The question all started with Germany. The Germans are well known in nearly every realm of music for producing innovative, quality works. Bach and Beethoven, both Germans, were arguably the two most important figures in classical music. Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream allowed electronic textures to expand until rock influences were abandoned for the creation of an entirely new genre. German progressive rockers like Can and Faust were distinctive enough to be tagged with the label "krautrock" instead of being lumped in with the rest of the world's progressive rock scene. Even the German metal scene, most famous for the Teutonic Trio of Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction, is known worldwide by metal fans. When asked about the nature of the German metal scene, I noted that, although the German sound is not as distinctive and easy to pin down as the sounds of Finnish death metal, Norwegian black metal, or British heavy metal, there is an underlying theme of severity, extremism, or even hatred in German metal. Some notable examples:
This passionate extremism in art acts as the common link between most notable German music, tying together the seemingly alien genres of classical, electronic, rock, metal, and others with a common goal. Starting with classical music, German music immediately set itself apart from medieval music by applying a grandiose nature to the music on a monolithic scale. While Bach and Beethoven, the two prime examples familiar to laymen, differed drastically in their musical tendencies and goals, both embody the unbound ambition of German art.
Bach’s lush cantatas, sobering masses, and regal organ works sought to make God’s presence on the human plane tangible. While the cynicism of German philosophy or the hatred of German extreme metal may seem to be stark contrasts to Bach’s work, they all bear one crucial similarity: ambitions of an epic nature that break free of human limitations and seek to reach the extremes of the universe. While Beethoven's works tended to incite more of a human connection than Bach's sacred music, his work, especially his symphonies and overtures, also captured a previously unheard of epic quality in pursuit of an ambitious ideal:
While it is relatively clear that the overtly severe extreme metal scene of Germany or the longstanding tradition of grandiose classical music demonstrate the Germans passion and ambition for the extreme, it may be less clear how the legendary electronic music movement of Germany relates to such ideals. The answer? Extreme minimalism.
While the grandiose nature of German classical may seem lost in these droning pieces, the ambition for extremism is still there, albeit in a more Nietzschen sense. As if acting as Beethoven's counterpart, these artists seek to create monolithic art out of extreme nothingness, out of a cold void. One only finds meaning in the works of Klaus Schulze by making note of subtle shifts in momentum and texture; appreciation for this extremely minimal music requires every bit as much focus as appreciation for the most vast of German symphonies.
Keep in mind, the point of this series is by no means to explore the significance of extremism, nationalism, or other facets of art and philosophy. I hope only to find inherent links within all music by finding the subtle similarities between the most seemingly different artists of our time that hail from under one banner.
