Experimenting the Human: Art, Music, and the Contemporary Posthuman

Experimental music reflects the contemporary posthuman condition, where science and technology decenter human agency, and time moves forward for some while standing still or moving backward for others. It reflects on this state through its interdisciplinary involvements in postwar science, technology, and art movements, addressing the social and technological conditions that support such a pursuit.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 13 January 2023
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

In his groundbreaking book Experimenting the Human, G Douglas Barrett explores the profound implications of experimental music for our understanding of the contemporary posthuman condition. This condition, characterized by the blurring of boundaries between science, technology, and human agency, emerges in the context of the uneven temporality of postwar global capitalism. While time progresses for some, it seems to stand still or even retreat for others, creating a complex web of experiences and perspectives. Some argue that we have already transcended the human, while others continue to grapple with the lingering effects of being perceived as less than fully human.

Experimental music, according to Barrett, serves as a mirror to this state of affairs. By engaging with interdisciplinary fields such as postwar science, technology, and art movements, it reflects on the social and technological conditions that enable and sustain the pursuit of human enhancement. Rather than seeking to transcend human limitations, experimental music addresses the very factors that perpetuate them.

Barrett traces the historical entanglement of experimentalism with cybernetics, highlighting how it has influenced the development of music and other artistic forms. Through a meticulous analysis of works by artists such as Alvin Lucier, Pamela Z, Nam June Paik, Pauline Oliveros, Laetitia Sonami, Yasunao Tone, and Jerry Hunt, he demonstrates how experimental music engages with the posthuman condition in unique and innovative ways.

Experimenting the Human offers a fresh perspective on what it means to be human by blending music studies, media theory, and art history. Barrett's interdisciplinary approach provides a rich tapestry of insights, challenging our preconceptions and expanding our understanding of the human experience in the age of technological transformation. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of music, technology, and the human condition, as it offers a thought-provoking and provocative exploration of our contemporary world.

Weight: 494g
Dimension: 159 x 237 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226823355