In an age of constant distraction, the act of listening can be perceived as a radical one. It means taking a step back, slowing down, pausing and above all, actively listening. Ahead of Minimal Collective presenting ‘Post-Hypnotism’ at De School, we turn to six artists from the lineup to discuss the ways in which listening may open meaningful portals in contemporary life.
The waterfall of noise that spills from modern metropoles is familiar to many, although we might not even notice it anymore. A steady hum makes up the background of numerous lives, ebbing and flooding the senses from virtually all directions. Though not necessarily unpleasant, it can be said that we are fairly attuned to tuning out from our direct environments. Listening, a way of actively paying attention to our surroundings and what they tell us, is not something we are always prone to do. Even in the midst of the dancefloor, in the crowd of a concert, in the waves of our favourite song, how often is it that we (attentively) listen?
Deep listening
Deep listening, a term coined in the 1960s by composer-experimentalist Pauline Oliveros, dives headfirst into that radical attentiveness. It encompasses the full-bodied, immersive act of being present and listening as a way to explore depths beyond what is simply heard. It toes the line between what is felt physically and emotionally and translates the sonic world into one of meaning. At its core lies a communal project of awareness for rethinking the potential of sound and silence in uniting seemingly different paths and lives.
For some, like Oliveros, listening becomes a lifelong practice to be continuously expanded upon. Going inherently against simple consumerist tendencies, the expansive way of listening instead begs for meaningful exchange, openness and a plurality of narratives. Needless to say, such an undertaking is not always easy. Rather than shying away from the uncomfortable, it asks for consideration, compassion, and an acceptance of vulnerability.
How does this translate to music? In the realm of music, sound dominates; its emergence, its creation or (re)shaping, its emotion. Listening seems the primary thing to do. To delve into those emotive depths and the expression of feeling, to listen not just with our ears but with our entire bodies, or as DJ and producer GiGi FM puts it, ‘to tap into collective emotions and consciousness, whether you are alone or with others.’ Perhaps with music then, is where the art of deep listening can be practised most intuitively. We asked some artists from our lineup about their take on the matter.
‘So often these days our attention span can dwindle easily and so deep listening requires practice'
Listening as a practice
For musicians and artists both familiar with the term or not, the principles of attentive listening emerge as a central element to their work. ‘Deep listening is an important task as a DJ but also for running a music label,’ DJ, producer and label-head Woody92 explains. ‘It's like reading a book or watching a movie again. After each reading or viewing, you discover other moments that you previously missed or didn't notice.’ Whether in a sit-down setting or on the dancefloor, in a car or on the street, the art of deep listening opens new horizons for creativity, revelation and possibility: ‘For me, deep listening means moving in or entering to your own imagined world.’
The practice of music listening with all its facets is above all an emotional one. As Woody92 simply puts it: ‘Music is emotion and emotion is music.’ The challenge and transformative potential of musical listening experiences are often profound and stay with one for long after. DJ MARIA., a rising Japanese artist who will debut at De School during our club night, recounts in particular her first encounter with ambient music: ‘I was so moved that I shed tears many times. These were truly beautiful tears.’ Of those special moments in which we surrender to the deep depths of music listening, she continues: ‘That time in our lives is a precious time, an experience, and a time when we can further confront the memories and emotions that are recalled.’
Such an experience can feel familiar to those who’ve had similar moments in the thralls of a certain song or sound. Although the emotive response is something we may perceive as coming naturally, the element of ‘practice’ and exercise in the art of listening should not be understated. Australian DJ and Pure Space label founder Andy Garvey, elaborates: ‘So often these days our attention span can dwindle easily, and so deep listening requires practice.’ As someone who has built much of her career off deep listening, she does not consider it a small thing when giving her interpretation of the activity: ‘Giving your attention to engage with what is in front of or around you, fully present, without judgement, immersed in the sound and experience.’ Reckoning with the all-in nature of listening to music deeply, Woody92 argues that this practice is best dealt with through repetition; to confront oneself with the different sounds or feelings that may emerge when relistening to a certain piece of music or song.
Ambient depths of healing
Nelly, Dutch DJ who joins the Minimal Collective club night at De School, is not the first to reflect on the sensory overload found in city living. For her, deep listening is more than paying attention to what’s around you, it’s about pausing the moment and taking time to be present. Even more than that, it is a practice of healing. This rhetoric of ‘presence’ in listening practices is a recurring one, often followed with reflections on meditative states achievable throughout.
DJ, producer and label-founder Polygonia looks back on how the principle of attentive listening spills into the corners of her life, and in particular to her ambient creations. ‘It invites you to reflect and at the same time it can also make you achieve a meditative state,’ she says. ‘The moment, as such, and all the perceptions that come with it, become the centre of attention.’ Honing in on that present-moment attentiveness, listening to music, deeply, draws out nuances perhaps not obvious from the offset. As Polygonia illustrates, ‘It’s the little details which make the timbre of each resonating body special.’ Evoking frequencies with the potential to resonate deep within oneself, Polygonia is a firm believer of music’s positive effects on the body and psyche. ‘Even if it is not a meditative state but just a clear state of mind while facing deep inner feelings, it can help to process those.’ Bridging the physicality of music listening with one’s emotional and spiritual sides brings the experience of sound to a resounding whole.
Ambient depths of healing
Nelly, Dutch DJ who joins the Minimal Collective club night at De School, is not the first to reflect on the sensory overload found in city living. For her, deep listening is more than paying attention to what’s around you, it’s about pausing the moment and taking time to be present. Even more than that, it is a practice of healing. This rhetoric of ‘presence’ in listening practices is a recurring one, often followed with reflections on meditative states achievable throughout.
DJ, producer and label-founder Polygonia looks back on how the principle of attentive listening spills into the corners of her life, and in particular to her ambient creations. ‘It invites you to reflect and at the same time it can also make you achieve a meditative state,’ she says. ‘The moment, as such, and all the perceptions that come with it, become the centre of attention.’ Honing in on that present-moment attentiveness, listening to music, deeply, draws out nuances perhaps not obvious from the offset. As Polygonia illustrates, ‘It’s the little details which make the timbre of each resonating body special.’ Evoking frequencies with the potential to resonate deep within oneself, Polygonia is a firm believer of music’s positive effects on the body and psyche. ‘Even if it is not a meditative state but just a clear state of mind while facing deep inner feelings, it can help to process those.’ Bridging the physicality of music listening with one’s emotional and spiritual sides brings the experience of sound to a resounding whole.
Ambient music’s particular role in propagating meaningful social environments of exchange and revelation is one that receives lesser attention in dancefloor-oriented music realms. GiGi FM, a creative as familiar with painting ambience as she is with dance-heavy beats, is explicit on the dual harmonic-meditative potential of ambient. ‘I think ambient music has this capacity to make people go still,’ she says. ‘The space and pace of it make us enter almost a state of hypnosis, which is deeply healing.’ Polygonia adds up to this from a technical point of view: ‘It is more the sound design of the elements, the harmonies, the textures of pads and drones and many more things which have the attention of the listener.’ Bass and drums, though present, may take on a much more subtle role aimed at drawing-out time rather than keeping time. What sets ambient apart from other electronic music genres is its characteristic departure from conventional rhythmic patternings and musical structures often found on the dancefloor.
‘I got answers to questions that had been troubling me for a long time'
On and off the dancefloor
Though there is much to be said for ambient modes of listening, it goes without saying that healing happens on the dancefloor too. Deep listening, as a full-bodied, experiential practice, thrives beyond the sit-down session. On the dancefloor, listening attentively to the music, one’s self and one’s surroundings can take on a new dimension of profound meaning. ‘In this space, we are collectively experiencing loud sound, and often light shows surrounded by lots of people,’ says Andy. ‘This is a space that is extremely sensory, and I find the most enjoyment when I am purposefully aware of both the music, my body and each person around me.’
Entering a space which is open to disorder and unpredictability may seem to counter the ambient setting depicted as aiming to rid itself of distraction. But as DJ MARIA. says, ‘dancing to music is the origin and instinct of humanity.’ The trance state attainable through music and dance, similar to the meditative state often spoken about with ambient, can be seen as a different, albeit equally as powerful, way of listening to music deeply. It is with this that Nelly depicts a scene at Monument Festival this past summer, feeling comfortable and safe within the audience of a one-hour live drum set by Mohammad Reza. Entering a total state of trance, supported by the sound and smell of the forest, she describes: ‘I got answers to questions that had been troubling me for a long time. The whole experience felt like a therapy session.’
GiGi FM drives the point further home: ‘Healing through sound can occur consciously or unconsciously in various contexts. Whether through sound healing frequency processes at home, in rituals, meditative sessions, or at events like club nights or concerts, music has the power to heal.’ She herself experienced this already at the age of eight. During a challenging time of being bullied, listening intently to Mendelssohn's ‘1A Midsummer Night's Dream’ in her parents' car provided a moment of healing. ‘I vividly remember hearing every detail, and in that moment, it became my reality. All other thoughts and negativity faded away, and I was immersed in that piece.’ Agreeing with other artists that it is more about the listener than the genre or style of music being listened to, GiGi FM concludes: ‘It's all about feeling secure and safe within yourself to fully engage with the music.’
One with the crowd
Though listening is an inherently personal undertaking, it would be a mistake to call it solitary. Oliveros strongly propagated the element of community in listening practices, turning away from the one-sided performer-audience dichotomy to encompass the myriad of ways in which listening facilitates exchange. Indeed, as GiGi FM succinctly puts it: ‘In an age of passive listening, it's crucial to cultivate awareness and a willingness to explore sound as a communal form of activity,’ one in which a balanced relationship is fostered across all present and involved.
From the perspective of a musician who often shifts between performing for audiences to for themselves, Polygonia recognises how listening changes across various contexts. Whereas at home ‘it’s just me and my mood,’ performances for larger audiences reveal ‘a conversation between many minds’. GiGi FM echoes the sentiment, speaking of the ‘collective exploration’ possible when listening in communal settings, as opposed to the immersive introspection that comes with listening alone. Both instances point to ways of listening which extend further from sonic realms; paying also attention to one’s thoughts, dreams, inner voices and feelings. In both cases, listening and creating go hand-in-hand.
Arguably, such communal experiences enrich all listening experiences. To share and go deep into sound together, unravelling and creating with each other, is cathartic to the expression of music. All it takes, as DJ MARIA. elaborates, is one such experience to be able to later take home a changed way of perceiving the world.
Looking forward then, one might say that a looming question remains: how do we remain open to beyond what we want or expect to hear? For Polygonia, it is a philosophical question that requires an openness applicable to all layers of life. ‘It is a matter of one's own mental attitude. I know people who are way older than me and still open to listen to all kinds of new music styles. It is important to never stop learning about new subjects, other languages, dig for new music and art, discover new flavours etc. Don’t take everything for granted, recognise each moment and be open to new things in general.’
To continue to practise actively listening is echoed by both GiGi FM and Woody92, the latter adding to this the importance of patience and appreciation, imagination and creative thinking. ‘I always think there is really a world of difference between listening to music in the dark and in the light,’ DJ MARIA. adds. Nelly then perhaps provides us with the perfect conclusion: ‘Have no expectations. Come with an open mind and dare to go on that trip.’
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On that note, Minimal Collective invites you to join the ‘Post-Hypnotism’ event at De School during Amsterdam Dance Event on October 19th. Traversing across sit-down sessions and dance floors spread across multiple spaces of the building, the event challenges you to confront both club and non-club settings alike. Get your tickets here now and become part of the communal exploration of sound.
Thanks to Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst (AFK) for supporting our event and research.
