Fanciful Friday: Social and Deconstructionist Benefits of Electronic Music

Today, an idea struck me. Since my interests range across such a wide gamut, I've made the executive decision that Friday will be a day on which I diverge from my typical subject matter and pluck a topic from the ether to discuss. Today, I want to delve into a genre with which I've grown increasingly enamored of late: Electronica. Encompassing an unfathomable amount of different sounds and techniques, from the calculated dissonance of Dubstep and DnB to the sweeping melodies of Trance and House, this genre is redrawing the barriers of sonic experience and redefining the public opinion of musicianship and music in general.

In recent years, electronic music has gained a great deal of headway due to its increasing integration into the pop music scene. Artists such as Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, and even rappers like Flo Rida have capitalized on electronic influences to gain notice. While many deeply knowledgeable genre devotees dismiss these appropriations as a cheapening of the electronic tradition, I'd like to offer a different perspective. As a disclaimer, I am new to Electronica, but as such I think that I come at it from a different trajectory than those who have been embedded for a longer time period. To me, it seems that though the co-opting of electronic styles does of course lead to a certain degree of washout, overall this is a striking opportunity for a generalized improvement in music as a whole. You see, Electronica has something that can push pop in a more positive direction: an accepting, nurturing culture.

I'm going to introduce you to four letters that have been a potent driving force behind the general ambiance of electronic concerts: PLUR. Standing for Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect, this philosophy in many ways appears, when combined with the genre it supports, to be a sort of technologized, transhumanist Buddhism. On a basic level, it means that while engaged with others in the enjoyment of music, acceptance and the expansion of perspective are of chiefest importance, and that the narrowing of this experience via the vectors of intolerance or violence are not permissible. Sound familiar? It should, if you've been reading my blog for any amount of time. These principals mirror in many ways the particular brand of Deconstructionist philosophy of which I'm most fond.

To give a two-bit summary, Deconstruction at its highest level speaks about the instabilities present in our language. It teaches that meaning is only ever partial because a portion of it is always already deferred into another related piece of language, causing an unending chain of signification that never quite gets to an authoritative, universal concept. Confused yet? To make it even more simple: words don't allow us to fully sum up the world around us or to express the fullness of reality.

Often, this idea becomes conflated with a downward spiral into a neverending abyss, but that's a somewhat reductive way of looking at it. True, this perspective does strip away our certainty regarding how we categorize and catalog our daily experience, but that doesn't mean living is pointless. In fact, here's the kicker: Deconstruction is negative and generative. It both wipes away our surety and encourages us to play in the new, amorphous space to which it sends us. The social applications are striking: The further you follow the chain of meaning, the more people, subject positions, and general wonders you will encounter.

Now, with that tangent out of the way, how does all that high-mindedness relate to the Nero album that Steve bought yesterday? Well, it's not as complicated as you might think. Electronic music prioritizes this kind of thinking. PLUR, Deconstruction, whatever you call (or don't call) it, this particular genre is a hotbed for thinking that increases social awareness and equality, and its impact has reached many corners of music.

Let's do a quick breakdown of two examples: Enter Shikari and Lady Gaga. Polar opposites, right? Nope, and I thought I already told you that the entire concept of binary poles was right out. While not electronic artists per se, both have clear, strong influences from the genre in their songs. What's clearest, however, is the social responsibility that these artists exhibit. Lady Gaga has championed the cause of acceptance, telling people to embrace difference and flux. She also played a key role in the fight to get Don't Ask Don't Tell repealed. Enter Shikari's music is brazen in its political messaging and advocates for the shattering of national borders as well as promoting government responsibility and economic/environmental sustainability. My argument? I think these impulses, at least in part, stem from engagement in electronic music culture. Exposure to PLUR and other principles like it promotes an ethos of discovery and enrichment that carries through into the lives and work of the people listening, whether they create music or finance reports.

If you're interested in learning more about the many facets of this genre, I've found Earmilk to be an excellent site for reviews, commentaries, and introductions to newer electronic musicians. As usual, I end this post with a challenge: Resist the impulse to fall into the trap that media outlets have laid regarding Electronica. This particular sector of the musical environment is not simply the domain of drug-addled escapists. In actuality, it is the province of dreamers and activists pushing for the kind of social and mental growth that needs to become all the more frequent in our society. If we are to evolve, we must look beyond the fictional polarities and reach out beyond our comfort zones. The beeps and beats can teach us; we just need to listen.