Nerdcore

[GAHD]

I have had a love for the nerdy musicians for a while now. From the days of Animaniacs singing the brain or the map, to McFrontalot waxing philosophical about ZORK, Artificial intelligence, or the inevitable machine uprising.

Recently I found some Nerdcore Pop.

What sort of cerebral music have you come across? Share it with me please. :)

[CraigD]

I can’t think of music about science, science fiction, and the culture of these, without thinking of the music of Johnathan Coulton.

[exchemist]

I have had a love for the nerdy musicians for a while now. From the days of Animaniacs singing the brain or the map, to McFrontalot waxing philosophical about ZORK, Artificial intelligence, or the inevitable machine uprising.

 

Recently I found some Nerdcore Pop.

 

What sort of cerebral music have you come across? Share it with me please. :)

Listen to any keyboard work by Bach! 

 

Perhaps the Art of Fugue is the most cerebral of them all: a work almost of mathematics, as well as being fascinating to listen to. 

 

Here is a performance of Contrapunctus VII, played on the organ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiWh9kNC26A  

 

This one simultaneously combines the main Art of Fugue theme played the right way up, "inverted" (i.e. with each upward interval turned into a downward one), and with both versions coming up at different tempi , i.e. at "normal" speed, half speed (in which one crochet becomes one minim etc. All harmonised together (!) and conveying the usual power, intellect and confidence that comes through in so much of Bach's work. 

 

For a musician's explanation of some lighter Bach keyboard works, here is Murray Perahia unpicking the structure of a couple of  movements of my favourite French Suite  

 

But this is pure music of the mind, not intended to convey any particular story or feeling. I understand that Bach appeals to almost all serious musicians, from classical to jazz, or even rock. 

Edited March 3, 2017 by exchemist