RR4 | Music 256A

Cody Hergenroeder

Reading Response: Sublime Design, Chapter 4

Cody Hergenroeder
10/17/2021
Music 256A, Stanford University

Chapter 4

This week I'm reflecting on Principle 4.8: "Experiment to Illogical Extremes (then pull back according to taste)" (198). Firstly I can't help but connect it to Principle 4.5: "Design Things With a Computer that Would Not Be Possible Without" (181); both of these reflect a spirit of using the medium to its fullest extent, and in that process both transcending the medium and redefining it. The illogical extreme Ge is referring to is implemented *inside of a particular medium*, in our case the medium on which we might hear/perform computer-music. So Ge is imploring us to stretch the computer-music medium past its normal boundaries. This looks like ignoring constraints on digital tools such as how they're normally used or social norms for how the tools are commonly used--with the goal of transcending the original self-imposed "limitations" on the medium. This might look like experimenting with pitches outside of those reified by western musical traditions and finding microtonal music, or harnessing the digital artifacts created by "clipping" as a musical texture that can be inherently worthwhile. Furthermore, "breaking" the system on purpose to distort music until it no longer sounds musical, then embarking on an endeavour to re-music-ify it.
In concrete terms of Principle 4.8 manifested, I can think of an illogical extreme in the following YouTube video: Kanye West's Discography But Each Song Plays At The Same Time By Album. It's generally unlistenable, but there are elements of it worth noticing as a piece of "music", like comparing the sound of the different albums. A way to pull back that principle, if just slightly, is this video from the Steamed Hams meme-chain: Steamed hams but it's 42 times but at point when skinner says steamed hams, where we do have several media playing over each other, but with a point of synchronicity, and therefore almost a purpose. There is a sense of direction (coming and going from the synchronicity), and *some* kind of aesthetic coherence. This is pulling back from an illogical extreme and making something new!
I like to listen to music that pushes boundaries in exactly this way, and I think that each time some new aesthetic is discovered from raw agression towards limitations, it's an indescribable feeling of taking a dumb risk and finding a new and beautiful launchpad from which a new generation can start and explore the "break free" => "pull back" design process loop from a new vantage point.