Sunday, October 14, 2007

RX Music

RX Music

RX is one of the few remaining sound collage artists who still feels compelled to withhold his identity from the public at large. Even when interviewing him on the phone a few months back, when I asked him what his real name was, and where he lived, he said that he was homeless and that I could call him "RX."

There was a time when more collage artists hid their identities, thanks to a general feeling of anxiety, with regards to too much attention being paid to the "illegal" nature of so much of what is being done in the realm of sound collage. These days, it's a subject which doesn't even necessarily come up in the interviews I do anymore. Aside from a few very publicized cease and desist letters, and only one or two actual lawsuits, there really hasn't been that much to show for all the concern, and most artists these days are just going by their actual names.

All that said, I suppose it's worth pointing out that RX Music has one extra reason for feeling worried about letting the world know his true identity, and that's the fact that the primary target of his political cut-ups is the current President of the United States. With extremely few exceptions, that voice alone has been the focus of each of his intricately edited sound collages. That might be a good reason to hide who you are, even in a country where we're proud to say how free we are to criticize even our most powerful public office.

Largely utilizing a web resource called the George W Bush Public Domain Audio Archive, RX Music has put together an impressive body of work, largely defined by some amazing cover versions of popular songs which have been recreated in the voice of the 43rd US President. GW Bush would do well to never let himself be recorded singing U2's protest song, "Sunday Bloody Sunday," and anyway, he doesn't have to, as RX Music has created a mockup of what it might sound like, if he did. It's brilliant, and there are many more tracks just like it at his website, along with videos of much of the work as well.

What follows is one of the shortest Q&A's we've posted to date, but if you want to learn more about RX Music, you can hear my interview with him online. In addition to a short feature on politically charged cut-up tracks, episode 189 features my phone interview with RX Music and a half dozen tracks by the artist. Check it out HERE.

Without further ado, here's the SAR Q&A with RX Music...


*Name: RX Music

*Are there any additional names used to describe this project: There are 2 projects. The polisci stuff is thepartyparty. The real me stuff is (me)™. As far as I know, the names are rx, thepartyparty, and rx2008 (youtube).

*Do you use a pseudonym? No doubt.

*Members: Thepartyparty is me, with input from assorted others. (me)™ is me, nik, and assorted others.

*Tape manipulations, digital deconstructions or turntable creations: Digital deconstructions has a nice ring to it.

*Another genre descriptor: Poliscifi.

*Why you use this descriptor: Polisci + lofi.

*Location: NYC

*Original Location: Long Island.

*What is your creative/artistic background: Guitar.

*History: A very long time.

*Born: 1969, Long Island.

*Motivations: Conscience. And greed.

*Philosophy: Mutually assured destruction is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

*How would you like to be remembered: Is that a hint?

*Web address:
www.thepartyparty.com
www.abandcalledme.com



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