Post-classical ambient minimalism for crepuscular airports

Disquiet Junto 0267: The Metronomic Society [repost]


Metronomes are based around predictability. In group musical performance, metronomes are necessary for accurate timekeeping. Even if an actual device isn’t available, at least one participant (usually the drummer) is responsible for ensuring that everyone knows how to count in: “And a one, and a two, and a three, and a four … rock and roll, hoochie koo.”

Metronomes are also the spine of anarchy, because every form of resistance hinges upon our interpretation of constraints. In probability theory, Bayes’ Law tells us that the likelihood of an event taking place can be determined by studying its conditions. The more evidence that is gathered, for example, the more likely we are to believe or not believe that something may or may not happen. Which explains everything about gambling and nothing about predicting weather.

For this short piece, Suss Müsik recorded a single percussive hit and replayed it by splitting the phrase and moving up one octave. The sequence was sampled and replayed with varying amounts of reverse-reverb. At times, the original phrase seemed to drown in its own echo before resuming its march. We went on for awhile and then stopped when it got tiresome, as all metronomes do at some point.

The piece is titled Bayesia and may eventually become a more substantial work. The image is an arrangement of clear acrylic blocks.

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