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Discovering Electronic Music – an early short film by People Like Us

In the early days of desktop computing with video (1999-2000), People Like Us used relatively primitive techniques of scratch video then Adobe Premiere editing, resulting in a particular lo-fi look which isn’t particularly intentional, but reflective of the process.

Discovering Electronic Music (1999)
“A computer can take over this control work and do it more quickly and accurately than a human being.” The above sentence inspired transforming the source film (also entitled) “Discovering Electronic Music” by collaging it with the horror film “Evil Speak”. The result is a reflection of the overwhelming power of the computer in modern life.

Download the video here

Here are the words:
A computer can take over much of this control work and do it more quickly and accurately than a human being
This computer is connected to and controls envelope generators, filters and electronic oscillators
The composer is telling the computer what kind of sound he wants
Using computer language he is describing a melody he wants to use in a composition
This melody by Bach is one we’ve already heard
The computer can help manipulate this melody in many ways
By using a switch the composer can instruct the computer to play the melody backwards
Or upside down
He can change the pitches
He can play more loudly or softly
(on computer screen):
What are the keys to the kingdom of Satan’s magic?
I, Esteban, have signed the book of death and touched the hand of my master Satan, through the rite of the black mass.
Book of death… sign… book of death… black mass… Esteban… sign… book of death… black mass… Esteban… Esteban… Esteban… Esteban…
Backwards, backwards
(on computer screen):
Satan: here my plea and through the rite of the black mass help me stand erect before my enemy and defy his curse.
(on computer screen):
By the dreadful day of judgement,
By the face of the uholy majesty and
By the beasts before the throne…
By the fire which is about the throne
I conjure and command thee oh prince
of darkness in the name of he who spake
and it was done.
Satan, Lucifer appear forthwith and
show yourself to me.
Blood
Consecrated host
Data incomplete
(on computer screen)
Blood
Consecrated host
Data incomplete
(on computer screen)
ESTEBAN
(on computer screen)
Blood
Consecrated host
Data incomplete
(on computer screen)
Human
Blood
Data incomplete
(on computer screen)
Human Blood
I will return
(on computer screen)
Human Blood
Data incomplete

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Over The Edge Archive – The Happy Fingers Method

Over The Edge – The Happy Fingers Method
December 1998

People Like Us (here from England), Wobbly, and Peter Conheim join me for a live mix generally spinning around the cut up soundtrack of “The 5000 Fingers Of Dr. T.” After interviewing PLU and her manager about her music and her new Hollywood movie, “The Tantrum,” we all begin pushing our collective buttons with all our happy fingers for 3 hours of solid irritainment. Beyond the distinctive rantings of Hans Conried and his gaggle of little piano prisoners throughout, there’s no point in even trying to identify it all – just a lot of found stuff from various mediums put together for the fun of weaving pseudo musical fabric out of bits and pieces of sound. A concentrated musical collage for modern radio.
Run time 2h:53m:43s
In constant memory of Don Joyce.  https://archive.org/details/ote
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Over The Edge Archive – The Sound Of Austria II

Over The Edge – The Sound of Austria II
October 1998

More recordings from “The Sound Of Music” made on and off stage, (counting the money, etc.) and big pieces of the final show in Linz. The attempted Julie Andrews interview, “Oh how happy we will be when we learn our harmony,” receptacle input, participant discussions about how this performance should be done… and how it was done! More Cha Cha, more food, more beer, NPR, the RIAA, underground Austrian elf land from a miniature train, the best parts of show three, and new mixing with material used and left out. Thanks to Staalplaat and Time’s Up for creating this get together – People Like Us, Music Toerist, Barbed, Negativland.
Run time 3h:5m:47s

In constant memory of Don Joyce.  https://archive.org/details/ote

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Over The Edge Archive – The Sound of Austria I

Over The Edge – The Sound of Austria I
September 1998

The first OTE broadcast of the live, 7 person jams at the Ars Electronica festival in Linz, Austria in which Negativland, Barbed, People Like Us, and Music Toerist participated. Our theme and title was “The Sound Of Music” and we all played it together, and all kinds of other sound related material, for three nights. The first of these two OTE broadcasts is five hours and covers the first two shows (The first show, subtitled “the Sound Connection” was done as a “radio show” from stage for a live broadcast on Austrian State radio FM4, Radio Kunst who also provided Receptacle Phone Access!, and the internet webcast. Contains a lengthy live review of “The End Of Music” by Crosley Bendix, plus some new mixes of stuff both in and left out of the Austrian mixes. This 5 hour show includes much music from the first two shows, along with a lot of tapes made off stage about our trip and being in Austria, and some live mixing of all this material for this radio show.
Run time 4h:53m:58s
In constant memory of Don Joyce.  https://archive.org/details/ote
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Over The Edge Archive – Fake Bacon Breakfast Loop III

Over The Edge Archive – Fake Bacon Breakfast Loop III
June 1998

This final in a series, like the other two, is being sent live to London, England via our semi- phone fidelity teletour box to a temporary art thing radio station, Resonance FM. It’s a loopy breakfast thing because it airs from 8 to 11 am in England. Lots of good piggy mixing between Negativland’s “Smelly Water” (a studio remix/collaboration of/with Chumbawamba’s “Drip, Drip, Drip”), Bob and Ray’s “House of Toast,” a report by Raymond Bien, President of General Injectables, a Weatherman club soda break, there’s hog fat all over the highway, a telephone tape exchange with People Like Us, Dave Emory expounds on a crucial assassination link in the SRL show he witnessed this evening, the Stupid Song, Orson Welles and sincerity, “traffic, weather, changing the refrigerator light bulb, “So tired” loops, and loops that go on forever…
Run time 3h:5m:7s

In constant memory of Don Joyce.  https://archive.org/details/ote

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Over The Edge Archive – Fake Bacon Breakfast Loop I

Over The Edge – Fake Bacon Breakfast Loop I
June 1998

The Weatherman, Wobbly, and Dave Emory join Bud Goode for a highly technical and receptacle content infused show. Some discussion on the Teletour concept, as this show was apparently simulcast via phone line to UK radio station Resonance FM.

The Weatherman’s tired. People Like Us phones in. The recurring ‘F-You’ guy keeps calling. Includes riveting episode of What Are We Supposed To Think Now with Tilt Reptilian & Dave Emory.  Random show note: The original donor of Don’s ’78 Nova calls in at around the 35 minute mark.

Run time 3h:4m:56s

In constant memory of Don Joyce.  https://archive.org/details/ote

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Over The Edge Archive – OTE in Concert

Over The Edge – OTE in Concert
8 (and 9) April 1998
https://vimeo.com/20861241 (thanks to Puzzling Evidence)

 This show occurred the night before a live performance in San Francisco in which the same people presented “OTE In Concert.” Actually a rehearsal of sorts, this show is divided into three sets – Wobbly and Wetgate play first, then PLU and Don, then all mix together for the remainder of the show. People Like Us (Vicki Bennett) comes all the way from England with a MiniDisc full of samples, Wobbly wiggles the keyboards, and Wetgate runs film loops through multiple film projectors for, in this case, audio only movies. Tellytubbies, Clowns and Ballerinas, McDonalds for girls, torture, and “fuck Lycra” are among our subjects.
Run time 3h:0m:19s
In constant memory of Don Joyce.  https://archive.org/details/ote

Superstars of sample People Like Us, Wobbly, and C. Elliot Friday of Negativland join forces with projectionists Wetgate to layer lightly at the Cell Space one fine spring night to discern “what’s music?”…

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Over The Edge Archive: Advertising Secrets

Over The Edge – Advertising Secrets
March 1998

Beginning with Dr. Norway’s hosting of a Howland Island tourism travelog being tested at focus groups inside One World Advertising, this show cuts up a lot of “DisPepsi syndrome” and Happy Heroes in a lot of revisited roles. A little Roger Waters, “Great Moments” from channel 5, Kaiser Steel makes a comedy record, Lot’s of inventive receptacle including transAtlantic calls from People Like Us in England, (by now, a habit she’s willing to pay for) and more Howland travelog throughout. The price is right. Only infinity left!
In constant memory of Don Joyce.  https://archive.org/details/ote
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Over The Edge Archive – World Radio World I

Over The Edge – World Radio World I
4 October 1996

A nice three hours of chopped radio content from around the world. Includes Pirate live mix radio from the Netherlands which also supplies an interview with Don about Negativland issues as broadcast on Dutch radio VPRO. Crazily interesting English and Australian disc jockeys, a segment about Russian radio selling out, Japanese Pop and Japanese Noise, French cigarette music, People Like Us, new South African narrative music, Nina Hagen and Nena, short wave, receptacle programming, and more. Two 90 cassettes.
Run time 3h:4m:55s
In constant memory of Don Joyce.  https://archive.org/details/ote
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Over The Edge Archive – London Music Falling Down I

Over The Edge – London Music Falling Down I
11 April 1996

On secret orders from Mr. Friday, I made a trip to London and returned with several hand picked radio consultants from the BBC. All these actual English speaking people are here from London to make the Netweb better, elevate programming, and make OTE actually tops in no-top broadcasting. Hosted by famous American, Earthworm Jim, everybody’s on mike commenting on form, style, American quirks, and tea, dunking in and out of a nice, busy mix of all British voices, actualities, disk jockey pranks, Lance Dann’s BBC radio production, a BBC quiz, Radio 1, 2, 3, & 4, Music, News, Weather, and hot tea from the Emerald Sea. And a certain amount of dialect gibberish. A sometimes raucous, sometimes touching tribute to London and it’s music, past and present. Mix includes parts of Scanner, Stock, Hausen & Walkman, People Like Us, Barbed, Art Of Noise, Neil Innes, Crass, Vivian Stanshall, Deaf School, Siouxsie, Marianne, Tom, and more.
Run time 3h:3m:41s
In constant memory of Don Joyce.  https://archive.org/details/ote