When Less Is More: A Look At Minimalism In Conjunction With Electronic Music

Introduction In the field of music it is quite common for composers and musicians to focus on building up their sound using a variety of means. Some artists might employ orchestration to flesh out any voids throughout a piece of music, while others may layer harmonies or manipulate found objects (such as childrens toys) to produce beats and notes. But why do these voids necessarily need to be filled? Is there anything wrong with a little sparseness?

Minimalism is the concept of stripping a creative piece down to the core, to its underlying elements. It began as a movement in late 1960s New York City in relation to visual art and music, but later grew to encompass many forms of art and design (Minimalism 2010). In relation to music, minimalism suggests that multiple layers of changing melodies throughout a composition are not necessary, and that there is something to be said for sparseness and repetition.

The relationship between minimalism and electronic music has altered and expanded throughout the decades. Works from early pioneers like Schaeffer, Cage, and Stockhausen all feature elements of minimalism, even though the term minimalism didnt come about until after their time. Once the term was coined in the 1960s, however, it began to be applied to a wide range of artists. Minimalist composers such as La Monte Young, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley all applied the

concepts to their compositions. In the 1970s and 1980s, artists like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream and composers like Brian Eno infused their respective styles of music with the foundations of minimalism. The 1990s saw further development with the emergence of the minimal techno subgenre, developed by Detroit techno artists Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Richie Hawtin (Cox 2004). This subgenre still exists today, in the 2000s, and it is constantly being expanded upon and adapted by artists like Gui Boratto and The Field to include different elements and ideas not previously associated with the genre.

All of these musicians and composers are united by a common idea: less is more. By fueling their own creativity through the manipulation of electronic instruments, these artists broke away from mainstream music and pushed experimentation to new heights. The sounds, compositions, and songs that were created in the process are nothing short of extraordinary.

The 1960s: A Rainbow In Curved Air Composer Terry Riley was an extremely influential player in the emergence of minimalist music. Riley may be best known for his piece In C, a page of 53 melodic phrases that can be played by any number of musicians and may last any given length of time (Ganz 2009). Though fellow pioneer La Monte Young is considered by many to be the first minimalist composer, Rileys In C is generally

acknowledged as the launching pad for the minimalist movement (Ganz 2009). Many of Rileys works, including In C, involved the use of classical orchestration, but his second album, A Rainbow In Curved Air, found Riley making use of synthesizers two create two long portions of minimal, electronic music (Tyranny 2010).

The title piece clocks in at just under 20 minutes and features an unchanging, muted, melodic backdrop throughout, with sporadic, fast-paced synthesized blips and tones overtop. This piece was hugely influential, not only to other minimal composers like Reich and Glass, but also to rock bands like Soft Machine and The Who, most noticeably on their song Baba ORiley (Ganz 2009). The piece even influenced a 1970s progressive rock band to craft their name as a tribute, calling themselves Curved Air (Thompson 2010). In the timeline of minimal electronic music, A Rainbow In Curved Air is an important landmark in the early developments of the sound, and though it is often overshadowed by In C, it is a piece that stands on its own in the development of minimalist music.

The 1970s: Metal On Metal It is nearly impossible to have a discussion on electronic music without at least mentioning the name Kraftwerk. Along with fellow German experimentalists Can and Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk developed a previously unheard style of electronic music, one that was hugely influenced by the minimalist movement. This influence can be found throughout their catalogue, including 1977s highly influential TransEurope Express, believed by many to be one of the finest releases by the group. One track in particular, Metal On Metal, is a great example of minimalist, electronic music. It follows the title track on the album, from which it draws a shuffling, drum machine driven backbeat for the first couple of minutes, while rhythmic, percussive sounds are looped on top. The song then changes slightly, introducing multiple synthesizers and eventually, an altered version of the vocoder-derived TransEurope Express vocal loop. As a whole, the album became a tremendous success for Kraftwerk, influencing an extraordinary amount of artists, from Afrika Bambaataa to Radiohead to even Madonna, who incorporated samples of Metal On Metal on her Drowned World Tour (Cinquemani 2002). Kraftwerk proved to be essential in the progression of both electronic music and minimalist music, and they are a group whose name continues to be held with respect and praise.

The 1980s: An Ending (Ascent) There are not many musical artists who have had a career as vast and prolific as that of Brian Eno; musician, composer, singer, producer, music theorist, artist, and professor (Lisle 1998). Though Enos career was launched during his time in the glam-rock group Roxy Music, his contributions as a solo artist are where he garnered most of his acclaim. Brian Eno is widely recognized as being a pioneer and innovator in the realm of ambient music, which can be seen throughout the majority of his vast discography. Ambient music can typically be described as atmospheric, as it builds extensive and lengthy soundscapes that tend to envelop the listener. This style of music is inherently minimal, as there are generally no more than a few sounds occurring at a given time, and these sounds tend to sustain themselves over long periods of time.

A good example of Enos ambient style would be his 1983 album, Apollo: Atmospheres And Soundtracks. For instance, the track An Ending (Ascent) is essentially four and a half minutes of warm, fluid, ethereal tones, and not much else. Though the track is sparse and simple, and goes hand-in-hand with minimalist concepts, it does not feel like anything is missing from the music; less is more. Brian Enos unique sound has impacted and influenced an immeasurable number of artists, from other musicians and composers to directors and artists. An Ending (Ascent) in particular has been featured in multiple television shows and films,

including Traffic and 28 Days Later (Ending 2010). Due to his landmark and extensive contributions to ambient, electronic music, Brian Eno will forever hold an important and unique place on the timeline of minimalism.

The 1990s: Plasticity Once the initial wave of artists in the Detroit techno scene subsided in the early 1990s, the second wave rose up. Riding that second wave was the extremely influential and minimal-techno pioneer Richie Hawtin, known to many by his pseudonym Plastikman. At an early age, Hawtins father introduced him to the pioneering minimalist artists Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream (Bush 2010). These influences, along with the emergence of Detroit techno, helped Hawtin craft a unique sound that was infused with minimalist rhythms. Though his sound would grow and expand over time, Hawtins earlier releases, such as his Plastikman debut Sheet One, are perfect representations of minimal techno (which would later become a subgenre in its own right). Take the almost eleven minute track Plasticity off of Sheet One for example: repetitive, minimal blips and beats over a sparse four-to-the-floor rhythm. The track has only slight build-ups, which do not burst out with intensity but instead fold back in on themselves, relinquishing to the minimal aesthetic.

It is his unique restraint that truly differentiates Hawtins sound. In 1990 he formed the record label Plus-8 with fellow DJ John Acquaviva, which continually release minimal techno music throughout the 1990s, as interest in the genre increased (Biography 2010). Though Plus-8 no longer has regular releases, Hawtins new label, Minus, continues to provide a home for the sounds of minimal techno (Biography 2010). Thus, Hawtin can be seen not only as a pioneer of the minimal techno sound, but also as an important link between two decades of progress in the genre.

The 2000s: The Deal As a subgenre of music, minimal techno has lasted over 20 years, and it shows no signs of disappearing. Record labels such as Kompakt and Richie Hawtins Minus are continuing to sign and release music from minimal techno artists, artists who are continuing to develop their own interpretations of what minimal electronic music can be. In 2005, Kompakt signed a Swedish musician named Axel Willner, aka The Field. Willner put a new spin on the minimal techno sound, merging it with ambient soundscapes and some pop-like elements. His debut album, From Here We Go Sublime, was released in 2007 to great critical acclaim. The music critic aggregator Metacritic even determined that it ranked first among the 30 best-reviewed albums of 2007, beating out highly regarded releases by Radiohead, The Arcade Fire, and LCD Soundsystem (Best 2010). The lengthiest track on the album, The Deal,

perfectly showcases Willners unique style and process. It maintains a constant fourto-the-floor pulse throughout, with washes of almost post-rock/shoegazing noise overtop. Indiscernible vocals float throughout the noise, as do various synthesizers and percussive elements. Willner does a fantastic job merging the immersive qualities of ambient music and the repetition of minimal techno; beautiful, atmospheric bliss results.

As The Field is a relatively new artist on the scene, the scope of his influence has yet to be determined, but with the consistently positive criticism that hes been receiving - the notoriously critical Pitchfork Media bestowed a 9.0/10 on his debut, and an 8.0/10 on his sophomore album, Yesterday And Today - it will be no surprise if his music plays an important part on new and upcoming electronic artists (Field 2010).

Conclusion It is truly amazing to study the vast influence that minimalism has had on music throughout the years. From Terry Rileys lengthy, sparse composition A Rainbow In Curved Air, through the robotic, repetitive rhythms of Kraftwerks Metal On Metal and the blissful, otherworldly soundscapes of Brian Enos An Ending (Ascent), entirely new styles of music emerged. Riley pioneered the early sound of minimalist music, Kraftwerk built an exclusively electronic, synthetic empire, and Brian Eno

brought the concept of ambient music into the public eye. Due to these important contributions in electronic music, the subgenre of minimal techno was able to emerge in the early 1990s with tracks like Plastikmans repetitive, bare Plasticity. It has continued to grow and expand since then, and even in the 2000s artists like The Field and his rhythmic, ambient track The Deal are remaining popular and being commended to pushing the boundaries of the minimalist sound.

It is quite fascinating that, in a society that is so intent on building things up, that there are the select few who would rather pursue the opposite goal of breaking things down to their basic, foundational elements. Minimalist musics focus on repetition and rhythm as opposed to melody and linear progression is quite unique, and as such, there are many who consider it much too basic and boring for their tastes (as compared to other styles of music). It is these people should take a strong look and listen to the various styles that minimal electronic music has produced over the past five decades. They should also remember the words of the late, great John Cage, one of the earliest pioneers of electronic music:

In Zen they say: If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, try it for eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and so on. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all, but very interesting (Cox 2004).

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