Playlouder - Music is the Network

One of approximately twelve interesting people left alive on the planet today, it's no wonder that Bill Drummond's correspondence - in this case, a little beige pamphlet - is prized far more highly than the stacks of crappy plastic accompanied by addled hyperbole that litter my desk daily:

On the back is a brief note indicating “this pamphlet has been specifically published for anybody who may be concerned about the future of music”, and within is what purports to be the first chapter of a forthcoming book by The Man himself, which has been written over the last year or so, and is called ‘17’.

The book will trace the progress of The17, a choir whose music has “no history, follows no traditions and recognises no contemporaries… no libretto, lyrics or words; no time signatures, rhythm or beats… no knowledge of melody, counterpoint or harmony.”

Drummond seems to be suggesting that recorded music is now a dead art form, and I must say that I am, on occasion, inclined to agree with this sentiment; the average output of today’s musicians must appear to the progressive artist as a skilfully-rendered oil painting of, say, a tiger did to photographers in the late 19th century.

Or perhaps that’s a poor comparison: with its emphasis on the transient and primal, Bill Drummond’s latest project seems less concerned with the notion of obsolescence through technological progress.

Whatever Bill might be barking on about this time, it’s sure to be a hell of a lot more interesting than the lyrics pamphlet of your new Morrissey best-of.

For samples of scores by The17, check out numbers 318 and 73.

To visit the website, click here.