The Curation Revolution
how algorithms influence our culture
In art, form and exhibition are inexorably linked. Exposure and curation are a prerequisite to the artistic experience. How many masterpieces never see the light of day for lack of a financially viable exhibition model?
The digitization of art has radically changed the mode of the creative experience, particularly in music. Record stores have been automated and outsourced to super-intelligent artificial algorithms that are aware of the tiniest discrepancies in our tastes. We are beginning to see a revolution in curation, where advanced intelligence now serves our artistic interests with pure data and access to almost every piece of art ever created. Even in its nascent stages, an entire generation is beginning to reap the spiritual benefits of AI curation on a massive scale.
In this article, I will be examining one particular style of music that has emerged over the past three years: Cyberbass. Internet aesthetics heavily influence the style, making it a great case study.
I believe that simply experiencing the music is much more powerful than writing about the music, so I wish to try something semi-new as well; I will hyperlink samples to this new genre, and you, the reader, can listen as you read. This way, we can have a real-time discussion on this emergent musical style and discuss it in relation to the new curation revolution spawning across the interwebs.
The most prominent figure of this genre-bending style is Sewerslvt. Here is an example of one of their newest classics(feel free to stop and listen, or read along):
Sewerslvt is Cyber_Bass:
‘They’ are an Australian-based producer who remains pseudonymous, despite earning millions of streams across multiple platforms. I find this approach compelling, for, in our new digital age, fame is often sought ruthlessly and to the detriment of the creator. With the advent of pseudonymous usernames, artists and creatives no longer need to sacrifice their real-world identity to distribute their work. Pseudonymity solves a massive problem for artists, as fame usually brings unwanted attention. That is a broad generalization, but overall, I believe artists would much rather be known through a pseudonym, especially now, when everyone is in constant fear of ‘cancellation’.
Cyberbass draws influence from breakbeat techno and 90’s drum n bass. But elements of traditional dubstep infused with rave EDM are also present. The style relies heavily on programmed drums and automation. It also appears to be heavily influenced by Japanese anime culture, which has become increasingly popular in the west over the last few years, thanks to Netflix and other internet streaming services.
suffering from melancholia- Sewerslvt
Artificial curation is a potent mechanism. The internet has created an artistic theatre that the world has never seen. However, this theatre exists mainly in the mind of the individual consumer. There are no great ‘art movements’ anymore, but individual renaissances experienced and ‘programmed’ algorithmically by big tech giants like Youtube and Spotify. I would posit that I discover about 90% of my new music from the Spotify radio algorithm or suggested albums. It’s like walking into a record store where the owner knows every song you have ever listened to and every song that everyone else has ever heard, and what people like you tend to prefer.
It is a renaissance of the individual. At our fingertips, not only do we have access to almost every song ever created, but we also have super-intelligent AI filtering and curating new music that is catered to us uniquely.
After all, who is to decide the taste of a population? Traditionally, the media, art collectors, and museum curators have chosen winners and losers. But the ‘gatekeepers,’ as boomers refer to them, have all been eviscerated by computer automation. Talent seeps to the top, regardless.
What’s quite interesting to me is the re-emergence of previously ‘lost’ art that otherwise would never have been listened to again. Tapes, records, and old CDs that people have taken the time to convert to digital and upload to Youtube are constantly finding their way into my feed. Amazingly, I can listen to a drum n bass tape from the ’90s that otherwise would’ve been gone for eternity. Here’s an example:
But one of the most amazing things about the digitization of music is that we can now listen to contemporary masters without the inherent loss of an interpreter. Aphex Twin, for example, one of the most prominent figures in electronic music, is accessible losslessly at my fingertips. It’s like listening to Bach live. And obviously, classical interpreters do a fantastic job at re-creating the masters but imagine if you could’ve heard Toccata and Fugue in D minor LIVE. LIKE WHAT.
But I digress. The CyberBass scene is obviously of a different place. No longer are musicians constrained by the limits of physical reality; they can distribute across space and time instantly and for free. The internet removes cultural boundaries. The internet decentralizes entire art movements. Instead of being relegated to a small part of New York City(or anywhere that a previous ‘scene’ has cropped up), artists can express themselves through the fiber optic cables that run deep underneath the oceans.
Cyberbass is visually defined by angelic internet-ascension glitch compositions often contrasted with sullen anime figures. It conjures a sort of ‘ascension thru-compression’ type vibe. Some album covers are dark, with hints of nihilism, while others are great examples of a new digital-enlightenment renaissance aesthetic. Most also rely on irreverence and draw heavily on punk ideals. Examples:
Cloud Nine- Dreamweaver
Gemini- Machine Girl
Digital Winter- Loli in early 20s
Deadlight- Nfract
a glitch in the head- Jacksonifyer
we had good times together, don’t forget that- Sewerslvt
The movement is influenced by 2D art, glitch, destruction, sorrow, maybe a touch of existential dread here and there, immorality, and corruption in the media. Scroll of Sorrow, by Machine Girl, is a harsh jab at the addictive quality of social media:
Fake it online
Fake it offline
Fake it online
Fake it online
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etc
While Machine Girl borders on ‘Hyperpop’(a term I find rather corporate), I believe that Sewerslvt, Loli in early 20s, Jacksonifyer, Nfract, Exodia, and others make a compelling move forward toward a new inclination. Hyperpop is annoying. I’m sorry. You can’t just throw some autotuned vocals on 200BPM and call it good forever lmao.
But generally, I think that Cyberbass does an excellent job at implementing a faster tempo while retaining structure and melody. Most songs start with droning melodic chords(taken from early 90’s DnB) and then throw an anime girl screaming over a breakbeat and bass drop. It’s pretty compelling really. Here’s another example from Sewerslvt:
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Since the birth of post-modernity, some believed that Art and God were dead. Some still hold fast to this notion(hello, hedonists). But I think that the interconnected internet age has fostered a generation-defining group of artists who aren’t afraid to explore the deepest canals of the human psyche in a unique way. You can feel the speed, the screams, the rage, but you can also sense a sort of precision, intention, and longing for that which is eternally higher. CyberBass screams to God, it dances to the bewilderment of the human condition, and it’s quickly maturing into what will be remembered as the true birth of digital art.
Would such a movement have flourished in the ’80s? That’s impossible to know, but what’s for certain is that new modes of curation have expanded the cultural horizons of the youth. Youtube and Spotify are the new exhibitors of the Digital Age. As they elevate the artistic tastes of the inclined, our society will burst into a new zeitgeist based on precision, beauty, and timelessness.
How do you inspire 1 billion musicians? Digitize music. How do you inspire 1 billion poets? Digitize books. How do you inspire 1 billion adventurers? Digitize maps. How do you provide financial sovereignty to 1 billion savers? Digitize gold.
The transistor collapses space and time. Humanity as a whole has yet to truly reap the benefits of this enormous increase in efficiency, but as technology continues to evolve, things will only continue to speed up exponentially.
I’m just excited to watch it all unfold.
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I hope you enjoyed this short exploration into one of the most fascinating artistic rabbit holes of our interweb. While words will never do the music justice, I find writing about this sort of stuff enjoyable. If you’d like to know some more of my favorite Cyberbass artists, leave a comment on the post or send me an email!
<3 Jack