Dumb Idea - Continuously Evolving Album

Is 2016 the year that the album officially died? Hyperbolic, I know, but certainly the definition of what an album is, what it can be, was fundamentally altered, this time by the actions of none other than Kanye West with the release (and constant rereleases) of The Life of Pablo.

In the post-”Life of Pablo” age, an album is no longer a fixed work, but everything from its mixing, runtime, and even the tracklist itself is fluid, liable to be changed at a moments notice. This brings albums in line with the same issues that has been facing film and gaming for decades, questions of preservation, and even the nature of art itself.

It also raises an opportunity, and one that needs to be seized post-haste! Someone out there needs to create an album with a truly fluid tracklist, constantly adding, removing, and rearranging songs and mixes, creating something with no clearly definable content.

On the surface, the idea bares some similarity with Tender Metal by Gwilym Gold, the album which is different each time you listen to it (as the mix is procedurally altered each listen). The main difference is Tender Metal lacks the deliberateness of each track, both in having an original, curated form, and the desire to erase or permanently alter that form.

If anyone ever makes an album like this, be sure to let me know, I’d love to hear it!

«Back to "Misc"»