Zoe Armstrong – MET

THE POLITICS OF TEXT

Golden Record Curation

This assignment was the most challenging for me so far. Because I don’t have a musical background, I wasn’t too sure where to start. Only two of the record’s 27 musical tracks were familiar to me. I reflected a lot about what Tim Ferris had to say in the 2019 podcast episode. He mentioned a few key points that I tried to play off of in my selection of 10 tracks. The first that this record was to be a message of peace. Because of this, when wavering between a few songs, I would select those that sounded more peaceful to me. The second point he made was that the record was to represent music from all around the world. I tried to maintain this with my selections. The last was the point made about the way in which music can communicate the human experience and can be interpreted in so many different ways. This last point really allowed me to reflect on what music really is and how it could sound or even feel to someone or something that cannot hear in the same way humans do.

I began by downloading each of the songs into Serato. If you’ve never heard of Serato, it is a DJ and music production software that can analyze songs. It gives the listener information about the key and the beats per minute (BPM) of a track. This allowed me to narrow down my track selections with a little more precision than simply if I liked the song.

Here are my 10 picks from the Golden Record:

1. Bach, “Gavotte en rondeaux” from the Partita No. 3 in E major for Violin, performed by Arthur Grumiaux. This track was analyzed by Serato to be the slowest song on the Golden Record with a BPM of 70. Though a slower song, it still sounds quite upbeat leading in a more peaceful and even hopeful direction. Bach was from Europe so this track was also selected to represent that part of the world.
2. Stravinsky, Rite of Spring, Sacrificial Dance, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Igor Stravinsky, conductor. This song was analyzed by Serato to be the fastest song on the Golden Record with a BPM of 137. It has a lot of intense sounds so, to me, represents some of the chaos that is the human experience. Stravinsky was from Russia so this track was selected as a representation of that part of the world.
3. “Johnny B. Goode,” written and performed by Chuck Berry. This song was analyzed to be in the key of G which we think of to be higher. Incase those who discover the Golden Record can only hear certain keys, this song was selected to represent these higher pitches. Berry is from the United States so this track can act as a representation of that part of the world. It was also one of the two tracks that I had heard before.
4. New Guinea, men’s house song, recorded by Robert MacLennan. This song was analyzed to be in the key of C, a key thought of to be somewhat in the middle. Perhaps the finders of the Golden Record can only hear more neutral pitches. The song, originating from New Guinea, was selected to represent the southern and eastern hemisphere. The soft flutey-like sound is also quite peaceful.
5. India, raga, “Jaat Kahan Ho,” sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. This track was analyzed in the the key of D. Another key that is somewhat in the middle of the musical scale. This track also includes lyrics that add sounds that appear differently than musical instruments. A track from India, this song represents yet another part of our world here on earth.
6. Japan, shakuhachi, “Tsuru No Sugomori” (“Crane’s Nest,”) performed by Goro Yamaguchi. This track was analyzed to be in the key of A, a lower key. Perhaps the discoverers of the Golden Album are only able to hear these lower keys. This track  comes from Japan, representing this part of the world. It is another track that contains many flute-like sounds which brings me feelings of peace and warmth.
7. Senegal, percussion, recorded by Charles Duvelle. This track was analyzed again to be in the key of A, though it was mostly selected to represent another worldly place and a different kind of sound than what appears on many of the other tracks. The percussion sound is unique and offers a different beat to follow incase the extraterrestrials are only able to hear these particular sounds. This is the first selection from the continent of Africa so this track was used to represent that part of the world.
8. Java, court gamelan, “Kinds of Flowers,” recorded by Robert Brown. This track was analyzed to be in the key of A, another song in the lower key. It was selected however, as it was one of the songs that feels sad. To me, sadness is unique to the human experience and so it felt important to include it. Java is located in Indonesia thus checking off another worldly location.
9. Australia, Aborigine songs, “Morning Star” and “Devil Bird,” recorded by Sandra LeBrun Holmes. This track was analyzed in the key of D. It was selected though for its unique sound coming from the didgeridoo. This is a very low instrument that allows for another type of sound to be explored by the finders of the Golden Record. This track can also be used to represent Australia, an area that hasn’t been represented yet.
10. Beethoven, Fifth Symphony, First Movement, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor. This was a selfish selection. What a track. The other song off the Golden Record that I had heard before, this is a movie ballad, used for so many intense moments. As Ferris (2019) mentions, it is an epic song that only feels right to include on this record, taking this epic journey. If I am imagining the Golden Record floating through space, past planets, stars, space junk, etc. I am imagining it happening to this track.

Here is a map of my 10 picks, there are only 9 points as both Beethoven and Bach are from Germany.

References:

McDonald, L. (Executive Producer). (2016-Present). Twenty thousand hertz. [Audio podcast]. Defaacto Sound. https://www.20k.org/episodes/voyagergoldenrecord?rq=golden%20record

Serato (Computer software). (1999). Retrieved from https://serato.com/