Absinthe
The Freeman
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2004
- Messages
- 14,038
- Reaction score
- 30
The purpose of this topic is two-fold. Firstly, what opinions or thoughts do you have regarding the interactions between the two, and secondly (to those who apply) what kind of music do you listen to while under the influence?
Ignoring many of the anachronistic views from the past in which drug-influenced music was a tool of the devil, moral decay, or brainwashing, there is the widely held view (even if reluctantly) that it has produced some very profound and genre-changing music. For instance, you have a prime example in the Beatles. You had some very poppy, catchy, popular songs in their early onset. And they could have arguably coasted on this alone. But it was with their drug experimentation that their music began to encompass a far broader range of melody, texture, and lyrical thought. Their very production techniques, which ranged from the "nifty" to the absurd, were absolutely key elements in the development of their sound. It's quite acceptable to believe that very sound they produced influenced even ****ing Bob Dylan. Hell, the entire gamut of 60's music of drug-fueled ecstasy came up with some of the most memorable acts in the history of music and have heavily influenced it to this day.
Note that I am neither a Beatles fan nor a Dylan fan. I could personally care less about them. But I can still acknowledge and respect their contributions. And if anybody were to compare the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" with "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", there would be no contest as to which one would be decided as the better-crafted, thought-provoking, and overall better song.
That said, there is no doubt that a lot of pretentious, vacuous crap has also been produced. But the results of these chemical-human collaborations aside, there is the argument that despite the quality of these works, they cannot be considered wholly owned by the artists themselves. The retrospective dependency on these substances means that a good deal of the music itself is owed more to the substances themselves than to artists in sober states of mind. In essence, they are a form of less legitimate musical output because of the methods that were used to achieve them. And as nice as it may sound, the artists cannot take full credit.
Now, anybody who has read my posts regarding drug-related topics probably knows that I am a drug user, and you could probably have easily guessed that I partake in subjecting myself wholly to musical experiences while under the influence. And as an amateur musician, I have also experimented heavily with the production of music under such circumstances as well. I personally think the argument of "drug music" being less legitimate is preposterous. Such substances rarely, if ever, supplant or intrude ideas into the human consciousness. They can manipulate, extrapolate, or blow things out of proportion. But the origins of these fantasies and epiphanies are grounded solely in the mind. Personally, I have yet to have an experience that I found had no relationship to whatever personal feeling, memory, or mindset I had already or previously had. They are newfound expressions, paradigm shifts, or simply revisits to once-familiar territory. With my own work, I've never felt that one method (sober or intoxicated) was more "real" than the other, but that they were different facets of my own thoughts and ego. And from a more visceral standpoint, there are quite a few songs from select artists that I find enhanced while under the influence.
Do not confuse this with a declaration that "drug music" is more deep or better than pieces conducted under pristine sobriety. Nor do I really expect a lot of opposition to the idea of it. But quite a few previous personal encounters, as well as my own curiosity, made me feel it was a topic worth bringing up. I was merely wondering how strong the consensus is on wether or not such music was legitimate.
Now for the second part.
The following is a selection of tracks that I've found most resonant in my experiences. These are not fully comprehensive lists, as there are dozens (if not hundreds) of songs I prefer to listen to in such states, and because I wish not to bore you with endless columns of tracks you will never bother to download or purchase.
DXM, Ketamine
One would think that listening to music on substances that disconnect your from reality and external stimuli would be a pointless exercise in futility, but it is not. If anything, your sheer biology will synchronize with the rhythms. Automatic physical compulsions and twitches that seem to drive your body on a deceptively instinctual basis with either ebbs and flows or mechanical precision are what I prefer with dissociatives. Favella beats are positively orgasmic.
"Dial" by Autechre
"Uviol" by Autechre
"Gantz Graf" by Autechre
"Backdoor.Netshadow" by AFX
"F Train" by Squarepusher (as quoted in my signature)
"Kill Robok" by Squarepusher
"Basefree" by Boards of Canada
Shrooms, Acid, Salvia
Remember Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas? Remember Duke's lovely Samoan attorney? Remember how he begged Duke to throw the radio into the bathtub (containing his half-submerged body) right when "White Rabbit" peaked? While I won't go as far as to embrace suicide, the essence of such an experience is what I aim to capture. The tracks that build up to their crescendos. The peak that you wish would play for eternity, but can't due to human constraints. And when the wave breaks, a soft, cushy landing is usually appropriate. But even repetition is acceptable if its very tonality or timbre has that "sparkling" quality of perpetually coming into resolution.
"Recury" by Autechre
"Cichli" by Autechre
"Plotinus" by Squarepusher
"Rhubarb" by Aphex Twin
"Alberto Basalm" by Aphex Twin
"An Ending (Ascent)" by Brian Eno
"El Wraith" by Amon Tobin
Alcohol
You're shitfaced drunk... Shit, I guess you'll listen to anything if it doesn't make you puke. The aim here is to find something that strikes the right balance between activity and its absence. You don't wanna pass out or let your mind get distracted by the thought of hurling chunks, but you don't want to overload your brain. If I can follow a beat on it, it's good game.
"Iced Cooly" by Boards of Canada
"Seeya Later" by Boards of Canada
"Plaistow Flex Out" Squarepusher
"Quixote" by Polygon Window
"Cordialatron" by Caustic Window
"We Are The Music Makers" by Aphex Twin
"Mag" by Gescom
Cannabis
Hell, anything mellowed and chill.
"Left Side Drive" by Boards of Canada
"Triangles & Rhombuses" by Boards of Canada
"Xtal" by Aphex Twin
"Hexagon" by Aphex Twin"
"Mouse Lounge" by Schoolly D
"Slowly" by Amon Tobin
"Deo" by Amon Tobin
Ignoring many of the anachronistic views from the past in which drug-influenced music was a tool of the devil, moral decay, or brainwashing, there is the widely held view (even if reluctantly) that it has produced some very profound and genre-changing music. For instance, you have a prime example in the Beatles. You had some very poppy, catchy, popular songs in their early onset. And they could have arguably coasted on this alone. But it was with their drug experimentation that their music began to encompass a far broader range of melody, texture, and lyrical thought. Their very production techniques, which ranged from the "nifty" to the absurd, were absolutely key elements in the development of their sound. It's quite acceptable to believe that very sound they produced influenced even ****ing Bob Dylan. Hell, the entire gamut of 60's music of drug-fueled ecstasy came up with some of the most memorable acts in the history of music and have heavily influenced it to this day.
Note that I am neither a Beatles fan nor a Dylan fan. I could personally care less about them. But I can still acknowledge and respect their contributions. And if anybody were to compare the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" with "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", there would be no contest as to which one would be decided as the better-crafted, thought-provoking, and overall better song.
That said, there is no doubt that a lot of pretentious, vacuous crap has also been produced. But the results of these chemical-human collaborations aside, there is the argument that despite the quality of these works, they cannot be considered wholly owned by the artists themselves. The retrospective dependency on these substances means that a good deal of the music itself is owed more to the substances themselves than to artists in sober states of mind. In essence, they are a form of less legitimate musical output because of the methods that were used to achieve them. And as nice as it may sound, the artists cannot take full credit.
Now, anybody who has read my posts regarding drug-related topics probably knows that I am a drug user, and you could probably have easily guessed that I partake in subjecting myself wholly to musical experiences while under the influence. And as an amateur musician, I have also experimented heavily with the production of music under such circumstances as well. I personally think the argument of "drug music" being less legitimate is preposterous. Such substances rarely, if ever, supplant or intrude ideas into the human consciousness. They can manipulate, extrapolate, or blow things out of proportion. But the origins of these fantasies and epiphanies are grounded solely in the mind. Personally, I have yet to have an experience that I found had no relationship to whatever personal feeling, memory, or mindset I had already or previously had. They are newfound expressions, paradigm shifts, or simply revisits to once-familiar territory. With my own work, I've never felt that one method (sober or intoxicated) was more "real" than the other, but that they were different facets of my own thoughts and ego. And from a more visceral standpoint, there are quite a few songs from select artists that I find enhanced while under the influence.
Do not confuse this with a declaration that "drug music" is more deep or better than pieces conducted under pristine sobriety. Nor do I really expect a lot of opposition to the idea of it. But quite a few previous personal encounters, as well as my own curiosity, made me feel it was a topic worth bringing up. I was merely wondering how strong the consensus is on wether or not such music was legitimate.
Now for the second part.
The following is a selection of tracks that I've found most resonant in my experiences. These are not fully comprehensive lists, as there are dozens (if not hundreds) of songs I prefer to listen to in such states, and because I wish not to bore you with endless columns of tracks you will never bother to download or purchase.
DXM, Ketamine
One would think that listening to music on substances that disconnect your from reality and external stimuli would be a pointless exercise in futility, but it is not. If anything, your sheer biology will synchronize with the rhythms. Automatic physical compulsions and twitches that seem to drive your body on a deceptively instinctual basis with either ebbs and flows or mechanical precision are what I prefer with dissociatives. Favella beats are positively orgasmic.
"Dial" by Autechre
"Uviol" by Autechre
"Gantz Graf" by Autechre
"Backdoor.Netshadow" by AFX
"F Train" by Squarepusher (as quoted in my signature)
"Kill Robok" by Squarepusher
"Basefree" by Boards of Canada
Shrooms, Acid, Salvia
Remember Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas? Remember Duke's lovely Samoan attorney? Remember how he begged Duke to throw the radio into the bathtub (containing his half-submerged body) right when "White Rabbit" peaked? While I won't go as far as to embrace suicide, the essence of such an experience is what I aim to capture. The tracks that build up to their crescendos. The peak that you wish would play for eternity, but can't due to human constraints. And when the wave breaks, a soft, cushy landing is usually appropriate. But even repetition is acceptable if its very tonality or timbre has that "sparkling" quality of perpetually coming into resolution.
"Recury" by Autechre
"Cichli" by Autechre
"Plotinus" by Squarepusher
"Rhubarb" by Aphex Twin
"Alberto Basalm" by Aphex Twin
"An Ending (Ascent)" by Brian Eno
"El Wraith" by Amon Tobin
Alcohol
You're shitfaced drunk... Shit, I guess you'll listen to anything if it doesn't make you puke. The aim here is to find something that strikes the right balance between activity and its absence. You don't wanna pass out or let your mind get distracted by the thought of hurling chunks, but you don't want to overload your brain. If I can follow a beat on it, it's good game.
"Iced Cooly" by Boards of Canada
"Seeya Later" by Boards of Canada
"Plaistow Flex Out" Squarepusher
"Quixote" by Polygon Window
"Cordialatron" by Caustic Window
"We Are The Music Makers" by Aphex Twin
"Mag" by Gescom
Cannabis
Hell, anything mellowed and chill.
"Left Side Drive" by Boards of Canada
"Triangles & Rhombuses" by Boards of Canada
"Xtal" by Aphex Twin
"Hexagon" by Aphex Twin"
"Mouse Lounge" by Schoolly D
"Slowly" by Amon Tobin
"Deo" by Amon Tobin
