6
WQFS Profile: Muzak Theory
♦Not just a radio show,
Part I: the review
BY JESSE LAPLANTE
Staff Writer
If there is one thing to be said
about the DJ's of Muzak Theory, it
is that they are not slaves to the ra
dio waves. Instead they are cross
genre pirates sailing the seven seas
of music, stopping to raid at every
port.
Airing twice a week, Tuesday
from 9:00 p.m. to midnight and
Thursdays from midnight to 2:00
a.m., Muzak Theory dares to push
the envelope of musical experimen
tation. The result is a unique sound
that is fun to listen to, as well as be
ing obscure and hard to figure out.
But, the idea of Muzak Theory is not
to "figure it out"; the point is to en
joy a great program. After all, it's
radio, not homework.
The sonic potpourri is the prod
uct of four minds, with different mu
sical tastes, that blend together in a
tasty soup of aural excitement. Be
tween Marc, Doug, Kevin and John,
one who tunes in might be treated
to anything from Stereolab and Steve
Reich to The Velvet Underground
and Dick Hyman.
The sounds that fill in the
middle are a pleasant mix of early
electronic music to jazz to blues to
punk. No matter what you hear,
though, within a few minutes, it
should become obvious that these
guys love music, all music, and that
they are not afraid to cross styles in
Ska Core, the Devil, and Zaclc
BY ZACIC HAMPLE
Staff Writer
Frustration is now defined as
four Guilford College students
driving two hours to Charlotte to
see The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
in concert on September 11, only
to get there and learn that the
show had sold out the hour before.
And as if that wasn't a big
enough slap in the face, some
black-beret-wearing, earphone
bearing, shaved-head-having,
loopy earring-sporting, cigarette
smoking, bottoms of his jeans into
army boots-tucking, wannabe
tough guy-looking parking lot at
tendant insisted that we a) not ask
for tickets on the property, and b)
Features
it's a way of life. A review and interview with the masterminds of Muzak Theory
pursuit of the perfect sound.
The point is, Muzak Theory is
not about radio conformity. The
DJ's have taken the freedom of the
airwaves, and their love of different
musical styles, and melded them
into a massive collage
of sound, meaning at
any given moment
they may overlap el
ements of different
songs or sounds cre
ating a new one.
Once exposed,
your ears will be
floating in a trance
like realm between
pure bliss and total
exhaustion.
So, twice a week let four strang
ers guide you, and your ears, down
the highway of musical history. Even
if you have a bad ride, there is no
denying that it was, at least, differ
ent, fresh and always wild.
Part II: the interview
BY ADAM PALMER
Staff Writer
Last Tuesday, September 16,
three of the four members of Muzak
Theory gave an interview to share
their insight as to what they really
did. Doug Grigsby, John Clinton,
and Marc Bernstein spoke about the
mystery and myth behind Muzak
Theory at Guilford College.
According to Grigsby, "Muzak
Theory is performance radio. A col-
not stand in the ticket line.
After cursing the fates and
begging hopelessly for tickets else
where, we heard that more tickets
had been released, so we got in
line.
Herded like cattle up a nar
row, wooden ramp, we passed
through the "Under 21" line and
each handed over sls. They gave
us delightful yellow bracelets in ex
change.
The building looked more like
a warehouse than a concert hall,
and it was more crowded than a
rush hour train in Times Square.
I would've thought it was Hal
loween had I not known that we
were in September. If I had the
metal from all the eyebrow and
lage of sounds if you will." Essen
tially what these three, and Kevin
Holmes, the missing member, do is
combine anywhere between two and
four pieces at once in a way that cre
ates new "candy for the ear."
The Muzak Theorists: licking the palm of the stallion
Stated Bernstein, "What we are
doing is remaking music." John
Clinton said, "Treat this like a class.
Study it."
When asked what purpose
Muzak Theory had hidden deep
within its bowels, Bernstein said,
"This is not about what you want to
hear, but what you need to hear."
Muzak Theory attempts to show the
listener how different overlays of
varied musical pieces, when played
in unison, can create a new, and just
as interesting, if not moreso, sound.
All of the DJ's on the show
promise there is no chance for mo
notony. After hearing their show the
evening of the interview I would be
inclined to agree. The musical
choices vary from Tom Waits with
overlays of electrical instrumental
versions of the Beatles or Simon and
Garfunkel.
nipple rings, I could mint enough
quarters for everyone in Milner to
do laundry for an entire semester.
My friends loved the show.
"Having seen them three times, I
found this one to be the said
Mather Preston. "It was a small
venue, and they were able to be
more intimate with the crowd."
Said Valerie Beard, "I thought
it was fantastic. When they first
came out, they played 'Noise Bri
gade.' It's a very good song."
Heather Owens added, "They
kick a-, because they'll relate to
their fans. They bring people up
on stage, and they're really down
to earth. Seeing them in concert
made me like them even more."
Now don't get me wrong, I
The Guilfordian
September 26,1997
Muzak Theory originated in
London. An ex-Guilford student,
Steven Rhodes, carried the torch to
North Carolina. Last year, his final
year at Guilford he brought the show
to WQFS and the tradition lives on.
When asked how the response
to the show has been thus far,
Grigsby said, "During the summer
there were more listeners. We ap
peal to the high school kids as well
as adults. For some reason though,
we miss the college-age bracket."
Clinton expanded on that, say
ing, "It's heard by many in their
post-acid phase. Those that have
gone past their psychedelic
experimentational modes and now
reminisce and bathe in our music."
There are plans to expand the
Muzak Theory movement at Guil
ford College in the not-so-distant
future. The same DJ's on WQFS will
be playing live music and will post
flyers and make announcements
over the radio as to where and when
you can catch them.
There is more in the works, and
as the information becomes avail
able, it will be passed on to the le
gions of loyal fans.
When the interview ended, I
asked the guys who they thought
they were.
Grigsby replied, "Hey man,
we're workers. We just work. And
we play music. If you like our mu
sic, cool, call us, and if you don't
that's okay too, because this is as
much for us as much as for you. Oh,
and we are also narcissistic."
loved the overall experience - the
costumes, the reckless dancing of
the drunk audience members, the
pretzels at the snack bar, the crowd
surfing, and the 6'7" woman walk
ing around.
But as for the savage, relent
less ska/punk "music" (and I use
the term lightly), I was deafened
and thoroughly unimpressed. I
kept thinking of my English
teacher who tells us that writing is
organized language, art is orga
nized color, and music is organized
sound.
If that's true, then The Mighty
Mighty Bosstones, in my opinion,
need to combine a tad of structure
with their noise.