Paul Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky.
One of the most significant indicators of cultural change, in my view at
least, is when certain factors of human subsistence subsume the broad
strokes of politics and theory and begin to be seen on the level of individual
human beings. We've known about the serious dangers of Global Climate
Change and the destruction of our oceans for decades. In fact an argument
might very well be made that we have known about these dangers since the
Victorian era, but turned a blind eye to it for the sake of economics, for
profit. Most governments have been extremely slow to respond (some much
slower than others), and when they have responded that response is usually
pathetic. But down at what you might call the grass-roots level there has
been a response building across the years. People are tired of waiting.
And they are willing to be the saber bearers, to initiate microcosmic
changes themselves that often bypass the weak efforts of government. At
that point, ecology has truly become a part of the culture: It is not what
is thought at upper levels but what is actually done by the broad base of
human beings who are a part of that culture.
Whether this will be enough I do not know. My own feeling in the matter
is that it is probably already too late. But of course that doesn't mean
that we should sit around and wait for the environmental equivalent of
the end of the world. Human beings are normally not of that sort. And if
we were, we would be a soulless species indeed.
And so we work, do things we think might help, and hope.
Yesterday the newest issue of Audubon Magazine came across my desk,
the September-October 2010 issue. I was skimming through the magazine,
looking at all the beautiful photos and the ads for wonderful nature
trips that I will take when that big bag of money comes floating down
from the sky, when I came upon an interview by Nancy Averett with
musician Paul Miller, also known as DJ Spooky.
I had never heard of him. Which I thought not surprising since I am not
into rap. But in fact I didn't have an excuse. From the videos I've
watched on youTube since yesterday I have learned that Miller is more
than a rap artist. I would in fact call him a performance artist akin
to Laurie Anderson.
Traveling down to Antarctica, Miller did sound samples of the environment
and put them into a composition (performance piece) called Terra Nova:
Sinfonia Antarctica. In the introduction he mentions avant garde composer
John Cage. When you start out with samples of ice cracking and are working
from the lineage of John Cage, you know you are going to get something a
little different. In fact Miller doesn't seem to be working from the context
of any broad musical genres like rock and roll, which has often dealt with
social causes. His response seems to be a very personal one.
I thought that if Audubon wouldn't mind (and I can't imagine whey they
would) that I would post the short interview.
AVERETT: What was the impetus for this project?
MILLER: I was trying to figure out how to hit the reset button on my
imagination. Sometimes you have to go far away to go deep into yourself.
AVERETT: What did you hope to accomplish?
MILLER: I wanted to capture a scientific process and distill it into
something that people could relate to: acoustic portraits of how much
the world is changing.
AVERETT: What are the acoustics like in Antarctica?
MILLER: When you're walking on the ice, you hear your footsteps
crunching and echoing off the sides of the glaciers. There's this
stunning acoustic complexity that goes on just by putting one foot in
front of the other.
AVERETT: How did you become interested in the environment?
MILLER: I went to Bowdoin College in Maine, and one of the things about
going to school in New England is that you live in the shadow of these
Transcendentalists: Thoreau, Emerson, Whitman. They wanted you to
think about the influence that open areas can have on you.
AVERETT: You've said many of your peers aren't thinking about things
like climate change. Do you hope to be a bridge to their culture?
MILLER: I'm hoping. There's this idea that hip-hop and the city are
separate from nature. That's something I'm fighting against. I'm always
arguing that if we manage our relationship better with nature, we'll
have better music, better art, better everything.
Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky.Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica.
Intriguing. Being probably one of only a handful of individuals who has heard Cage's Imaginary Landscape No 1 (:)) and knowing Vaughan Williams' Sinfonia Antarctica very well and knowing a lot about Scott's Terra Nova expedition (having just read possibly the best exploration book ever, Apsley Cherry-Goddard's The Worst Journey In The World) this was right up my street. Thanks for the link, Ed. :yes:
My pleasure, voyager! 😀
Hm, he looks like a smart guy. Especially after I read that interview. I hate when famous people organize anti-pollution, anti-global warming, anti-killing rabbits for gloves actions just in order to gain more popularity or money. Or both.Few days ago I have seen Werner Herzog`s documentary about South Pole: Encounters at the End of the World My warmest reccomendations for it :yes:On a less serious note, global cooling seems to have started in Serbia, it is only 13C – 55,4F now, quite unusual for this time of year :smurf:
I think Fenris has been conducting business over here the past years. Our wolve population is way up. Which I suppose is good unless your are a deer or a rabbit.
Still fairly good wheather in Denmark. The Sun has been shining for the last couple of days, and you can still leave the house without jacket. However, the sky is beginning to look funny which is usually the first sign of the coming Winter. Soon the leaves will turn to gold and dissapear and the girls will crawl back into their furcoats and ulsters, and within two months darkness will prevail. I live too close to the Arctic circle to be fascinated by fields of ice. Fenris, king of wolfs, dwells somewhere up there. Let's not wake him up. Don't want him to devour the World just yet, do we?
I'm sure I would like that documentary very much, Darko. Thanks for the heads-up — I'll keep an eye out for it. Right now it is 59 F here in Spokane. Thanks to the Weather Goddess for making my wishes come true!
They say he spawned the entire population of wolves before the old gods put him in chains and locked him up somewhere in the remote North. At the eve of Ragnarök, he will chew through his chain and roam the World in his search for Óðinn, devouring all living that comes in his way. Eventually he will meat Óðinn on the fields of Iðavöllr at the gates to Valhalla and in this battle, which will turn the Earth red with blood, the father of all Gods will be slayed and Fenris will get his revenge on the one who tricked him into four thousand years of imprisonment.After that the World as we know it will come to an end, as the rest of the ancient monsters are set free.However, it is also said that on the second day after Ragnarök three young gods will find an ancient shipwreck resting on the shore of the old world, and from the debries they will build a new world.I guess what I am saying is, that there might be hope for mankind.
😆
Maybe the 3 young gods are the only humans left and they take off in a spaceship. One woman and two men. No, wait, two women and one man.
Tsk, tsk, Edward. Must have the two women in order to multiply more quickly, right? Interesting composition for that piece. Can't tell you whether I liked it or not.
Speaking of global cooling—I believe that to be more accurate than the hoax played on the world about global warming. Waiting to see if this winter is as cold or colder than last. I think it will be. Still in the 90s here, after a rainy day with 80sF
One of the most profound statements I've run across in a great while, Edward. Well-said.Nothing–NOTHING–of any great worth ever gets done in this world unless and until one person makes an effort to do it. ONE person. That may be the beginning of an avalanche needed for change. But that one person may be all that is needed for change.The currents of wind of a butterfly's wings.:heart:
All opinions and discussions are welcome here. Which isn't to say I'm going to become involved in them. :p:D
I believe global warming is no hoax, Linda. The evidence is irrefutable, if you choose to look. You and I may be dead before it impacts our lives severely, but my son will not. Our children may curse us for what we have done.
the global changes are like economy,they have to happen…as for "global cooling" there is no doubt about it! The Solar activity is very low, it has to be in progress…Also lets not forget that, the global warming is the first step before the rapid change of the climate..the records are clear … what Al Gore said was an idiotic theory, I guess time will tell why so many run to believe it!
😀 Well, I do have 'em, and I'm not shy – some of the time! 😆
@ Star. I think I'm going to have to change a few words in that opening paragraph as I am not quite happy with it. Boy, it's been a long time since school now — But I am glad that you liked the various statements. Your comment reminds me of the Ann Rand view. Some body once said that it was impossible for one person to change the world. To which she replied that was the only way to change the world. IMO our culture is a shell which contains us. And we are only as good as our shell. @ Richard. I thank you for the comments. I just kinda felt that I had already put my nickle's worth.
A fine, shiny nickel it is too! 😀
"Hope you are feeling more now.":o I am Eddie! thanks 🙂
@ Richard.:up: :cheers:
@ Angeliki.Thanks for your comments to and taking the time to post the vid. Hope you are feeling more :up: now. :D:heart:
:up: great post! never heard about Paul Miller … but will now 😀 … I'm dealing at office with global warming – climate change – sustainability – so I already know that it's not up to polit(r)ics to make a change or at least the smallest step into a right direction anyway … :up:
@ Dirk. Well if that's what you do at your job then I would say that you have both a great job but also probably a frustrating job.
You know I was sitting back in The Cave having a glass of wine when I started thinking about some of my past fiction. And I remembered this passage from That Killer Smile.It is 1952, Los Angeles, and my private eye Pat Maginess is getting drunk with a KGB agent, Yuri Nabokov.I sipped some whiskey, then rolled my glass around. It really was too badwe hadn't had any ice."Do you think our two countries will destroy each other, Yuri?"The Russian stared off into space for a few seconds, then turned to meand shrugged. "Well" he said, "if we do destroy each other, we will have deserved itfor being such incredible fools. And if we do not destroy each other,well then we will have deserved that also."Yeah. Exactly. And that's the way it is with the environment also. As you sew, so shall you reap.