War is eternal – preparatory chants and rousing battle rhythms are deeply rooted in most cultures. However, with the changing nature of warfare since the 20th century, its accompanying aspects have also changed.
45 minutes with artists who reflect on the presence of war in the media, their traumatic experiences, the home front and the utopia of world peace – with Ami Shavit, The Android Sisters, K Foundation, The Tape-beatles and others.
Featured cover art: Sun Ra – Nuclear War
Playlist
The Psychic Workshop – Apocalypse
The US-based project was part of the global mail art scene of the 1980s. Their soundscape Apocalypse is based on fragments from Francis Ford Coppola’s film Apocalypse Now. (1987, Tellus)
Ami Shavit – Yom Kippur, Part 2
Kinetic artist Ami Shavit works with the concept of biofeedback. He attempts to overcome his traumatic experiences from the Yom Kippur War by recreating them with synthesizers and field recordings. (1973, Sub Rosa)
The Tape-beatles – Flowers For Dead Heroes
Using television footage shot in the United States during the 1991 Gulf War, the audio art collaboration from Iowa addresses the psychological theatre that is the home front. (1993, Staalplaat)
David Allan Coe – Osama Bin Laden Song
Demanding revenge, the outlaw country singer expresses the anger and expectations of the home front after the attacks of 11 September. (via wahrweb.org)
James Whitehead – Air Attack Over Kabul Airfield
From the Afgan Suite by the English noise artist, which is part of a series about war that uses samples of artillery and guided missiles deployed in current war zones. (2005, Sub Rosa)
Dost Muhammad – Battle Rhythm
Battle rhythm played on a dhol drum, recorded by Deben Bhattacharya in southern Kabul during his overland journey from Paris to Calcutta. (1955, Sublime Frequencies)
The Android Sisters – Invasion
Ruth Maleczech and Valaria Wasilewski, alias The Android Sisters, take a satirical look at the idea of spreading freedom the rough way. (1984, Vanguard / RE: EM Records)
Sun Ra – Nuclear War
First comes the heat, then comes the blast; Sun Ra warns of the apocalyptic effects of nuclear war. (1982, Y Records)
K Foundation Presents The Red Army Choir – K Cera Cera (War Is Over If You Want It)
Featuring elements from Jay Livingston and Ray Evans’ Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) and John Lennon’s Happy Xmas (War Is Over), the single was originally intended to be released only after world peace had been achieved. However, after seeing Itzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat standing side by side in front of the White House, the K Foundation, aka The KLF, announced a limited release in Palestine and Israel. (1993, K Foundation)
William Onyeabor – Why Go To War
After witnessing the civil war in Biafra/Nigeria, which claimed three million lives in three years, the DJ and producer of stinging Afro-funk has a few questions nine years later. (1979, Wilfilms Records / RE: Luaka Pop)
Say Something