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Artist News Top Stories
Cage Against The Machine: Some quotes
By CMU Editorial | Published on Tuesday 7 December 2010
Co-organiser Eddy Temple Morris: “[This project has been] stressful, ageing, laborious, but ultimately rewarding, joyous and very very emotional. I’m shattered, humbled, full of love and admiration for all those who contributed, from the artists to the camera people to Buttercup Cakes, who made VV Brownies and Lethal Drizzle cake for us all!”
Participant Dan Le Sac: “It was good, it was really good. It was lovely to see a lot of people uncomfortable with hearing their own thoughts. You know, lots of people who, all they’ve heard is basslines for the last ten years, and now they’re going: ‘Silence?! What do I do?’. But I got it once I was in there, that idea that it’s not always about the noise you’re making, it can be about the noise you’re not making. There was something quite lovely about it”.
Participant Alice Russell: “I bought my Rage Against The Machine last year, and I think there’s enough people that wanna support that side of things, and also for the charity side of things. I think it’ll do well. I think there’s so many people that need that, they’re sort of fed up with the sugar-sweet, crazy ‘X-Factor’ pop crud that they need a bit of this. We need to be refreshed”.
Artist Kilford: “I see lots of colours when I hear music and I paint music for bands. I go on stage with them and start painting a picture on the first note and then finish on the last note. [But ‘4’33”’] is a musical piece which is based on silence, so I didn’t see any colours. So therefore the painting, as far as I’m concerned, represents the true piece. It’s a painting without paint. I think it’s a perfect piece to represent that specific piece of music”.
Producer Paul Epworth: “Apart from anything, it’s nice that there’s people who have started to look at providing a grass roots alternative to mainstream music culture again. And on top of anything, I like the idea there might be an avant-garde track at number one. It’s a good testament of John Cage’s legacy as well, I think”.
Co-creator and co-organiser Julie Hilliard: “When the campaign was originally started we had no idea it would grow to be so big. I think after the original Guardian piece was published about us, that’s when we realised the potential. Eddy has been a huge help in mobilising bands and getting the venue, producer and label on board. Throughout we have fought to maintain the integrity of Cage’s ‘4’33″‘ piece in relation to this project, and this has sometimes meant saying ‘no’ to the media types we’ve needed to deal with to make this thing happen”.
On the chances of ‘4’33″‘ now being the Christmas number one, Hilliard continues: “I feel like we hit a niche of people who really get how cool the idea is. Whether the rest of Britain concurs with that is another story. I do feel like the blankness of ‘4’33”’ is what makes it special and really unique. It allows people to put their own agenda or meaning on it. For some it will be about beating the ‘X-Factor’. Some people want it to be all about raising funds for charity. For others it is about honouring a classical composer. And for some people, they will just find it a really wonderfully funny joke – which, to be honest, was exactly what it originally set out to be”.
