Benjamin666face (September 29, 2008 at 9:26 am)

The fact that this exists is a testament to the bizarre and illogical nature of human life.

Tonymostrom (September 27, 2008 at 2:16 am)

Delicious, idnit ?

powelldinho (September 2, 2008 at 3:29 am)

the fact that such a clip can spark debate is a testament to its artistic value, imho.

Tonymostrom (August 26, 2008 at 2:27 am)

Great moments in wit.

fas11030 (August 22, 2008 at 5:14 am)

What the hell is a Min Tanaka?

Tonymostrom (August 17, 2008 at 7:50 pm)

Well it's an interesting question that, about marginalization. Many modernist composers' hard-core experiments tend to trickle down and influence many more musicians, then the public: Stravinsky-Zappa, Beefheart-Talking Heads, Stockhausen-Beatles. Derek himself seems in retrospect to have inspired legions of Japanese noise bands (Boredoms, Ruins, Otomo Yoshihide); many British & European free players were well-received in Japan, in fact. Derek toured there several times, from '78 to '85 or so.

FreeImprovMan (August 17, 2008 at 3:13 pm)

Many British composers in the early sixties (such as David Bedford) were trying this sort of thing. It was justly marginalized because, whilst a handful of pseudo-intellectuals might enjoy pontificating about 'meaning', the plain truth is noone wants to listen to it. Last concert of avant garde guitar music I went to (featuring some improv sections) had an audience of 10.

FreeImprovMan (August 17, 2008 at 3:08 pm)

Given that most, if not all, traditional Japanese music is based on the pentatonic scale, I would assert that this would indeed sound odd to the audience. I love dissonance as much as anyone but this is just mindless thrashing about from someone who obviously possesses no musical skills. And is it really improvisation? I've seen a few of Derek's comedy clips and they tend to be pluck, pluck, harmonic, pluck, pluck harmonic etc... What I'm trying to say is, he likes his harmonics apparently.

Tonymostrom (August 17, 2008 at 8:51 am)

P.S. What Derek's playing here would not have sounded that odd to his Japanese audience; maybe just as a more spare & angular version of their own traditional Kota music.

Tonymostrom (August 17, 2008 at 7:50 am)

Lemme put it this way. When I was 10, my favorite recording on the Beatles White Album was Revolution 9. When I was 15, I loved both Arnold Schoenberg's & John Cage's "strange-sounds" orchestral music. As do many people. There are people who were Born, I'm convinced, with a taste for dissonance, who are fascinated by certain kinds of unusual Sounds. (A minority, definitely.) And some of the sounds Derek (and only Derek) produced from an ordinary guitar are musical chocolate to me (not olives).