Music is not a language. The note 'A' has no fixed symbolic reference, unlike the word 'A' which points at nouns. Instrumental music does, however, contain meaning which may only be very vaguely assigned in composition. Varying amounts of this are cultural. Music attaches itself to memory. The brain processes music in the same way that it does with all sound; it seeks first to locate, and then to unwrap meaning. Assisting in this process is the stored jumble of previous-experience unique to the listener, along with whatever information may be gained from the other sensory interfaces. The brain, sensing such organisation, like language, acts upon music as though it is communication.

It is however, noise.


Clay Gold is a British sound recording artist with an interest in social cybernetics. His recorded, performance and installation work considers the collection, processing, application, destruction and preservation of information within and away from the constraints of the human mind.

His multi-channel sound pieces use location recording, synthesis, Foley, worldizing and spot effects within a live performance context and are part of an exploration into actively collected, suppressed and promoted opinion; or censorship and propaganda.

www.claygold.co.uk