Radiohead: Daydreaming (Piano Phase Remix)
(2025)
author(s): Charles White
published in: Research Catalogue
This artistic research project introduces a 14-minute album, Radiohead Daydreaming (Piano Phase Remix), a remix of an excerpt from Radiohead’s introspective track “Daydreaming.” Employing the minimalist technique of piano phase music—pioneered by composers like Steve Reich—the remix overlays two identical musical lines that gradually shift out of sync, generating intricate rhythmic and harmonic textures. This experimental approach reimagines Radiohead’s atmospheric soundscape, questioning the boundaries of remixing as a creative practice and questioning the integration of avant-garde methods into popular music genres. The work situates itself at the intersection of contemporary music and popular culture, challenging conventional notions of authorship, perception, and musical temporality. By applying phase music to a widely recognized song, the remix fosters a dialogue between experimental composition and mainstream accessibility, inviting listeners to engage with familiar material in a novel context. This process not only recontextualizes the original but also explores the potential of remix culture as a site for innovation and critical inquiry. As a case study in artistic research, Radiohead Daydreaming (Piano Phase Remix) underscores the artist’s role as a researcher, pushing the limits of genre fluidity and creative transformation. The project contributes to broader discussions on the democratization of experimental music and the capacity of remixing to bridge diverse musical traditions, offering new perspectives on the interplay between art, sound, and society.
Anarchiving (in) Ben Patterson's Variations for Double-Bass
(2018)
author(s): Christopher A. Williams
published in: Journal for Artistic Research
Here I employ techniques of anarchiving to explore the dynamics of notation, improvisatory performance, and analysis in Fluxus artist Ben Patterson's Variations for Double-Bass (1961). Coined by process philosophers Erin Manning and Brian Massumi, the concept of the anarchive refers to "a repertory of traces of collaborative research-creation events. The traces are not inert, but are carriers of potential." Variations' proto-anarchival qualities drive the structure of the exposition, which includes superimposed video documentation from my own performances, as well as brief analytical texts and performance instructions for the reader. I hope that this meta-anarchival process both sheds light on Patterson's work, and shows how documentation and analysis in the spirit of the anarchive can propel experimental (musical) practice forward in unexpected ways.