No. 022 - Julius Aglinskas’ “blue dusk I” changed my life
No. 022 - Julius Aglinskas’ “blue dusk I” changed my life
Artist & musician Brandon Locher on the transcendent, transformative quality of music
This Song Changed My Life is an independent music publication featuring essays from people all around the world about the songs that mean the most to them. Created by Grace Lilly, supported by readers.
• 4 min read •
A riot was caused on the evening of May 29, 1913 in Paris at the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring. The music's dissonant chords and pulsating rhythms, alongside the bizarre jerky movements of the choreography, led to a dozen witness accounts that blows were exchanged, objects were thrown at the stage, and at least one person was challenged to a duel.
The performance continued to the end, despite the rowdiness of the audience, and a tug of war took place between an ovation and the noise of protesters.
In August of 1952, pianist David Tudor performed 4'33 by John Cage, a performance in which he never played a single note. This piece consists of "silence," but most importantly the sounds of the environment emerge. The listener's perception is drawn to the present changing world, which, when one's awareness is placed upon it, seems to unfold like a blossoming lotus flower.
Similarly to Cage, Edgard Varèse conceived of his music in terms of "sound-masses." He compared their organization to the natural phenomenon of crystallization, and originated the idea that music is "organized sound."
In 1985, the year I was born, in his essay “Plunderphonics, or Audio Piracy as a Compositional Prerogative,” composer John Oswald coined the term “Plunderphonics” to define a music genre in which tracks are constructed by sampling recognizable musical works. He released his album Plexure in 1993, attempting to sample the history of CD music up to that point (1982-1992), and it’s an example of how prerecorded sonic materials can be physically transformed to shock the listener with surprise and absolute wonder.
These are just a few of the many examples of music that has deepened my own perception of the world around us, and ultimately changed my life.
Our bodies regenerate cells on average every 7-10 years, although white blood cells only live for about 13 days and the cells that line the stomach walls generally last 5 days before regeneration. Therefore, our bodies are changing every minute: some part is dying, and some part is being born again. Music seems to have similar transformative qualities. I'm continually surprised by how often music changes me.
This past week while watching Carlos Saura's brilliant 1976 film Cría cuervos… I was introduced to the song "Porque te vas" by Jeanette and was convinced I'd never heard a cooler pop song in my entire life!
In 2012, musician, DJ, and producer Matthew Herbert told Pitchfork, "I read this statistic that said 75% of music on iTunes has never been downloaded once. It's depressing, but it also makes you think that we should stop making music until we listen to it all, and then we should start again."
A quick Google search says there are currently more than 100 million songs streaming on Spotify. It seems with the ever changing nature of our material world, if we stay open-minded, music has the capability to change us daily.
1 of these 100+ million songs that changed my life in 2023 was "blue dusk I" by Vilnius, Lithuania-based composer Julius Aglinskas, performed by the British chamber ensemble Apartment House. Aglinskas explained in an interview, "I think the main or the biggest aim in my music is very simple: a feeling." This song seems to seek truth at its most primitive and fundamental source, and with every repeated listen I'm confronted with a feeling of immense beauty.
I could begin to describe this music in great detail, but I feel any type of language would only abstract its essence. This music is incredibly patient and tenderly slow. The tone colors and timbre of the recorded violins, viola, cello, piano, and guitar seem to reflect the nuanced light of twilight, constantly changing like the cells within our own material bodies until we've reached the darkness of dusk.
I've listened to this recording hundreds of times, often on a continuous loop, and as the music recedes into silence I'm often left with a sense of transcendence, a remnant of inner peace.
This is deeply reflective music that I most highly recommend. Listen closely and allow the sounds to open and ultimately reward your senses and heart.
This music is nostalgia for the ever-changing present. Past and future slowly evaporate, and we are left only with this moment. ◆
About Brandon
Brandon Locher is a musician and artist currently living in rural Pennsylvania, USA.
Instagram @brandonlocher
Website brandon-locher.com
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