Re: deleuze-guattari-digest V1 #175

Ted, (Jukka & everybody else),

Very busy at the moment, no time to really
> expand on [my] idea that TG are nomadic but are not rhizomatic.
The concept of the rhizome is indeed baffling, even for D&G:

"To attain the multiple, one must have a method that effectively constructs
it; no typographical cleverness, no lexical agility, no blending or creation
of words, no syntactical boldness, can substitute for it" (ATP p.22)

'15 years ago', TG had all these latter qualities (cultural/musical
boldness), but they didn't really have a method to 'construct the multiple'.
They used

"(..) merely mimetic procedures to disseminate or disperse a unity that is
retained in a different dimension" (id)
[which is also, I think, what Derrida's strategy, his arch-concepts do.
Although both TG and Derrida use more than 'merely mimetic procedures', they
ultimately need metaphysical dialectics / unity]

The cut-up procedure/deconstruction creates new/displaced unities, but no
rhizomes. Although rhizomes are everywhere in the real, it is very difficult
to *create* the rhizomatic:

"Typographical, lexical, or syntactic creations are necessary only when they
no longer belong to the form of expression of a hidden unity, becoming
themselves dimensions of the multiplicity under consideration; we only know
of rare success in this (21). We ourselves were unable to do it" (id)

In this note 21 D&G refer to Joelle de La Casiniere's 'Absolument
Necessaire' (Paris: Minuit 1973) They call this a 'truly nomadic book' (so
if TG is not rhizomatic, their music is neither nomadic? Reterritorialized?).
ANYONE EVER READ THIS BOOK? I'm very curious about it!! (ISBN 2707300012).
Afraid I'll have to go to Paris for this one.

I likened Zoviet France to the rhizomatic cuz their music is made up of
resonating heterogeneous series, signs/samples flashing across the system,
intensities.. Difficult to describe / by definition not-explicable:
im-pli-cated. They sometimes manage to produce some sort of 'form',
consisting not of (differen_c_iated) elements, not a unity that belongs to
the domain of representation, but more like a musical fractal...
By the way Ted, I didn't know Zoviet France still exists/performs. Thought
they broke up (in Horizon 222 and Rapoon). I once saw a ZF performance, but
it was not really like their (earlier) records. There are very few
"industrial noise" bands I really like, but I'll check out your suggestion
(Pain Teens). Using noise and samples of >aspects of American culture< is
very common nowadays, also in rap/underground house etc, but is not
necessarily related to the nomadic/rhizomatic.

If you want some food for thinking about the rhizome, check out K. Burnett's
'Toward a theory of hypertextual design' in Postmodern Culture (v.3 n.2,
jan. '93). I think hyperMEDIA offer possibilities to explore the rhizomatic,
but (again) I think hypertext as we know it now, is at best a
'radicle-system' (D&G's second type of 'book', like Burroughs's cut-ups).
Interesting...but I
have to run now,

Mark.


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