Jacues Attali’s book Noise was recommended to me by Norman Klein. Attali takes a divisive approach to explaining his political theories on music. He divides music into two categories- lent and carvinal/fesitval. Lent is referring to the game of catch. It makes us value everyday activities, valuing the harmony of the world. Carnival is referring to the ring dance, or the creation of music for pleasurable means. My work has focused on both aspects of attali’s theory. Small Sounds clearly illuminates lent, while the Nosaj Thing project revolves around festival. The graphics are created out of pleasure and used to enhance the experience. The chapter on Representing is the most pensive. Attali states:
The use-value of spectacle involves parallel developments of music. As music develops as a commodity and as harmonic developments display rational progress, music makes us believe in social cohesion.
His theory makes sense, but I prefer to view with the tandem of sound and vision. As the visual aspect of music develops, the harmony created between the two is a powerful device for social cohesion. This is the power of the live performance. A strong performance is unrivaled in its momentary glory.
