My Romance with My Chemical Romance

simple beauty

Music has many forms and to appreciate music is to appreciate that all its forms are beautiful even if you feel that some hold a greater beauty than others. One form of music which I personally believe holds some of the greatest beauty is one that is simple; it is defined by its uncluttered and clear nature, its lack of lots and its celebration of little. Minimalism is a branch of classical music, though its roots go far back with some modern day composers citing Bach as one of the first it really began to flourish in the late 19^th and early 20^th century with what I would see as its peak coming in the 70s. However this is not a dead form and continues to grow and be explored and its influences are greatly felt in the repetitive structures of dance music, one definite child of this inspiration is Daft Punk.

An interesting fact is that many of those who are pioneers of this fantastic style do not like to be associated with the name of minimalism. It seems patronising and many seem to think that less is easier. But the masters of this art make it clear that just as less is no easier it is also no less powerful. The sounds are pure and clear, the rhythms perfect in their affect. Though there may be relatively few notes they carry a great amount of emotion and meaning with them. These compositions run through you in an almost cleansing way. I first came to know about this style at a young age through the introduction by my father to Philip Glass and the film Koyaanisqatsi. His compositions fit perfectly with the images to portray a world lost. However since then I have fallen in love with many of his contemporaries and influences; from the classical Arvo Part to the experimental Steve Reich. This is a style unappreciated by many and I hope this encourages many to go find some fine examples of this refined beauty.




*I realise this was breif and it is intended to be, I plan to follow this with reviews of artists both mentioned and unmentioned.