effects-laden vocals. The compositions are largely improvisational, creating a dynamic listening experience that oscillates between moments of harsh intensity and surprising beauty."
This kind of detailed description gives a much more accurate picture than trying to force it into a single, potentially misleading genre box. It highlights the unique blend of elements I am working with.