The period surrounding the late 16th and Early 17th century England gave birth to an era, referred to musically and socially as Elizabethan Melancholy. Melancholia as an area of creative inspiration, was a generally unexplored and new realm so it is little surprise that this new expression of deep sadness, lament and woe peaked in popularity at the time. There was something deeply romantic and profound about these many men, who spoke of their heartbreak and sorrow with romance and conviction. According to Lawrence Babb (The Elizabethan Malady) “Melancholy was very much in vogue in the England of Elizabeth and the early Stuarts, especially among the intellectuals and would-be intellectuals”.

One of the many renowned practitioners  to emerge at that time was elusive yet timeless Lutenist and Poet, John Dowland- who survives as one of the defining bard’s of the era. Although having a relatively shrouded historic past, his work and his contribution to both music and poetry have not lain unforgotten. The Dowland we know through his work, was a man who not only suffers deeply mentally, but dedicates his existence to trawling the darkest regions of his life and mind, for the sake of his art. He coined the motto: Semper Dowland, Semper Dolens: “Always Dowland, Always Doleful”.

Self punishment, heartbreak, love for darkness, death and the beauty of the night are all staple themes within Dowlands work. Everything from the complexities in his compositions; the diminishing between contrasting time signature & scalic melodies all help to convey a sense of instability, and progression of thought patterns. More importantly it demonstrates his desire to make beautiful, notions and feelings that which would normally be discarded or classed as lesser. His words are often understated and to the point, whilst his music is heavily ornamented and a demonstration of typical styles of that time. He, on a number of occasions welcomes sorrow (” Come Sorrow; come her eyes that sings…”) in a way that suggests “it” exists to him as this bittersweet, ruthless,  female entity which is not only his muse, but a presence which he cannot live without. What often suppresses criticisms of him being no more than a pathetic depressive, is his ability to blur the lines between narrative and thought, in a way that is painfully honest: gripping as well as shocking by his choice of dramatic speech and notions. Sympathy often merges with curiostity; we feel sorry for the man presented to us, but nevertheless feel compelled to hear more.

i.

Can she excuse my wrongs with virtue’s cloak?

shall I call her good when she proves unkind?

Are those clear fires which vanish into smoke?

must I praise the leaves where no fruit I find?

No, no: where shadows do for bodies stand,

thou may’st be abused if thy sight be dim.

Cold love is like to words written on sand,

or to bubbles which on the water swim.

Wilt thou be thus abused still,

seeing that she will right thee never?

if thou canst not overcome her will,

thy love will be thus fruitless ever.

ii.

Was I so base, that I might not aspire
Unto those high joys which she holds from me?
As they are high, so high is my desire:
If she this deny what can granted be?

If she will yield to that which reason is,
It is reasons will that love should be just.
Dear make me happy still by granting this,
Or cut off delays if that I die must.

Better a thousand times to die,
then for to live thus still tormented:
Dear but remember it was I
Who for thy sake did die contented.

Can She Excuse My Wrongs? – The First Book of Ayres

It’s only by invitation, so if you too want to be blinded by the mirror of smoke, the blue fish shark tower, the dilatante scum scraper, the ordained premadonna… CONTACT US ASAP: rm@sangbleu.com

Alan Vega and his band Suicide are widely regarded as the godfathers of “No Wave.” The group’s seminal 1977 album Suicide is cited as an important influence by musicians such as Joy Division, Nick Cave, Spacemen 3, Spiritualized, The Horrors, The Cars, and Bruce Springsteen. Vega studied art in the 1950s under Ad Reinhardt and Kurt Seligman and was involved in the Art Workers Coalition. In 1969 he founded MUSEUM: A Project of Living Artists, an artist-run 24-hour multimedia gallery in Manhattan. Vega’s own artworks consist of light sculptures constructed from electronic debris. Previous honorees include activist and art historian Julie Ault (2010) and filmmaker and choreographer Yvonne Rainer (2011).

This event is held exclusively for the Friends of Artists Space. A limited number of tickets are available. Please contact: friends@artistsspace.org to inquire about tickets or how to join the Friends of Artists Space.

http://artistsspace.org/

Heiner Goebbels’ will be performing his response to the 1890 journals of Joseph Conrad in London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall tonight. Goebbels will be joined  by Senegalese Griots Sira and Boubakar Djebaté (voice and kora), the French musician Xavier Garcia (electronics) and the actor André Wilms.

Although this performance for tonight has sold out it will be watchable online for a week afterwards!

Watch it here from tonight after 7pm GMT: http://aroomforlondon.co.uk/sounds-from-a-room

They will be performing The Forest, written by David Byrne for the Robert Wilson theater project in 1988.

It will be performed on Monday the 27th of February at 8pm

Buy tickets here!

http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/7308-nyu-symphony-orchestra-david-byrne-the-forest

Today it broke that his name is Joshua Leary and he is 22 years old. Apparently he will make his first live appearance at the Tri Angle showcase soon…

Check him out here:

http://soundcloud.com/tri_angle_records/sets/evian-christ-kings-and-them

Dazed Digital interview Aaron Chan and premier this exciting new collaboration. The film has been chosen for Channel 4′s Random Acts series too. Check out more now! Links underneath:

http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/12519/1/random-acts-aaron-chan

http://randomacts.channel4.com/#view/179

No offense to Jarre’s fans but I see an evident causal relationship here.

Jeanne-Salomé Rochat: Where are you from?
Jack Donoghue: I am from Chicago.
Where is Salem from?
John and Heather met in high school up in Michigan, thats where they grew up. We all started making music together officially in Chicago.
How does your collective philosophy influence your practice?
We love each other, a lot of what SALEM is, is an expression of that love both fulfilled and unfulfilled.
And the other way around, what kind of impact does this entity have on your life?
Until recently SALEM had very little effect on my life… But now we are being flown all over, being set up in fancy situations and girls are skipping formalities.
What could break you?
Falling from a cliff on two hard rocks. Being rejected by something I truly give myself to… If I ever do that.
What’s the last thing you remember rejecting?
A kiss in NY a few nights ago.
What’s the last thing you gave? To whom?
A Givenchy shirt that was gifted to me, to a girl who it looked better on.
What car do you drive?
My dad’s old pick up truck but it just broke down on my way up to Michigan so I’ve been walking and taking the train.
You mentioned a matt e black Lamborghini.
Huh?
Yes. Or maybe I did.
I don’t know.
I don’t know either.
But it’s true that I do. In fact yes, I want a rich fan to buy me a 2011 matte black one with red tinted windows.
How does a fan lose its innocence?
Having expectations instead of unconditional love.
What does your workspace look like? How is it significant?
I was living in The Tokyo Hotel, downtown Chicago, but I kept having to travel and getting noise complaints so I moved my stuff back into the house I grew up in with my mom and her black Alsatian (Misha). My workspace when i am here is her dining room table with big monitors on it. I can work anywhere, but I like to have my room, and the places I spend time in set up in a way i like.
What would be served for breakfast at Hotel Salem?
Jello shots. Jello made with sparkling water. Lime green jello. Raw eggs.
If you had to invent the sexual position/act called “lime green jello”, what would it consist of?
The girl’s very jealous boyfriend watching while i bust her down.
What is your present screen saver?
A white pit bull. I love dogs.
How important is empty space?
Very.
What sets your music apart from others that produce similar material?
I never think about that. It’s not important.
Can you stand isolation?
Not really. I keep moving and try to stay busy and around other people because I don’t like being alone. I like swimming alone. I can be alone if I’m working on music, or walking… If I am moving, I can be alone.
How has solitude influenced your music? How does it clash with your culture?
John is really good at being alone, he is a much quieter person then me. He will push me to be still and I will push him to be more social and wild. Heather is in between and keeps it all together. I think those differences affect our music.
Would you like to move somewhere in particular?
I feel like living in a city on the ocean not in the 1st world.
Who would you like to do your voice over in the animated version of your life?
Naomi Watts’s mouth.
As a blonde or as a brunette?
BLONDE.
What is the last thing you bought?
Honestly DMT u_u… before that I guess a sexy air-freshener or Vitamin water.
What have you wanted to work on but couldn’t? What stopped you?
I would really like to work for Terrence Mallick, it just hasn’t happened yet.
What would Terrence Mallick listen to while watching you sleeping?
My rare heart beat.
Is car driving necessary for good music composing?
No but it is a good time for good music listening.
What have you buried lately?
We have been busy.
So what’s new?
John is going insane. He’s actually losing his mind.
When you decide to go insane too, what kind of intervention would it take to make you think twice about it?
Probably something about my mom or my friend Zulma.
What sense of yours do you wish was acute?
My ABs.
How do you like to dance?
Jamaican style.
How do you free things?
Let go.
Who influences you the most?
John.
What was the best garment you have received as a gift?
Givenchy Joker face shirt.
What is the lames t superpower ever?
Alex Mack, ROFL.
What virtual world would you have sex in?
I would be down to double team thousands of Hentai girls with Wolverine.
That’s old. What virtual world would you have sex in, in 2013?
Bratz da website.
Name a film that you wanted to like before you saw, but ended up not liking so much.
Forces of nature.
What do you wish could be found after you’re dead?
IDK IDC… I’ll be dead… Even bigger sharks? I would not want them to be found while i was still alive, sometimes I am scared of sharks : (
What else are you afraid of?
My birthday.
Is music deceptive?
I don’t think so.