Rhythm Science

"Onceyougetintotheflowofthings,you'realwayshauntedbythewaythatthingscouldhaveturnedout.Thisoutcome,thatconclusion.Yougetmydrift.Theuncertaintyiswhatholdsthestorytogether,andthat'swhatI'mgoingtotalkabout."--RhythmScienceTheconceptualartistPaulMiller,alsoknownasDjSpookythatSubliminalKid,deliversamanifestoforrhythmscience--thecreationofartfromtheflowofpatternsinsoundandculture,"thechangingsame."TakingtheDj'smixastemplate,hedescribeshowtheartist,navigatingtheinnumerablewaystoarrangethemixofculturalideasandobjectsthatbombardus,usestechnologyandarttocreatesomethingnewandexpressiveandendlesslyvariable.Technologyprovidesthemethodandmodel;informationontheweb,liketheelementsofamix,doesn'tstayinoneplace.Andtechnologyisthemedium,bridgingtheartist'sconsciousnessandtheoutsideworld.MillerconstructedhisDjSpookypersona("spooky"fromtheeeriesoundsofhip-hop,techno,ambient,andtheothermusicthatheplays)asaconceptualartproject,butthencametoseeitastheopportunityfor"codingagenerativesyntaxfornewlanguagesofcreativity."Forexample:"StartwiththeinspirationofGeorgeHerriman'sKrazyKatcomicstrip.Makeatrackinvokinghisabsurdlandscapes...Whatdotonsandtonsofairpressuremovingintheatmospheresoundlike?Makemusicthatactsametaphorforthatkindofimmersionordensity."Or,foranonline"remix"oftwoworksbyMarcelDuchamp:"ItookalotofhismaterialwrittenonmusicandflippeditintoaDJmixofhisvisualmaterial--withhimrhyming!"Tracingthegenealogyofrhythmscience,MillercitessourcesandinfluencesasvariedasRalphWaldoEmerson("allmindsquote"),GrandmasterFlash,W.E.BDubois,JamesJoyce,andEminem."Thestoryunfoldswhilethefragmentscoalesce,"hewrites.Miller'stextualprovocationsaredesignedformaximumvisualandtactileseductionbytheinternationalstudioCOMA(CorneliaBlatterandMarcelHermans).Theysustainthebook'smotifsofrecontextualizingandrelayering,textsandimagesbleedthroughfrompagetopage,creatingwhatamountto2.5dimensionalvectors.Fromitsremarkablevelvetfleshcover,tothediecutholethroughthecenterofthebook,whichrevealsthecolorednubholdinginplacetheincludedaudioCD,RhythmScience:ExcerptsandAllegoriesfromtheSubRosaArchives,thispamphlettrulylivesuptoEditorialDirectorPeterLunenfeld'sclaimthattheMediaworkPamphletsare"theoreticalfetishobjects...'zinesforgrown-ups."