Cover by Emma (E), Mattin (M) and Sara (S) Noise & Capitalism Noise & Capitalism the interesting part, it’s an you copy another persons E: I was just thinking - you were saying that you Is it possible to try to make than male identified bodies was given at school, she is done this, quite often I have interesting challenge for drawing, where S starts what we’ve been talking weren’t sure if this would something, to capture some- writing in the book. I had studying Graphic Design. S compartmentalised my work our exchange. Now we are and I do a version, and I about, I mean I’ve talked work in relation to the as- thing in design that trans- been involved in an exhibi- sent me the work that she and friendships because I saying that you would do pass it to M, and then that about it with you and with signment you’ve been given, mits the relations produced tion called ‘Her Noise’ at and Brit Pavelson made, it is feel self-conscious or un- the design when maybe you becomes the cover. M, about the projection of because of the time, and the in making this cover? I am the South London Gallery a book that tells in both the generous perhaps. think that we should do the M: Yes it sounds interesting you as the expert and, just amount of time that you & Capitalism Noise struggling with this process in 2005, which in some way text and layout, what are the I started to project that design. And this question and exciting. I find this con- in the first part where M thought you needed, and the of transfer and transla- sought to approach some conventions of book design S would be able to make of the exchange and the versation exciting, from the says that the inside should time that this would take. tion, but I can also see that of the relations of Noise and layout. I thought it was the design since this is the bartering is also still there. question of who is the we, be relatively neutral and the M: Just one note, on neu- simply writing down the and Experimental music connected to M’s proposal, thing she is studying. S and M: No no no please. to the changing and shift- idea that for you, I would trality, it’s because of ig- questions is not so interest- and gender. I am curious so I showed him and we I have talked about this as E: Maybe on the inside ing of roles. Perhaps at the assume, or from what I norance, I mean the whole ing, it isn’t an encounter about how displacements of both really got a lot of en- a problematic relationship there could be the design beginning I was projecting know of other people who thing is about experimental of the sort that I think we subject positions occur, and joyment from this. for her. In her school there from S, and on the outside too much of a classic notion, work with typography, the music so if you want to have been feeling. M asked what an invitation implies I spoke to S about working is an emphasis on a profes- a less designed cover, but like you were saying, but I’m idea of design being neutral experiment with the format me if I would be interested spatially and over time. I on the cover design for this sional career and this is not both taking the same strat- really happy about what you is a fiction. in any far out ways, total to write something for this had actually forgotten about book, and S was interested. so important to her. She egy. Or using the idea of just suggested, yes, I’m open. M: Yes, yes. freedom, and excuse my book in the summer, but the earlier invitation. I am interested in how has moved away from close the self-reflexiveness, and E: It’s funny because the E: But also there is an aim ignorance. at the time I didn’t think Now M and I are both to work together with friends in Sweden to be at inspired by your typography screen has just gone black in design that it should be E: I just think it’s interest- I could, I had a feeling of together in New York, in friends, and how this work- this school in Amsterdam, project, but our attempts and we can’t see you, I in some cases as undistract- ing that when we think not being qualified or not this new situation. We ing together can sometimes and often feels unsure if at design and your design, feel like I have to have the ing as possible. So the idea about our own practice we aligned to the project in a are finding a way to work be problematic, and other she made the ‘right’ deci- almost mirroring each other. graphics of you. is that something should would scrutinize the form way that was strong enough together and share this time times really important since sion, although she doesn’t M: And would we really M: Have you been think- be very easy to read and and the means of produc- for me to embark on writ- in what I think is a very it decompartmentalises really believe that there is copy and paste the design ing about the assignment, not distracting to the eye. tion, but when we project ing a text. Part of the reason interesting way. M asked the things you talk about a ‘right’ decision. We didn’t by S, or? or what bartering means, I think it is an interesting to another person, engaged as I understood M’s asking me if I would like to make with some and not with talk about it for a while, and E: Yes, but without S telling or implies, or have you not challenge to think within in another kind of practice, was around a question of the cover for this book, I others. I prefer to assume then we did. Then S was us how. thought about it yet so the boundaries of the as- like design, we don’t bring gender, and how for him have been procrastinating. that someone will be inter- set an assignment at school M: Trying to be designers? much? Maybe we can all say signment that you have. The the same amount of critical there was not so much rep- I received an email from S ested in talking about ideas, as follows: Work for Work, E: Yes, like the game where what we think bartering is? last time I spoke to you S, thinking. But that’s resentation of bodies other about an assignment she although I haven’t always Graphic Design 2nd semes 02 Noise & Capitalism Anthony Iles Mattin Csaba Toth Edwin Prévost Ray Brassier Bruce Russell Nina Power Ben Watson Matthew Hyland Matthieu Saladin Howard Slater 8 Introduction ı Anthony Iles 18 Going Fragile ı Mattin 24 Noise Theory ı Csaba Toth 38 Free Improvisation in Music and Capitalism: Resisting Authority and the Cults of Scientism and Celebrity ı Edwin Prévost 60 Genre is Obsolete ı Ray Brassier 72 Towards a Social Ontology of Improvised Sound Work ı Bruce Russell 96 Woman Machines: the Future of Female Noise ı Nina Power 104 Noise as Permanent Revolution or, Why Culture is a Sow Which Devours its Own Farrow ı Ben Watson 122 Company Work vs. Patrician Radiers ı Matthew Hyland 132 Points of Resistance and Criticism in Free Improvisation: Remarks on a Musical Practice and Some Economic Transformations ı Matthieu Saladin 150 Prisoners of the Earth Come Out! Notes Towards ‘War at the Membrane’ ı Howard Slater 166 Anti-Copyright: Why Improvisation and Noise Run Against the Idea of Intellectual Property ı Mattin 6 7 8 Introduction Anthony Iles 9 The Foundry isn’t an old East End pub, but it has occupied a privileged seat from which to view the radical transformation of East London over the last 15 years. A cipher for the transformation of sign-value – the reorientation of economic strength from industrial production under enlightenment values to the postmodern turn to the leisure (pleasure) industries, the now world famous area the Foundry is situated in, Shoreditch, has travelled from being an ex-light industrial zone, the headquarters and organising frontline of the National Front – to a hotspot for clubs, DJs and bands. The Foundry, itself a former industrial space, represents just about every underground mu- sical genre, hosting micro-gigs, festivals, sound systems, open mic nights, including the regular noise and improvisation night – Oligarch Shit Transfusion. Yet, as Shoreditch has made this transition, its turnover of residents has accelerated, initially squatters and artists living in dilapidated warehouse spaces, followed by architects, fashion and graphic designers. Now, its remaining inhabitants are a super-elite of city workers and the art star residue of those few who made good from the rapid up-turn in property values. It turns out the developers buying up the area had studied the gentrification of Chelsea and deployed artists as placeholders on short leases until the area had become sufficiently ‘cool’ and property values began to skyrocket. No longer needed, artists’ short term contracts were terminated and both they and any locals who hadn’t purchased their properties were priced out of the area. For the ‘creatives’ who had lent the area its cultural cachet and populated the network of bars and cafés which soon became the destination for the city’s pleasure seekers and cool hunters it seemed they had been given a raw deal – as if something had been subtracted from them in exchange for nowt.