Zen of Aggression, Photo: Berk Yagli

Zen of Aggression: Composing the Transformational Hybrid

Berk Yagli (CY)

Anton Bruckner Private University, Studiobühne
Sat 7. Sep 2024 15:00 – 15:20

The lecture-performance will focus on musical hybridity and critical methods developed for the hybridization of electroacoustic and metal music (part of the presenter’s PhD research). These methods are formed to build a blueprint for hybrid composers (not only specific to metal and electroacoustic but for other genres as well that combines spectromorphological-focused music with harmony and rhythm-based music since this type of hybridity entails a unique set of challenges and complexities).

Hybridity in music is a well-established and vibrant contemporary scholarly topic. Even though the current literature provides many useful terms and strategies regarding different types of hybrids, methods for building hybrids are rarely found. The talk will specifically focus on the piece Zen of Aggression and discuss the fruitful and problematic methods when composing a transformational hybrid (where both genres affect each other at the deepest level in which the resulting blend does not sound like each of the genre, hence transformed) of electroacoustic music and metal. Different excerpts from the piece will be played when discussing the techniques and methodologies.

The talk shall also briefly cover different types of hybridity (transformational hybrid, eclecticism, polystylism, and so on), genre and its notions (their problems, significance, and contemporary uses), and the notion of fluidity when approaching hybridity in music to set the context. As technology rapidly grows and postmodern conditions predominate with ever more blurry borders, hybridity has been a significant musical power to embrace this situation and to reflect upon what is considered music and art in the 21st century (and challenge notions of high art and low art).