first public version
16/04/24
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!
we take over analogue and digital tools and shape them to our own ends
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
take all that is given, otherwise it might be taken away.
to do so:
I
LIVE
[to /lɪv/ & to be /laɪv/]
[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.
~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
embracing a DIY spirit, where technology is creatively and intentionally misusedthis means ~ combining old analogue devices with new technology, such as
~ doing self-built instruments, reuse old hardware, do 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.
~ doing self-built instruments, reuse old hardware, do 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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 it 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!
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 it 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 tic-tic-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.
the culture of control, capitalism and consumerism, while offering alternative ways of interacting with technology, as living through it,
all on a tic-tic-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.
dead kennedys. in god we trust [1981] tape b-side
#postdigitalpunk ©
obi blanche & kristina tica
16/09/24 first public version
latest update 18/04/25
website development/design: kristina tica