Halx

Geek Musique
By Andrew Gonsalves "Halx" www.tfproject.org www.andrewgonsalves.com

Are nerds really that nerdy? When I was in high school, my favorite band was Sublime. I remember humming to the tune of Santeria when a classmate overheard me. He was simply amazed that I listened to "popular" music. He told me that he always imagined me being into "Mozart or some shit." I felt a little bit of pride in that moment. It spoke for myself and geeks everywhere that we're not as far removed from "cool" as everyone thinks we are. Today is another matter. Gone are the grunge bands with shine-bright burn-out talent that anyone would be proud to call favorite. In their place are custom-built throw-away bands cashing in on teenage angst and the youthful lust for celebrity. How does a passionate, nerdy music fan fill the void?

Geek music.

These days, you can call yourself a geek based on any criteria. Given the proliferation of computers and the popularization of fantastic media entertainment, it's hard to find anyone who doesn't enjoy a little nerdy fun. However, geekdom has failed to breach the realm of pop music, despite the music industry's uncomfortable ties with new technology. I know how you can get your audio geek fix, though.

The genre is loosely known as EBM. Electronic Body Music. It's not for everyone, as most genuinely geeky ventures aren't, but I've found that it takes a lot of people by surprise when they actually hear it. Genre enthusiasts will probably crucify me for clumsily trying to define it, but I'll do my best for you. EBM is what you get when industrial music (Think: Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral) has sex with techno. How does that make it geeky, you ask? The themes.

With popular music, what do you hear? Oh baby, you're so sexy. I'm so pimpin, I get all the honeys. I'm so in love with you, I'll devote my life to you. I'm gonna do you 8 ways 'til Sunday. I'm sick of the world because it doesn't listen to me. My girlfriend left me and now I'm depressed. Give me a fuckin' break. This may appease the masses, but *WE* are geeks. We shouldn't be living our lives vicariously through music that doesn't speak for us. I mean, what geek has the stamina to do a girl 8 ways 'til Sunday anyways? Are we even supposed to have girls?

Let's stick to what we know; science fiction, computers, politics, fantasy, the occult, philosophy, war, social commentary, introspection, obscure movie references and common-geek love & respect. Set it to a pace you can dance, stomp or groove to. That is what EBM is all about. It's also about Germans singing in phonetic English, pent up passive-aggression and pounding beats that move your body without getting confused by a sudden drum solo.

Electronic music is not universally geeky. I can sympathize with anyone who prefers the organic feel of an acoustic guitar, the grace of orchestras, or even a hard-driving metal riff. EBM isn't even what I'd call virtuoso music. Nobody ever won a Grammy for it, and I think I'm aware of why nobody has ever heard of it in the first place. There is a charm, though. I have my chillosophy, I have my death metal, I have my classical and I have my Dave Matthew's Band. Still, 95% of the time, I listen to EBM because it speaks my geeky mind.

I remember listening to Front Line Assembly's Implode and being surrounded by an amazing atmospheric ambiance that literally transformed my perception of the world around me. I had visions of a dark, dusty tomb with just a crack of sunlight peeking through the ceiling, illuminating the thick haze of dirt drifting through the air. It was immersive. It was gripping. Listening to Solitary Experiment's Advance Into Unknown took me on another trip. It starts off drifting through space, surrounded by nothing but the light of distant stars, traveling at unknown speeds. From there, I imagined a dark, dystopian society, a beautiful springtime glade, and even more fantastic space. It's like trance with heavy substance.

The RIAA doesn't have it's teeth in the side of EBM like it does the US Top 40. The artists embrace technology and they embrace the Internet. After all, the music is made by machines. They talk about themselves as androids. They sing about the hypocrisy of government. They reference Orwell more than the Bible. It's activism and rebellion. It's harnessed angst. They are ugly, inspired and they use Macs. Project Pitchfork and Absurd Minds sing about the human race and where it's going. It's philosophy and reflection. It's deeper than big pimpin'.

As mentioned before, I might get crucified for promoting EBM in such a fashion; telling nerds everywhere that its the cure for what ails them. I'm sure the enthusiasts feel like I was way off. It doesn't matter, though. Music at it's very basic essence is all about entertainment. You either enjoy it or not. I've described the ways in which I enjoy EBM music and I hope it inspires a couple people to check it out. Besides, I can't be the only one who gets off on phonetic English.

A few of my favorite groups:

mind.in.a.box - Two perfect albums so far that tell an incredible story as one.
Solitary Experiments - Passionate, pounding beats and songs full of substance.
The Retrosic - Their latest album Nightcrawler was one of the best of 2006.
Front Line Assembly - Experience and skill has these guys making the best music of their lives over the last few years. They also are responsible for the more popular act Delerium.
Project Pitchfork - Daimonion is a work of art.
Absurd Minds - Like a mirror to humanity.
Negative Format - Lose yourself completely.
Faderhead – If there was an album of this genre that has a chance to hit it with the masses, FH1 is it.

Must listen: www.digitalgunfire.com

DIGG

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CptAJ

I always thought Progressive Rock/Metal was the geekiest music possible. I guess there's geekness to be found in a lot of genres though. Like jazz/fusion, techno and such.

I used to work in an all techno radio station and heard a lot of front line assembly and this is the first time I ever hear of this "EBM" genre. That was a long time ago though so who cares. I listen to a lot of what most people call weird music but I could never get too much into techno and much less industrial stuff. To me it just lacks that "Holy shit, did you hear that? That was fucking awesome what he just did!" or that "This fucking dude is channeling the cosmos with his guitar" (or whatever instrument) feelings... Its hard to put it into words.

Electronic music always seemed too engineered to me. I can hardly see its place outside of a tightly social and inebriated setting. Its great for going into awesome animal trances with a hot and sweaty woman in your arms but as a standalone experience... it gets tiresome for me.

Anyway, just a little brain fart on the matter. Like you said, its not for everyone

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Halx

Well, as I said, its not only about the music, its about the themes.

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Ilow

It seems that when it comes to geeks or any other self-identified group liking something, there is a fine line between being different and liking something and liking something because it's different. That's why we get certain groups who all end up being different in pretty much the same way. I wonder if as a geek you feel different (and obviously embrace it because you're pretty well-adjusted) and therefore embrace the themes of others who are different. I wish I could say what i am actually thinking succinctly, but that ability escapes me this evening.

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Pathogen

I saw this link over at digital gunfire and thought I would give it a read. Interesting, I wouldn't call use geeks though, just a different lifestyle or scene not expressed by many people. I joined your forum to see how this music and viewpoints effect other people.

-Mark

Pacifier

Halx, do you know the german Band "Welle:Erdball"?
They have some of the most geeky lyrics I know, they even did a song called "23" and often use C64 for their music.

There is also some sort of Nerd HipHop:
http://www.myspace.com/1GB
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerdcore

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"It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I also cannot imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere. Science has been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death
— Albert Einstein

Zeraph

Sounds neat. I'll check it out, thanks.