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Newly-launched Research Project, May 2014:
Investigations of Metal Music and Visuals: Logo, Cover, Brand
- This page serves to present and document the research project Investigations of Metal Music and Visuals, spearheaded by Vitus Vestergaard, PhD, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, Institute for the Study of Culture, University of Southern Denmark.
 From "News"; archived 12-12-2014
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Excerpts from NEWS: December 6 Update
Seminar
Thursday, December 11, 2014, 3:15-5 p.m. in U67
Sound and Symbol: Making Sense of Metal Band Logos
Vitus Vestergaard (in person), PhD, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, Institute for the Study of Culture, University of Southern Denmark
Christophe Szpajdel (via Skype), internationally renowned Belgian logo artist
Abstract: In this presentation we will investigate one of the visual sides of music, namely heavy metal band logos.
Christophe Szpajdel is a distinguished Belgian artist best known for his enormous production of logo designs for heavy metal bands. He achieved global fame when he designed the logo for the influential Norwegian black metal band Emperor. Since then he has produced in total around 8000 unique, hand drawn logos.
Based on his great experience and artistic interaction with the genre Christophe will present his thoughts on the history, design, style and inspiration of heavy metal band logos. This touches upon important issues such as the relationship between music, band/performer identity and visual representation.
The seminar will begin with a short introduction by Vitus Vestergaard.
Audience participation via Skype is also welcome.
Poster available as pdf file HERE.
Facebook event page HERE.
Looking ahead:
The schedule for the spring 2015 installment of the seminar series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound is rapidly nearing completion, and the majority of presentation titles and abstracts - as well as the list of who is speaking when - are available HERE. As always in this series, participation via Skype is welcome.
Logo designed by Christophe Spzajdel
Please keep an eye out here for updates on the exhibition Marks of Metal, which is scheduled to open at Brandts - Mediemuseet (link HERE) in Odense on January 15, 2015. The exhibition will feature work by internationally renowned logo artist Christophe Szpajdel, and is under the direction of Vitus Vestergaard. This is part of Vitus' ongoing research project in our program The Performances of Everday Living entitled Investigation of Metal Music and Visuals: Logo, Cover, Brand; for background, see HERE. You can hear and see more about this exhibition during the December 11 seminar with Christophe and Vitus - see link above. A noteworthy feature of the exhibition opening on January 15 is that Copenhagen-based black metal band Solbrud (see HERE) will be performing.
Here in November and December we are kick starting/ have kick started our subseries within Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound dealing with metal music, theory and culture with talks on November 13, November 27 and December 11. Ten of the thirteen seminars in our spring series will be dealing with metal-related topics, so, once again, please keep an eye out as more details become available HERE.
. . . and other metal-related seminars in Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound during the fall of 2014:
Thursday, November 27, 2014, 3:15-5 p.m. in U67; see HERE.
Fluctuating Heterotopias – An Ocean View on Modern Metal Music
Johnny Harboe is M.A. in comparative literature from The University of Southern Denmark. He is the author of six novels and has for a number of years worked as a freelance rock and metal critic for the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten. For almost 25 years he has been neck-deep in metal music.
Abstract: In this presentation I will attempt to show how various forms of heterotopias over the years have been expressed lyrically in metal music. Reaching from the graveyard and the autopsy room in death metal, the north and the winter in black metal, and the lunatic asylum and the prison in thrash metal, certain heterotopias seem to define specific subgenres.
Furthermore, my hypothesis is, that the appearance of post metal in the early 2000s established the ocean as a new heterotopia in metal music – a heterotopia which can be perceived as an unfolding of the former heterotopias, not only being expressed lyrically, but also musically, creating a whole new self-reinforcing interdependence between metal music and lyrics.
Poster available as pdf file HERE.
Facebook event page HERE.
Audience participation via Skype is also welcome.
. . . .
Seminar
Thursday, November 13, 2014, 3:15-5 p.m. in U67
Franz Liszt and Metal Music - an Aesthetic Affinity?
William Westney, Paul Whitfield Horn Professor of Piano, Browning Artist-in-Residence School of Music, Texas Tech University.
(in person; also Lunchtime Concert 12 noon - 1 p.m.)
Abstract: One of the refreshing aspects of this SDU seminar series is its focus on musical experience itself, which offers the possibility of exploring common ground between musical genres that are customarily considered quite distinct or even far away from each other. For many classically trained musicians like myself, the world of heavy metal, death metal, and related styles has been not only an unfamiliar and opaque one, but has even seemed somewhat deplorable in its perceived violence and commercialism. However, observing the discerning and sophisticated analysis that metal experts bring to their subject, and acknowledging the widespread popularity of metal among music lovers, my curiosity has grown. Are there affinities between metal and traditional classical music? If so, what can we learn from them?
The presentation will trace some ways in which that affinity appears convincing, and also consider some of the differences between the genres. I will view this comparison through the prism of the unique career of virtuoso pianist/composer Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) - the so-called “first rock star of music.” Among the questions that emerge: What are the implications of what Robert Walser calls the “fetishism of instrumental technique”? What are the links between Romanticism, rock-star charisma, and recurring themes of death? What sort of performer/audience dynamics occur in these two styles? How should pianists approach the written scores of Liszt? Does commercialism taint aesthetic worth?
Integrated into the lecture will be excerpts at the piano as well as sound and video clips.
Poster available as pdf file HERE.
Facebook event page available HERE.
Audience participation via Skype is also welcome.
Concert poster available HERE as pdf-file.
Concert program with notes available HERE as pdf-file.
Facebook event page available HERE.
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From "News"; archived 02-06-2014
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NEWS: MAY 19 - JUNE 1, 2014
Watch for the upcoming interview with Vitus Vestergaard in Videnskab.dk. (See here.)
Vitus will be interviewed about the new research project Investigations of Metal Music and Visuals: Logo, Cover, Brand. Project period: May 2014 – (in progress).
This project focuses on the connection between metal music and visuals, especially band logos and cover art. From the 1980s and onwards, metal genres such as death metal, black metal and doom metal have developed a range of distinct features not only musically but also visually.
The metal band logo is one example, and although metal band logos belong to different “families” they tend to share some of the same features (bilateral symmetry, monochromacy, basis in hand drawn gothic scripts, etcetera). In many logos there are also clear relationships with art nouveau and art deco. These relationships are interesting and rather unexplored; as interesting - and even less explored - are the relationships between the sonic material in metal songs and the visual material associated with them. This project aims to explore, analyze and conceptualize such connections through a multidisciplinary approach based in aesthetics, musicology, semiotics, media studies, brand research and more.
The project collaborates with the renowned Belgian logo artist Christophe Szpajdel who has created around 8.000 logos, primarily for metal bands. As a way of communicating the research findings to a broad audience, the PEL project group and The Media Museum collaborate on an exhibition featuring, among other things, Szpajdel's logos. The exhibition will open January 15, 2015.
Emperor-logo by Christophe Szpajdel
Lunchtime Concert with Janus Araghipour in The Winter Garden, SDU, Tuesday, May 27, 2014.
We have the good fortune to be able to offer a "bonus" Lunchtime Concert this spring on May 27, when pianist Janus Araghipour performs in The Winter Garden at University of Southern Denmark 12 noon - 1 p.m. Program and poster available HERE.
Thursday, May 29, is a holiday in Denmark that for many entails a four-day weekend. Watch for more updates here as of June 2. |
Watch for the upcoming interview with Vitus Vestergaard in Videnskab.dk. (See here.)
From "News"; archived 19-05-2014
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NEWS: MAY 12 - MAY 18, 2014
As the spring semester begins to move towards it conclusion. . .
Thanks to all who have shown interest in our seminar series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound throughout the spring term. We held our last seminar in the series for the spring of 2014 on Thursday, May 8, and we are looking forward to the startup of the seminars once again at the beginning of the fall semester. You can see how the fall series is shaping up HERE, and revisit our spring 2014 series HERE
We have the good fortune to be able to offer a bonus Lunchtime Concert this spring on May 27, when pianist Janus Araghipour performs in The Winter Garden at University of Southern Denmark 12 noon - 1 p.m. Details will be available HERE, and there you also can see the programs and posters from the four concerts, we already have held this spring.
. . . we will be featuring news about the people and the projects within the research program The Performances of Everyday Living (see purple box below).
This week we will highlight a couple of projects in which Vitus Vestergaard is involved:
- The first project is entitled 1864.NU – The Sound of War and is an exhibition project in collaboration with Give Egnens Museum. Vitus Vestergaard became involved in the project through his previous research on exhibition design, especially the use of digital audiovisual media in exhibitions. The 1864.NU (literally 1864.NOW) project focuses on the soldier in the Second Schleswig War in 1864 and the soldier of today. The realities of being a soldier e.g. topics such as fear, excitement, heroism, loss, celebration and alienation are portrayed through an extensive use of sound. The sonic material ranges from gunfire to interviews with veterans and sound clips from various media.
The idea is that sound such as gunfire or the human voice can insert the visitor into a situation - even into the mind of a soldier - in a way that would be difficult to do with visuals. Sound producer Tim Hinman has produced eight audio montages available on http://1864nu.dk/ and the exhibition audio is based on the same audio material. Since visiting an exhibition is a complex and fragmented experience, however, a lot of work has been put into presenting the sound material in a different, more abstract and nonlinear fashion. For example Vitus Vestergaard programmed an algorithmic audio cloud based on voice actors reading letters aloud from soldiers to their families. The audio cloud mixes statements from letters dating from 1864 and recent letters, thus highlighting the differences and commonalities in the themes and tone of communication. As the exhibition continues, Vitus Vestergaard will evaluate user experience and interpretation to increase our knowledge of the use of audio in physical exhibition spaces. Read more about the exhibition on the Give Egnens Museum website: http://www.gem.dk/ (in Danish).
- The second project is in its initial phases and also focuses on audiovisual interconnections, only this time with the main emphasis on visuals. The project examines metal band logos and is a part of the larger Metal Music and Culture themeof The Performances of Everyday Living research program. The logo project is planned to run through the rest of 2014 and the beginning of 2015. Belgian logo artist Christophe Szpajdel - who has created around 8,000 logos, primarily for metal bands - is a partner in the project. As a way of communicating the research findings to a broad audience, the PEL program and The Media Museum will collaborate on an exhibition featuring, among other things, Szpajdels logos. The exhibition will open January 15, 2015.
Next week the national research portal Videnskab.dk will feature an article on the upcoming logo project and there is also a lot more information to come here on soundmusicresearch.org. Stay tuned! |
Inaugural Seminar, May 1, 2014:
Thursday, May 1, 2014, 3:15-5 p.m. in U73
Musical Visuals: An Investigation of the Metal Band Logo
Vitus Vestergaard, PhD, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, Institute for the Study of Culture, University of Southern Denmark
Abstract: The design of metal band logos has evolved into a visually unique style, drawing upon design styles such as art deco and art nouveau. The logos reflect the same metal aesthetics that can be found in metal songs, however. During this seminar the intimate connection between logo and music will be discussed and substantiated by a range of examples.
Audience participation via Skype is also welcome.
Poster available as pdf-file HERE.
Cross-Disciplinary Interplay between the
Humanities, Technology and Musical Practice
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Department for the
Study of Culture
Research Director for
The Performances of
Everyday Living
Coordinator for
The Aesthetics of
Music and Sound
and
Editor and Webmaster for
www.soundmusicresearch.org:
Cynthia M. Grund
cmgrund@sdu.dk
Updates
PLEASE NOTE: During the month of March 2015 and possibly extending into April/May 2015, heavy construction will be taking place on this website behind the scenes as it "migrates" to new editing software. Please be patient with us during this period if occasionally some pages take on a strange appearance, or if updating seems to be a bit erratic. All efforts will be made to maintain the integrity of the page with the schedule for the seminar series Topics in the Aesthetics of Music and Sound: Mostly Metal here, but it will nevertheless be a good idea also to keep an eye on our Facebook group here and the regularly occurring announcements of events on it during this period. Thank you for your patience!
During March-May 2015 we will also continue to develop our new
channel, which we encourage you to visit here.
Archive
for ""Updates" and "News":
Click HERE.
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