Episode 7: Slapping Narcissus
Alec and Nick discuss the role of narcissism in the history and production of experimental music. The episode gives a close account of the paradigm introduced by art historian Branden Joseph in “Beyond the Dream Syndicate: Tony Conrad and the Arts after Cage” with special attention to how problems of authorship, the archive’s role in framing genealogy, critiques of institutionalized culture, and the “dark triad” (narcissism, psychopathy, and machiavellianism) all play out in “minor histories” of music. La Monte Young, Tony Conrad, 4Chan, Bandcamp Friday, Charlemagne Palestine, Sigmund Freud and more are all discussed. Opening theme music by Xander Seren. Closing music: unreleased recording of Tony Conrad & Charlemagne Palestine, presented by ISSUE Project Room at First Unitarian Congregational Society on March 3rd, 2015 Cover image: Tony Conrad performing Sunbow (1977) at the 3rd S.E.M. Spring Festival, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, June 4 and/or 5, 1977. Performance with bowed mirror, sunlight, projector control mechanisms, and slides. Photograph by Kevin Noble.