Monday, October 12, 2015
R.R. 10/12
When discussing the importance of musical criticism, Nicholas Cook argues, "Words transform latent meaning into actual meaning; they form the link between words and world." While I am a bit skeptical of his term actual meaning, I do agree that words change the semiotic mode of musical meaning--i.e. they make it mean differently--which allows us to discuss how music relates to its culture and/or how we relate to ours. Listen to this track by The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble and tell me what it says about culture. Keep in mind that your critique will be subjective, but that does not mean that it has to be just subjective.
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The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble produce a track that blends, and essentially transcends, culture. The opening riff enters menacingly, and sounds incredibly Ancient Egyptian-esque. Were it played live, I wouldn't be surprised to see the common motif of a cobra dancing out of a basket. Then, the track merges into a completely different sound. It transforms from ancient-sounding to a dark, menacing form of jazz. It's jazz, yet it's also more. It's deeper; it's heavier. It has both soul and emotion and darkness. And as soon as you get caught up in the jazz, the track transfers back over to the Ancient Egypt sound with the basket-dancing cobra. The song finds a way to blend two seemingly inevitably different cultures - Ancient Egypt, and the soulful Jazz - and shows that cultures are more intertwined than they seem, and more intricate than we perceive them to be.
ReplyDeleteThis track seems to "say" that our culture is dark and lonely. Although there are many instruments being utilized, one specific instrument always sticks out in the foreground. For instance, around 3:30, the trumpet is much louder than the other instruments. This seems to speak to the fact that although our society is now more connected than ever (thank you, social media), the individual is continuing to isolate him or herself. As a whole, the track had a very dark, sinister vibe, which is in line with how popular culture has become more dark and sinister. Our culture now centers around the problems within our world.
ReplyDeleteThe track by the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble starts out slow and creeping, with sounds that linger for longer than expected. It then picks up a steady beat, and suddenly it makes sense sonically. But more than that, it seems to represent the madness and creepiness of the world around us; the darkness in society that is often unpredictable. When the beat steadies, we realize that through this darkness and unpredictability, we must learn to walk to our own beat, even though we may be tried by the forces beyond our control. We must learn to take this delusion and madness and make sense of it. Some parts of the track that sport an unsure and apprehensive style are still present once the track finds its purpose and rhythm. It shows that we as humans must learn to accept the culture of darkness and even evil. However, we can find our own rhythm, and use its force to create something that makes sense, something worthwhile. And this is exactly what The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble does in their piece.
ReplyDeleteThis piece of music completely contradicts the discussion, which confuses me. The piece is wordless, yet we are discussing how words allow music to be interpreted in our world. I guess this piece having no words is a way of not limiting it to one culture. Instead of hearing lyrics and individually interpreting them, the listener only hears the music. The music itself provides a mysterious quality that suggests that our culture today is growing darker. The song is repetitive and sounds like elevator music that would be playing in an episode of American Horror Story. While this piece lacks the words that would normally outline its meaning, the composition suggests a meaning of a world growing darker.
ReplyDeleteI think that this piece does make a statement about culture even though it has no lyrics. The deep pitch and slow rhythm hints to darkness of our culture. The song is slow and everything seems deliberate and I just imagine this song being played in the background of a sketchy scene. This is reiterated towards the end of the song when there is a techno aspect that sounds just like how slow mow looks. When this is coupled with the low pitches it just seems so creepy and dark. I think that is also gives off a sense of how disturbed our culture is today and how our ideals are not where they should be.
ReplyDeleteTo me this piece says a lot about a dark culture. It definitely does not come across as happy, it makes me think about an industrial culture like blue collar workers, or people living/working in a city. The sounds make me think about people just thoughtlessly going through a routine day, the extra background noises are what made it sound industrial. However, the end of the piece is very creepy and makes me think that it would match up with the culture of murderers. If that even is a culture, I mean you have to have some type of ideal that makes you want/able to kill people, and all of them share that ideal. It also made me think about conmen always cheating people out of things, the music sounded very sneaky to me.
ReplyDeleteThis song seems very anxious and foreboding in its tone and it gives off a very smooth, yet slow and somber feel. The song seems to have roots in jazz culture. So I feel the song is trying to relate to a person that is going through a tough time and is not finding it easy to get back on their feet. It's kinda like having the blues, both in the musical way and the way people use it in speech. There is a sense of longing as the measures roll by slowly and the song pulls me into a cavern that seems empty. The song brings me into a kind of somber mood, but also seems to unsettle me and make me feel uncomfortable. It sounds mysterious and strange (even foreign) to me and it could just be this song isn't something within my normal cultural bounds, but even so I find I can get a meaning out of it even if it is not the "actual meaning" that someone else derives as Cook puts it.
ReplyDeleteThis song by the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble sounds like it is pulling from sounds of an ancient lost culture. Listening to this I can see an image of a person walking through a jungle by themselves await unforeseen terrors. The ancient cultural sound it is pulling from sounds isolated. It sounds like a very dark place where there are not a lot of freedoms and choices of what you can do. It sounds dangerous and unpleasant. Everything about it sounds dark.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as TKDE was originally formed to create new sounds for classic silent films, one might assume that they would have a very classical sound. While yes, they do have do basic instrumentation comprised of cello, trombone, violin, guitar, beats etc., they also blend together that sound with a very electric feel. They bring together old culture and new with through their sonic elements. The dark jazzy sound is the old while the electronic blend is the new.
ReplyDeleteI believe this track speaks to the good and evil that exists in everyday culture. It recognizes that we as humans have a constant battle with our desire to want to overcome and conquer the bad, the tragedy, the violence, the wrongdoing, all of the evil in society. However, the song eventually comes to a negative conclusion that no matter how much we try to behave perfectly and morally, we are doomed to the ever-present evil tendencies, whether this arises from within yourself or from the influence of others. In other words, try as you will to keep your morals and be a better person, but your efforts are essentially pointless because there is no escaping the tendency to mess up, do wrong, and leave a negative mark on society.
ReplyDeleteIn the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble song, it is more of latent meaning than anything else. The lack of words here, or maybe the reinforcement of silence, speaks louder than any words at all could. Do we live in a silent and dark culture, where as creativity and individualism is dead? The dark tone of the song implements a darkened sense of despair and upon modern society, and the lack of lyrics forces the listener to only hear the instrumental depth. The deep dark hole that seeps through reflects the culture of society that the song represents. Culture is dying and the apocalyptic notion is therefore bringing out the worst in those inhabiting. Is this our American/Western pop culture perhaps, as those famous on the radio literally say nothing useful at all and are only mere sellouts to get fame? Is this piece reflecting that sort of death to originality that is reflected on the radio every second of the day? Or can we reflect on our own death by comparing it to a culture that has already died? Regardless, there is a dark culture represented by the band that we can take away from.
ReplyDeleteTo me, this track by The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble alludes to the problem of poverty and hardship among a group of people or an individual person. The music is dark and gives off a depressing vibe to the listeners. The music sounds like it's trying to reach a certain point of harmony but throughout the song it never does, it only continues with the dark and dreary sound. I see this as an allusion to someone in poverty trying to get out of their situation but never being able to escape it. While listening to the song you expect it to change and maybe transform into a happier tone but it doesn't, it remains the same throughout, much like someone who is struggling and expects their situation to improve but it doesn't.
ReplyDeleteAs I listen to this track, I picture an "Italian" culture. Not the typical Italians cooking spaghetti and meatballs. I see the mafia and sneakiness and illegal activities. The jazzy beginning made me relate to the mafia, but as the track progressed, the jazz aspect disappeared and a more sinister tone came around. With the new tone, I pictured criminal activities again, but less mafia and more big city, dark alley murders. I think that these images really show how important music is to culture. The fact that I can mentally visualize a culture or group of people based off of sounds and instruments shows the deep connection to culture and music. The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble embraces a culture in their music and uses it to help the listener see what they are hearing. The connection between culture and music is the bridge between hearing and seeing.
ReplyDeleteThis track showcases a dark and bleak tone by the use of minimalistic beats along with deep and slow instruments. It represents a culture that is barely surviving and has no hope for the future. It creates an air of suspense in some parts where it builds up, but then it's back to the same sad, slow pace. It has a sense of uncaring, like the culture being represented has no urge to do much of anything. This track reminds me of the soundtrack that would be played in an old-timey movie when a villain would appear.
ReplyDeleteThis piece utilizes many sounds from what seems to be brass instruments to an underlying guitar beat. It also utilizes sounds from that of rain, to hissing. The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble achieves a melancholy feel with its own ups and downs. The chiming in of the trumpet signifies a high and when it is just left to the strumming of a bass, it establishes a low. This song totally breaks the bounds of classical music culture and enters the culture surrounding electronic music. It elicits the feeling of being slightly jazzy and yet the array of indeterminate sounds draws it toward a more electronic style. In a way, this song can allude a darker time in jazz culture through this melancholy tone and utilizing the sounds to signify the ebb and flow of the success of that time.
ReplyDeleteThis song reminds me of the mafia in popular culture. The way the notes are held out in addition to the trumpets with a plunger type mute create a creepy feeling. I can just see the mafia coming out of a nightclub walking down sidewalks and alleyways waiting to take their next victim. The beat of the music is slow, but not too slow. This creates even more suspension. This song never represents the violent part of the mafia for the fact that it never builds much. The song stays on the same tempo. It doesn't get very loud, or crazy, or sounds like racket. It just sounds like the calm before the storm.
ReplyDeleteThroughout this track, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble creates a very dark sound. The drums, guitar, bass, and other various instruments are very deep and are played with a slow tempo. To me, it sounded like music that would be played in a scary movie while the anticipation builds up. I think this song shows the dark side of culture. Whenever I discuss culture, I focus mainly on positive aspects and how a certain culture is unique. There is crime and negative aspects of every culture, and I think this track shows that by having a dark tone. The band's name also refers to Mount Kilimanjaro, which is a huge mountain in Tanzania. I think this song could also apply to the daunting task of trying to climb this mountain.
ReplyDeleteThis song by the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, while not expressing any words, expresses deep emotion through dark sounds that formulate a meaning of their own. Ideally, listeners appreciate lyrics, because they have the tendency to tell exactly what the artist is trying to say. In these instrumental pieces, the audience is forced to think about what the songs mean to them or what they think the music is trying to say. I believe that this is reflective of culture, because people are able to come up with an eclectic opinion based on the collective thoughts of individuals. In today's society, culture is created by everyones' jumbled opinions and the sounds in this song bring that out as well.
ReplyDeleteThis song by The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble sounds like dark, hidden alleyways, deserted streets, and troubled neighborhoods. It is gritty, and it's low tones communicate apprehension, lurking shadows, and looming threats of danger and uncertainty. As far as what it says about culture, I think that it is a general expression of the suspicious, untrustworthy element of life that is always lingering. It embodies the unfortunate and exposes the hesitantly admitted ideology that nothing is pure and nothing is ever as good as it seems. It's like pessimism in a song.
ReplyDeleteThis song,"Samhain Labs," by The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble relates to our overly digital culture first by its name. Samhain Labs could be a reference to a software program used for file checking. This exemplifies our need for technology in this day and age and the ominous instrumentation in the song seems to allude to/foreshadow some sort of impending doom. This may be a reference to technology seeming to take over our lives and overshadow human interaction. Maybe we are more concentrated on the accuracy of files than quality of human lives.
ReplyDeleteThis track has an overwhelmingly dark and omnious tone, but is also filled with immense emotion, which says a lot about our culture. The band could be saying that our culture today has a pessimistic viewpoint on everyday situations. There are changes in this song where the tone starts to lighten, but only goes back to this dark tone; this could mean that whenever we as a culture have something good going for us, we start to look for something else that is negative. We are filled with emotion but we often feel passionately about what we don't like.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it features no lyrics, "Samhain Labs" features a reflection on the culture surrounding it. The smooth jazz composition has a subtle dark feel to it, proposing that maybe everything is not how it seems, possibly hinting towards human thought processes and actions. Continuing with the symbolism, the absence of lyrics suggests that with no definite meaning, one is left to wonder whether the actions and thoughts we see from people on a day to day basis are their true self or just a facade.
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