Discord Aggregate Presents…
BULLETIN #1c^^-
THE
RELEASE OF "THE ATTACK OF THE ABSOLUTE ZEROS"
Here,
now, and available for $13.00 the one and only Non-Opera for our times!
(We
don’t want to sound like we want you to buy it… it’s
just that we do.)
Discord
Aggregate would like to dedicate this issue of the bulletin to the latest and
grandest incarnation of web site bliss…
A
NEW, improved, redesigned, updated and shiny
HOME PAGE!
The
Inflatable Chair of Interior Items
1. Questions.
2. Answers.
3. “The
Attack of the Absolute Zeros”- the myth, the reality, the clear burn.
4. Non-Zabda:
The Enigmatic Messenger of Hidden Meanings.
5. Discord
Aggregate as the future of the planet.
Yes
, of course we'd be happy to answer your questions!
6. What can
we expect next from the great Discord Aggregate Art Machine?
Unexpect the expected – if one can do this, then
they may be able to offer themselves a glimpse into the inner sanctum that is
Discord Aggregate! Otherwise, one might never understand. Well, one might think
that they might understand, or at least believe that they are keeping pace with
the projects that Discord Aggregate ploughs through. And yet even then, one has
been able to share a moment, or perhaps even a half a moment inside the
collective heads of Discord Aggregate – or has one? If Discord Aggregate could
live a hundred lifetimes, this would not be enough time to complete all the
work that we have to do. In the time that it has taken you to read this
sentence, Discord Aggregate has come up with 20 more ideas.
Out of
fairness to you, I refuse to answer this question.
“The Attack of the Absolute Zeros” “The Attack of the Absolute Zeros”
(An Inspirational
Story) (How The Dream Was Made Real)
Perhaps you can imagine the inevitable day when Earth is attacked by beings unknown to mankind.
The making of “The Attack of the Absolute Zeros” was fraught with details and dementia
The panic, the chaos, the routine destruction of the innocent.
As your first listen to the jazz non-opera will reveal, the intricate rendering of the destruction of
Your brain wraps around the experience of standing on a balcony as in front of you
man is manifested through art and science. All the senses are brought into play in an extravagant frenzy
slowly descends a horrific entity- round, cold, hum-screaming, devouring, absorbing everything.
of three-dimensional sound, compelling the listener’s full involvement.
Welcome to the jazz non-opera “The Attack of the Absolute Zeros”
2. Do you have an audience in mind?
The audience I rely on is
that of those brain-alive, the individuals who expect art to be more than mere
entertainment. It is truly “an audience in mind”: effectively, I view it as an
audience of myselves, since this is the only premise that allows me to free the
creative process from its dependence on external understanding or appreciation.
The eternal paradox contained in experimental art is its goal to advance beyond
the known boundaries while remaining less than completely irrelevant to a
potential audience: essentially, this is an attempt to expose the world to art
that it is ready to accept without its knowing it yet.
Our year and a half long journey of creation started across the street from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The story weaves through the experiences of several “victims” of the Zeros, allowing the listener to undergo
when A. Molotkov and S.B. Reda handed me the story “The Attack of the Absolute Zeros”.
the pain and terror of the hapless humans’ transition into the cold numbness of a Zero.
As this was our first meeting, the “Zero Concurrence” was both amusing and staggering.
With the victim count rising, the Zeros gain more relentless confidence and
A libretto was written by the formidable A. Molotkov and S.B. Reda and
soon they begin to explain not only what will happen to their prey, but
the rough musical shape of the non-opera began to take form as I pestered them both with
why it must inevitably happen. Even the pure, the good, the best of the humans falls into
requests for reading of the libretto. They read the words they had birthed with
the tireless maw of the Zeros’ invasion, and the number of human acts of betrayal and
their secret rites of authorship again and again as, relentlessly pursued,
surrender begins to mount. Soon, even the First Victim succumbs and is drowned out with
the cadence of their minds was revealed, again and again! Music curled out smoking, improvised onto a 4 track. Wisps and
the insidious, insistent clamor of a Zero, leaving little hope for the possibility of human survival.
pieces of scorched
sound were melted together to form the skeleton of the non-opera.
3. How do
you view the role of technology in modern art, or specifically in your own
work?
Technology has always played a very important role
in art. A paintbrush was an advance; a pen, an easel, a camera – they are all
advancements! Technology will always be right there in the middle. It bridges
the gap between the imagination and reality. In fact, this is the role of
technology: to allow one to do that which one has not been able to do before.
Of course, it is usually associated with things like the fork or the remote
control.
But wait! Perhaps there is a ray of hope as the nobler part of the beast
Spinning out into the San Francisco ether, Discord Aggregate placed an ad trumpeting the need
called man makes an appearance in “The Attack of the Absolute Zeros”.
for multi-brained musicians. The core of the non-jazz group was already
The character known as the Narrator is one such beacon of optimism as he gathers the tattered shreds
formed from the “Step Forward & Be” recording sessions and, after auditions
of his mind around him and exhorts his fellow men
for the addition of a few more like-minded players, rehearsals began. The group jammed
to resist the evil about them. Others warn of the dreaded Blank - a Zero
for hours, days, weeks, months, reaching for that elusive synchronicity
so inherently base that even the non-opera’s Preacher makes no move towards saving its soul.
found only in the comfortable realm of free-form familiarity, At last,
The humans resist (with the Narrator in the lead), disseminate survival information, and
rapport was reached and the familiar insanity of recording sessions arrived.
at crucial moments, Zero awareness tips.
Discord Aggregate employs technology in order to
stretch the limits of what is imaginable and to continuously set new standards
in art. We make technology do what it is supposed to do and train it to do
things it has not yet considered. We are combining and straining technologies
to establish sub-genres or hybrids. The non-opera is a classic example of this,
beginning from its creation, rehearsal and the recording through to the mixing,
mastering and production of the non-opera.
It is difficult to delineate the number of disasters that befell the recording of the “The Attack of the Absolute Zeros”.
The Zeros themselves are simply interested in absorbing enough energy to remain cold.
It suffices to say that the dead body falling out of the upper story window was the low point, and
Spinning endlessly, they whip through space, seeking
the somehow still working refrigerator was the high point. Somewhere in
solid matter to ingest. Every item within the item they absorb becomes a smaller Zero within them and thus
between was arriving to find blood on the piano keyboard. The result of all
a house consumed becomes a large Zero with many multi-sized Zeros spinning
this surrealism was an atmosphere of fierce musical survival. A gritted teeth persistence and perfection
within. The Zeros also multiply by splitting and
shows up on the recording in the gasps of a voice moved past sound, the neon notes and aching trembles of
creating two where once was one. As the Zeros split and absorb, multiplying
the sax, the structured extortion of the keyboards, and the relentless details of rage
endlessly, the humans have little or no chance
from the guitar. Among us all, the drummer alone somehow kept his balance.
of escape. Soon their survival
Reaching through the headphones for the sound of the snare, anchoring myself in the relentless winds of music,
hangs by a thread.
I could hear the bass
holding on with me.
9. What is
about the makeup of Discord Aggregate that makes it a cohesive union?
Our ability
to completely disagree. Totally.
To worsen mankind’s plight, the Zeros take
The mixing process was a dream after the recording sessions. Effects were added, parts clarified, pans splayed
on the bodies of their victims, recycling their most
flavorful debates/constant suggestions/out and out arguments alternated with hands-on improvisation with the
common thoughts and relating the ideas of other Zeros.
amplification levels. Between the four of us mixing, we covered all facets of the board, and
I will not insult you by revealing here and now the end of the
created a rather crowded but effective placement of our hands to meet/ease the
non-opera. It is up to you to find the will and the way to learn the
demands of spontaneous mixing. Our mastering session was definitely the
fate of the human race. I will say, however, that the battle was all
smoothest, easiest part of all. A few nights at a studio specifying sound gaps
in all quite balanced - even fair - and the ending only just. The warmth and wiles of frail humankind
and an hour of burning the CD master - and we (ahhhhh!) were done.
battling the frenzied survival habits of the Zeros is not only found in the non-opera but
For a year and a half we have labored, with no guarantees. The endless
clearly shown in everyday life. Take a look around yourself - notice the areas of limitless
hope that you will listen, the clear intention of creating art
absorption, the need for cold, the repetitive thoughts, the compulsion to spin, the propensity for multiplication
that goes beyond the known - these are our reasons.
Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
ATTENTION! WE WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THE ARRIVAL OF THE
PEBBLES OF INSIPID DOOM.
PLEASE BE
AWARE.
“The email saved itself to our
computers!”
We had no idea what we were about to unleash, but
the perverse nature of the mail alone was enough to lure us in. His message was
clear – domination! Although he has stolen the name from one of our literary
characters, Non-Zabda’s origins are not as clear as one might think (he can
easily exchange identities with another).
Non-Zabda
has been dancing down the aisle of time since the days of the Christ Brothers,
and received an honor of the highest order – the title of Original Prophet! And
it is through this status that he began leveraging his will against ours. From
that point on, Non-Zabda covered the universe in order to quench his insatiable
thirst for power in any form. (Which is
what led him back here . . .)
And yet he is not a completely negative entity. If one were to travel through his links, one might come to find that he is really helpful and concerned with the well-being of the non-lives as they are now, and how they are to be in the posthumous state of the non-afterlife. He has overseen the creation of many different services designed to assist individuals in ways that even the individual didn’t realize he or she needed. He has commissioned projects, ordered services, conjured programs, etc. - all in the name of Non-Zabda.
4. How do
you view collaborative work in the entire scope of creative process? How do you
benefit from it on the practical level?
The main advantage of collaboration is in the ability to make others do your dirty work while freeing your own, more valuable time. Within Discord Aggregate, three to five collaborative projects are taking place at any moment, allowing all three of us to go out and get drunk.
However, it is this very presence that has
confounded the members of Discord Aggregate. What are we to do? A. Molotkov has
suggested that we travel to the furthest part of Assyria and gather as many
forms of the Hoven-bimiscus as we can find, and plug up the computers until
Non-Zabda has been exorcised. Pamela Zero believes that if we flood the room
with at least 65,000 gallons of gasoline and ignite just the surface, this
might be enough to send Non-Zabda away forever. S.B. Reda has toyed with the
idea of rewiring the cooking facilities of Discord Aggregate’s headquarters,
interlinking them with the plumbing facilities, cross-wiring them with the
lighting system, and ultimately tying them together with Discord Aggregate’s
three computers in hopes that a simultaneous reboot of this new system will
eradicate Non-Zabda permanently.
9. What is it about the makeup of Discord Aggregate
that makes it a cohesive union?
We are three separate entities that congeal to make
one. We are each other’s arms, noses, legs, ears, etc. eyes. And yet it is a flexible unit where each member is not
always stuck being an arm, or never gets the chance to be a nose – there is an
equal measure of input, output and shot-puts that make up the very fabric of
Discord Aggregate.
We are each other’s sounding board, critics, and
friends.
These plans emphasize an ideal that we are quite
frankly unable to achieve. The best we can do is to declare an all out war, a
war to decide the ownership of the site forever. Right now, Discord Aggregate
is building a realistic strategy to end the tyranny of Non-Zabda, a tyranny
that has wrought pain and confusion. But we are confident, confident that the
power of the three will reign once again.
If we lose,
we will not win. If we win, we cannot lose!
THIS IS AN
ANNOUNCEMENT TO ANNOUNCE THE UPCOMING ANNOUNCEMENTS! KEEP YOUR EARS PEELED!
45. As a member of Discord Aggregate, what is your
opinion of the artistic world today?
There is a mixture of opinions here. Certainly, one
cannot deny that there is some adventurous art being produced today. Art by the
likes of David Lynch, David Cronenberg, Atom Egoyan, David Bowie, Henry
Threadgill (and many others in many genres) is very much apart from the
artistic world of today. Their work (and work like it) is representative of a
new acceptance of art that is original, non-commercial, and intelligent.
It is however rather unfortunate that standards in
art are ruthlessly chopped up and dismembered by the industry, the “artist”,
and the consumer. Equal blame goes to all three groups, yet we are not really
sure who started this whole mess.
Industry has taken over, swallowed art whole, and
excreted it in the form of a “spy thriller with an edge” or a 50-page, glossy,
pop up, wind up, special toy inside booklet that comes with a CD that has 15
songs that all sound alike, performed by a band that wouldn’t know a chord if
it were wrapped around their necks!
And then you have the “artists”. We use quotes here
in reference to the individuals who scatter the word “art” in their interviews
and autobiographies, and yet have not come any closer to it since their last
trip to the museum. Of course, it is art if you think art is the leading
actor’s utterance of 15 syllables during an entire film, usually when he is
about to kill somebody or shake another muscular-armed man’s hand, in a hip
style. Or maybe it is art if you think art is a film by a hot new young director who gives it a compelling title like
“Threshold” or “Necessary Evil”, frames a shot for an hour “so you can see her
tits better”, and ends the movie by getting the good guy to say something witty
in a morbid way to the bad guy, just before killing him.
You might think this is art.
We think it is a bunch of crap.
And finally, the consumers. These are the folks who
have t-shirts graced with a Jim Carey quote, a bookshelf filled with Romance
novels and John Grisham epics, and a 20 disc CD-changer filled to the hilt with
Bruce Springsteen’s entire catalog.
This vicious cycle continues to feed its own
voracious appetite. Each group is totally and completely addicted to the other
two, and there will never be a cure. Why? There will never be a time when a
band may say to itself, “you know, what’s the point in playing this music if
everyone else is?” or a producer says, “I don’t think it is challenging enough”
or a consumer says, “you know, that wasn’t complex at all.”
But never fear . . . Discord Aggregate is here!
THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING. YOUR BRAIN WILL NOW
EXPLODE.
DISCORD AGGREGATE’S PLANS AND PROJECTS.
1. General
Situation
Analyzing the contemporary art
scene, Discord Aggregate has come to the conclusion that most artists may spend
a considerable time between one project and another. Apparently, this time is
needed for the new ideas to arrive. Discord Aggregate does not have this
problem. A problem of the opposite sort has manifested itself: the amount of
exciting creative ideas generated on a continuous basis exceeds our ability to
implement them. There is simply not enough time.
To gain additional creative freedom, Discord
Aggregate is applying for non-profit status: a process that may take a few
months. Thereafter, we will begin sponsorship solicitation, relying on the
notion that art created by Discord Aggregate is of such value that neglecting
its free development can be viewed as a crime against the future.
Meanwhile, “The Attack of the Absolute Zeros” marketing campaign commences both on the Internet, and in the “real world”. “The Gospel According to the Christ Brothers” is currently under representation, which constitutes another field of our attack. Finally, we are creating an active channel for MS Internet Explorer 4.0 Channel Guide, which may be another great way to bring attention to our projects.
2. Do you
have an audience in mind?
No, but I sometimes mind the audience.
PROTEST THE
INHERENT AND SPECIFIC
In addition to these measures, Discord Aggregate is
open to new artists, as long as they are able to demonstrate a clearly
innovative approach to their work. (Naturally, decisions regarding membership
are made subjectively by the current participants.) The possibility of
accepting students is also considered, whereby those artists who have not yet
accumulated a sufficiently impressive portfolio may work under the supervision
of the current members, building their own unique approach.
On the other side of these considerations lies the
fact that many of Discord Aggregate’s plans require more sophisticated
equipment than that currently in our possession. Among the primary purchases
are: an NT server (to allow LAN-based computer work); audio and video cards (to
allow digital audio and video production), a digital video camera, and a
variety of other video, audio, and computer equipment. The timing of these
purchases depends upon the accessibility of funds acquired through grants,
donations, or personal savings.
3. How do
you view the role of technology in modern art, or specifically in your own
work?
In modern art in general –
to make a statement would be to generalize beyond reason. Obviously, this role
is different for different artists. In Discord Aggregate’s projects, technology
is, and will be, playing a very significant role, as we are attempting to use
some of its achievements to produce art in ways that have not been explored
before. Technology creates new channels of communication and new methods to
express oneself. An artist applies talent to use them in a creative manner. My
new nuclear saw is a perfect example of this.
2. Creative plans
Since its foundation in February of this year,
Discord Aggregate’s web site has become one of the main targets of our artistic
endeavors. There are two reasons for
this. Firstly, the interactive character of web browsing and the ability to
incorporate various media are not found in any other art form. This prompted
our slogan “web design as conceptual art” that will receive further
implementation as our work on the web site progresses. Secondly, the
availability of an audience without obtaining an intermediate agent (such as a
publisher, a producer, etc.) is a great opportunity for experimental artists,
whose work is customarily rejected by “official” art/entertainment business.
Needless to say, Discord Aggregate is planning to
continue the work on the web site. Currently, it may be one of the largest
sites on the web. Eventually, it will become a monster of unparalleled
proportions.
5. What is the relationship
between art and reality (on whatever level you may interpret the question)?
Art allows Discord Aggregate
to transcend the “reality” that the rest of humankind toils in and operate in
realities created solely for us and the people that wish to join us
(incidentally, our realities are much more enjoyable than yours!).
The main
tendencies in the current and upcoming updates:
Creation of an Active Channel
Introduction of Dynamic HTML
Incorporation of Real Audio
Among the
pending web projects are:
The Pope John Paul II converts to the True Gospel
Ghosts
The work on these visual installations is in
progress (more details available at the Discord Aggregate web site). Viewers
can expect them in the near future.
7. What is
the relationship between art and reality (on whatever level you may interpret
the question)?
The relationship is entirely adversarial - art
attacks reality, gnawing off large pieces and swallowing them whole. Eventually, reality is digested and forms
the body of art - thus art becomes what it once destroyed. Disgusted with itself, art commits suicide,
allowing reality to rise Phoenix-like from the corpse. The remaining remains decay and the rich
compost gives rise to the green shoots of creativity, which, of course, attack
reality.
This new novel that takes a reader (viewer) on an
interactive trip through a series of dreams, occupies a separate place in
Discord Aggregate’s plans, since it will involve various media. The first stage
of its creation (the actual writing) is complete. The text is currently in
editing.
Next, the book will be compiled on the web site as a
large separate section that will rely heavily on Dynamic HTML and other
features designed to enhance (and to personalize) the viewing experience. This
stage is planned for the Fall of 1997, and may commence within a month or two.
PLEASE STAY CALM. YOUR
DREAMS HAVE BEEN SANITIZED FOR YOUR PROTECTION
Simultaneously, Discord Aggregate will begin work on
“The Texture of the Sky” audio CD, which will incorporate some of the text from
the book, as well as sound experiments performed on many levels. A combination
of various musical styles, the album will be a unique blend of meticulously
edited elements, and present a valuable listening experience for a mature
audience which is not intimidated by the complexity of the material. With
vocals by Pamela Zero, spoken word by A. Molotkov and S.B. Reda, and a tasteful
cross between music and non-music (a result of a departure from the commonly
accepted musical scales and notions), this CD will be a challenge to its
listeners just as it was to the artists.
8. What, if
any, is the primary goal (primary motivation) of your creative work?
Selecting one primary goal
or motivation is always a challenge. Besides, art is self-motivational:
creating it is work, but it is also fun. Knowing that your efforts have
resulted in something that takes art one step further is a great source of
encouragement. To place this notion on a slightly less theoretical level, I get
myself a can of delicious cat food each time I complete an eternal masterpiece.
The final stage of “The Texture of the Sky”
development will result in a CD-ROM version (which is most likely to be created
either in Visual Basic, or Dynamic HTML). This edition will feature the full
text in a similar form as it will appear on the web site, fragments of music
from the aforementioned album, and video elements. Our hope is to have these
two stages of “The Texture of the Sky” completed in 1998.
The main goal of “The Texture of the Sky” is to take
the genre of novel to a new level, making the reader an active participant.
17. Do you have an audience
in mind?
We are interested in a person who possesses these
qualities: the absolute need and desire to question everything that exists
around them; every word that is spoken, every thought that is typed out, every
image captured to film, every brush stroke across a canvass, every sound
recorded – everything. This person is not afraid to explore other realities,
creating ones that don’t exist and destroying the ones that do. This person has
a tendency to follow their thoughts, which flow unimpeded in their brain. They
are silent when it is OK to be noisy and noisy when they are supposed to be
silent. They are willing to challenge and be challenged. They are motivated by
the need to exceed their own limits, imposing upon themselves to evolve
artistically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. They are not
constrained.
Otherwise, they might not understand what we do and
why.
Other projects
While Pamela Zero is recording
one CD (“Living Backwards”), and composing the next (“The City”), S.B. Reda is
continuing the work on his novel “Deeper into the Scheme”, as well as musical
experiments on different levels. A. Molotkov has re-edited all of his own
material, and is contemplating writing another novel.
S.B. Reda and
A. Molotkov
have conceived another book, “A. Molotkov and S.B. Reda Meet Zabda Rect in the
Hierarchy of Evil”, which is to be started in the foreseeable future. Another one of their intentions is to
re-master “Step Forward
and Be” (a spoken word/jazz project from 1996) for CD. All Discord
Aggregate members are getting more and more involved in painting (and soon
sculpture), and are awaiting the time when a digital video editing system will
allow them to start some of over 20 video projects they have discussed.
8. What, if
any, is the primary goal (primary motivation) of your creative work?
Release.
Discord Aggregate’s further plans include a stage interpretation of “The Attack of the Absolute Zeros”, and a film version of “The Gospel According to the Christ Brothers”. Additionally, Discord Aggregate members plan to experiment with emerging art forms and technologies, including Virtual Reality. Their conviction is that anything that can become art deserves an effort.
CONSIDER THIS BULLETIN
INTERACTIVE.
Please submit your
questions, comments, farthings, and food items.