kristina tica, obi blanche*
16/09/24
postdigitalpunk combines the DIY and counter-cultural attitude of punk with the technological and cultural features of the digital age. It emerges in a world saturated with digital tools, software and platforms, but retains the rebellious, raw and experimental spirit of punk. This style consciously distances itself from polished, commercial and technologically perfected music and uses digital tools according to its own rules.
it’s a countercontrolculture, let it happen!
it emerges as a cultural reaction that lives along the technological accelerations and the digital world, challenging it’s norms and rules, living with-and-against them.
How to keep it real?
to reign on the decadence of digital culture, stripping it off unnecessary hyper-reality, hyper-augmentation and self-optimisation
More existentialist than rebelious, more opportunist to gamble with possible alternatives and alternate realities of what life can be, the notion of music made grasps the immediacy and the intimate momentum of oneself:
Infinite access and infinite presence make us think that all we got is: now!
Using DIY approach to technologies and the aesthetics of the works, we care less about trends and more about features that we can claim for our own “just do it” kind of vibe.
We take over analogue and digital tools and shape them to our own ends.
Take all that is given, otherwise it might be taken away.
to do so:
I LIVE
[to /lɪv/ & to be /laɪv/]
To claim the importance and authenticity of immediate, physical experience as a counterweight to virtual worlds, yet not cancelling the transposition of these live experiences into the digital realm.
it can be irregular, non-linear and unpredictable.
the music may use atypical instruments, various technical disturbances or improvised soundscapes.
postdigitalpunk welcomes experimentation and improvisation.
II DIY
postdigitalpunk embraces a DIY spirit, where technology is creatively and intentionally "misused".
this can mean hacking code, combining old analogue devices with new technology, such as having self-built instruments and custom-made software, or using digital platforms to create art and communication on their own terms.
combine your knowledge, give your efforts like you are well paid to do so.
III ELECTRIC
a blending of digital and analogue technologies and the blurring of the boundaries between them.
guitars, basses and drums may be combined with electronic elements such as samplers, synthesizers or computer software, making an organic sound with a touch of tech.
VHS recordings or computer vision systems, digital soundscapes or high voltage second-hand vintage amp - technology is a tool, not the master... just add some power to it.
as long as we are plugged in we are sure to have some fun.
IV DISORDER
postdigitalpunk favours errors and imperfections in sound and vision.
this can include the use of digital "glitches" as a creative element, lo-fi recordings, or intentionally unstable chords and vocals.
aesthetically, postdigitalpunk is essentially raw. It does not aspire towards the polished, perfect slick or hi-res aesthetic.
both human and machinic errors make the gap that makes it special, if not unique.
V LO-FI / HI-FIVE
the music does not strive for perfect sound quality. Lo-fi aesthetics, meaning intentionally low-resolution sound, and glitch soundscapes, where technological errors play a significant role, are common. Recordings can be "raw" and untidy, deliberately devoid of fine-tuning.
Sometimes, instead of a stanley knife, we use a saw - it’s important that it cuts through!
VI DISLABELED
postdigitalpunk encourages the release of music independently without major labels.
using digital platforms or their own websites allows artists to share their works directly with the public.
monetised by the big platforms and social media, your presence could seem like a waste of time. however, it’s a social consensus we are in. no pressure to have it all there, but do not avoid at all costs either.
if you give, give it so it can be shared. as much as you make it for yourself, you do it for others, that’s the exchange.
you’ll be less broke if you share it than if you don’t, whatever the currency. if you don’t do it, someone else might!
VII COUNTERCONTROLCULTURE
postdigitalpunk emerges from the survival momentum of the monopolisation of technology, the culture of control, capitalism and consumerism, while offering alternative ways of interacting with technology, as living through it, all on a ticking clock.
it reacts to the dominance of the digital age and its standards, but at the same time it uses these technologies to its advantage. It is heavily influenced by the digital world, but at the same time it maintains punk's original tradition of resistance to normative structures and systems.
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*Obi Blanche: Experimental electronics, guitars and broken vocals from Finland. Dirty transistor distorted electronic beats and squealing no wave guitar destruction are mixed together in his person
Building his own guitar (known as ‘Rake’), with the guidance of Dutch inventor Yuri Landman, has been the culmination of the research towards his sound: perfectly imperfect and raw.
Guitarist at Thomas Azier, formerly Anika (Stones Throw) and Norman Palm (City Slang).
links: ︎ ︎ mixcloud bandcamp beatport ︎ ︎ tiktok
Kristina Tica: Visual artist and researcher, working in painting, video, installation and machine learning.
The only consistent thing in her life is her uncompromising passion for music.
She is coming from Belgrade’s loud and hectic music scene, and she brings nothing less to any place she goes - heavy bass, distorted grooves and electric nights where the time eats itself.
