I've been thinking a lot about "hauntology" lately. To use Derrida's definition at the end of history the present becomes oriented towards ideas of the past, creating a sort of murky reflection of what we imagine "once was." There's a natural inclination towards things "rustic, bizarre or 'old-timey'."

...in his Specters of Marx during which he reflects on the persistance of the concept of (utopian) revolution despite its apparent eradication from the scene of politics and history (the book is 'work of mourning' published in the early 90s after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the inaugeration of the 'end of history'). As such the concept of social and political revolution takes on a ghostly aspect - present and not present, eluding the categorical definition of western metaphysics, apparently erased yet still palpable in traces and echoes and uncanny visitations.

In this sense I came to realize that many of my favorite video games growing up shared hauntological qualities by sheer fact of relying on a mythological past while existing in the medium of 2-d electronic entertainment. These games, such as King's Quest IV, Dragon Warrior III & IV, A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy III & IV, ChronoTrigger and Secret of Mana are deeply dependent, both visually and by way of content, upon northern European and (it seems to a much lesser extent) Asian folklore. And this folklore was now being re-communicated via a full-on video game where one could visually immerse themselves in this world completely. Thus, these forgotten worlds that never truly existed "return" to life via the corrupted collective memory of late 20th-century video game designers.*

*I should note that it's doubtful any of these games would exist if it weren't for the popular works of Tolkien and his desire to "recreate" the Anglo-Saxon mythology he imagined was lost due to the Norman invasion.

What is hauntology? [Jahsonic]
Hauntology [Wikipedia]

Labels: A Link to the Past, Anglo-Saxon, ChronoTrigger, Dragon Warrior, Final Fantasy, hauntology, Secret of Mana, Tolkien, video games

Majorly hauntological:

On a digital copy of the recording provided to The New York Times, the anonymous vocalist, probably female, can be heard against a hissing, crackling background din. The voice, muffled but audible, sings, “Au clair de la lune, Pierrot répondit” in a lilting 11-note melody — a ghostly tune, drifting out of the sonic murk.

Researchers Play Tune Recorded Before Edison [NYTimes.com]

Labels: au clair de la lune, hauntology, phonautogram

Lately I've been immersing myself in hauntological music. The genre, best described in the Arthur Blog and K-Punk's "Music is dead! Long live hauntology!", often recalls imagery reminiscent of Edwardian-era occultism, The Wicker Man soundtrack, HP Lovecraft stories and Hammer films (most notably Nigel Kneale's Quatermass and the Pit).

One of the best pieces I've been listening to is Mount Vernon Arts Lab's 1999 release Warminster (which was recorded with Portishead guitarist Adrian Utley). The CD is so good that I decided to make a t-shirt for myself using the image on the back cover of the digipak (plus, it's just a cool image--a giant bear holding an antenna).

Other albums I recommend include:
Moon Wiring Club - An Audience of Art Deco Eyes
The Advisory Circle - Mind How You Go
Eric Zann - Ouroborinda
Belbury Poly - The Owl's Map, The Willows
Mount Vernon Arts Lab - Séance At Hobs Lane
The Focus Group - We Are All Pan's People
Cyclobe - The Visitors
Boards of Canada - tracks like Skimming Stones, Statue of Liberty and Alpha Rainbow from A Few Old Tunes volumes 1 & 2
Delia Derbyshire - Electrosonic (this predates the genre by a few decades but the influence can't be ignored)

The Advisory Circle, Eric Zann, Belbury Poly, Mount Vernon Arts Lab and The Focus Group can all be found on the amazing Ghost Box label out of the UK.

And, finally, in the spirit of haunted creepiness I present this short film I made while in Hudson, New York:

Labels: hauntology, music