Reflections from a year on Substack
And an upcoming live online discussion
It has been one year since I started Liner Notes, so — while this might run the risk of self-indulgence — I would like to reflect on the past year and provide you with a sense of where I would like to take things.
I started Liner Notes for several reasons, but a key one was that the stories and context that bound music together were unravelling. Populist politics and disruptive technologies eroded the arts financially, politically, and culturally. Music was devalued and redefined as an amorphous digital slurry called ‘content’, used to build an online world driven by spectacle and automation.
In the last year, the value of the artist has been existentially questioned in a manner that is hard to find precedent. The belief that machines can replicate people’s artistic thinking, skills, and talent has gained significant popularity. This is arguably more dangerous than the unregulated use of such technologies, since the only other societies that lack a belief in the importance of the power of art are those without artistic freedom.
Over the past year, running Liner Notes has been rewarding. It has allowed me to write, research, connect, release and explore music in a way that is unpredictable and exciting. It feels fresh, in contrast to the tick-box world of social media and its constraints of concision and rigid digital architectures. With a longer more flexible form, it is possible to expand into a version of oneself that resembles the offline one — for good or for bad!
I always envisioned Liner Notes as a mode of communication that blends music, code, images, animation, video, and writing. I have been heartened by the fact that two of the three most popular posts on Liner Notes (here and here) focus on musical images. This second year, I would like to push this further, trying new mediums and expanding on certain ideas I have previously shared. This is by no means something new — throughout history, artists have explored different forms of expression. Two very good examples which continue to inspire me are the following books.
The Jazz Loft Project by Sam Stephenson
Featuring essays, podcasts, photos, transcripts and music recordings from a seminal moment in New York’s jazz history. It documents the work of photojournalist Eugene Smith, who from 1957–1965 obsessively recorded and photographed New York’s jazz musicians jamming and rehearsing late into the night at his apartment in the city’s flower district. The materials were brought together in such a way that by the end I almost felt like I had visited the building.
The Lyrics by Paul McCartney
Containing reflections, analysis, notebook excerpts, and photos from the famous rock star, this transmitted not just the meaning but the spirit of his life’s work. I got a sense of the philosophy and character of one of the world’s most influential musicians, in a way that felt authentic and generous.
I have been pleased to watch Liner Notes grow this past year, and as it grows the opportunities for research, writing, and artistic activities increase too. While I remain open to spontaneity, I have some ideas I would like to develop.
After studying South Indian Carnatic music in London and Chennai for over a decade, now seems like a good time to try to recount my experiences and document the musical revelations from that period. The process transformed my perspective on music and my worldview more generally. Decentering myself from the musical tradition I grew up in allowed me to view music from two perspectives. It felt fascinating to learn about another music culture, but equally fascinating to view my original musical culture in a fresh light.
I have been working on and off on an ambitious but gratifying musical project. After returning from India I felt released from a period of creative block and wrote a series of pieces exploring duality in time. The melodies play in different time cycles, displaying their similarities and differences while maintaining an important sense of unity. The project is intended for physical instruments and human players. The pieces are duets that pair the same instruments (e.g., two violins, two pianos etc). I began this project at a time when I was thinking about the world, and how music can stimulate visions of other futures. It is a perennial idea that was expressed eloquently by the composer Franz Schubert, when he wrote in his diary the following about Mozart.
Oh Mozart, immortal Mozart, how many, oh how infinite comforting perceptions
of a better and brighter life you have brought our souls!
Following my recent exploration of generative music, I would like to further explore the connection between visuals and sound, but this time with moving images. In particular, I am attracted to the idea of visualising all the notes in a cyclical composition in such a way that a person can literally see how the composition works. This could provide people with a sense of how the physics of sound works and how this relates to composition.
Lastly — and definitely not least — I would like to draw attention to something very important. There are certain ancient forces in the world: the laws of physics, entropy, music, love, and men taking credit for women’s work and intelligence. I would like to make a small gesture to correct the last of these.
My uncle Bill who worked in publishing for many decades stressed that good writing is the collaboration of a writer and an editor. Following this advice, every post I have written has been edited by Lucia Molina Pflaum, and she has always improved it greatly. Entire paragraphs are reordered, images are changed, and meandering thoughts are clarified. I am grounded with questions like, ‘What are you actually trying to say here?’ or suggestions like ‘You should delete that. It’s boring.’ It helps a lot. Thank you!
Of course, keeping Liner Notes going requires a lot of time and effort. If you are enjoying this project and can afford a subscription, thank you, it buys me the best part of a full day’s work. If you would prefer to make a smaller one-off contribution, consider buying my latest album The Code. If you’re broke and struggling to get by, sharing an article with someone who might enjoy it or offering feedback via a comment helps a lot. But more than anything, thanks for reading — I greatly appreciate it!
Also if you are interested, I am hosting this online talk with Robert M Thomas that might be of interest…
Music is dead? Long live music!
An online talk with Robert M Thomas / Thursday 16th May, 18:00 BST
A live discussion with composer and technologist Robert M Thomas, who has worked with the likes of Brian Eno, Massive Attack, Hans Zimmer and Imogen Heap. Not simply a talk, this is as much a call to action on how to respond to the rapid changes brought about by machine learning in music. Expect the discussion to run longer than the planned hour!
You have an editor,oh my! Well all I can say is, she's on it like white on rice.
Love this essay and looking forward to the zoom conference next week!
I hear the Carnatic influence in your music. Can you send me the score for your duet project?