The Futurists, like many arts movements of the day were fascinated by 'The New' and focused on changing the status quo of what they saw as dull, rigid and archaic creative world that had led to that point. They were about pushing boundaries, turning heads and scribbling over rules and constrictions.
At the time the futurists could hear so much new noise around them. Not new music as such but machines and industry. Trains, factories, automobiles and they envisioned a time when these would stop just being noises and would actually be considered music. They saw noise as another art where clashes, clangs and rumbles would make up orchestras.
It started me thinking if Russolo's prediction has come true. Popular music today is still heavily gathered around the melodies and patterns that Russolo was so keen to banish. I think they were maybe calling for the rise of digital. Though even with analogue synthesizers you could build up a track using abstract noises but now with electronic music production that process is has unleashed a new side to music where you can crush and expand and play around with sound waves until you create a new noise. Digital means have undoubtedly given experimental music an exciting new route to tinker with. Maybe Russolo would have liked an artist like Aphex Twin?
Apx 237 v.7
This is from the Album "drukqs" released in 2001. I love Aphex Twin but this album does push me. It is hard to like and I have picked a particularly difficult track here that doesn't flirt with convention! Enjoy!
Sources:
Futurist Music 1910-1920
Futurist Manifesto - The Art of Noise
Aphex Twin - if you are interested I suggest maybe starting with "Selected Ambient Works 85-92"
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