Repeating the Live (part 2)

Generally, the use of recorded tracks during a live performance is perceived as a no-no in (rock music). From Milli Vanilli to Ashley Simpson, playing along with recordings just seems fake. The intrusion of technology is seen as unnatural and antithetical to a true live music experience. Technology is blamed for creating an inseparable divide between audience and performer and operating technology is seen as a different, and less valuable skill, than playing an instrument. This is why critics are quick to jump on electronic music, DJs and host of other musical practices involving machines.

A sad consequence of this kind of thinking is that the idea/act of repetition has become tarnished. Repetition, for critics, represents automation and the increasing presence of technology (and thus the decreasing presence of the natural and the live). But It is important to realize that technology itself does not imply repetition, nor does repetition imply a technological source. Music made with greater amounts of technology (e.g. electronic music featuring drum machines) is not necessarily any more repetitive than music made without that technology (e.g. folk songs or classical music). Almost all music is based in repetition. There are always elements that repeat. The repetition may occur on a variety of levels (notes, chords, phrases, melodies, harmonies, beats, rhythms, verses, refrains, etc.) but its presence is undeniable. While some musical styles or genres foreground repetition more than others, repetition is inherent to most music.

The green machine (pictured above, introduced in last post) represents a repetition of the live; it is an insightful example of how live performance and recording are increasingly mirroring each other. Here, elements normally associated with recording become central to the performance itself. The DL4 not only incorporates repetition but foregrounds repetition as a key element of the musical process. The allure of the pedal is not necessarily the individual loops but rather the process of repetition and pattern-creation that is on display for the audience.

If we reconsider repetition as an inherent feature to most music, regardless of genre or context (i.e. live, recorded), then technological devices that encourage and enhance repetition do not seem as strange. After all, should we really be surprised by technologies that enhance the repetitive elements in music when repetition acknowledged as a central principle. Repetitive musical behaviours such as looping are not an effect of technology. Rather they represent a musical practice that, on occasion, musicians delegate to specific technical objects.