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Listening report Sebastian Ermer Pauline Oliveros “Bye Bye Butterfly”

 

Pauline Oliveros’ piece “Bye Bye Butterfly” is strange to me. But not in a negative sense, no, not at all. Not strange in the sense of it being bad, more so strange as in being weird and alien, maybe even uncomfortable. Perhaps it would be more apt to describe “Bye Bye Butterfly” as an experience, rather than a simple piece of music.

Throughout its duration of roughly eight minutes, “Bye Bye Butterfly’s” soundscape warps and distorts, at times almost being uncomfortable to listen to, all while invoking themes of the alien, the unknown, and the vastness of space. At the same time, “Bye Bye Butterfly” carries aspects of the subliminal, hiding something familiar just out of the grasp of the listener. The entire piece feels alien, yet familiar, strange, yet so intimate. Especially in its second half does this piece play with the concept of the subliminal, using vocals from opera “Madame Butterfly” and distorting them just enough that they are still recognizable, yet sound foreign at the same time.

Personally, I have a huge interest in the subliminal and in all its different applications, especially liminal spaces. To me especially liminal spaces are such an interesting concept. They play with the human memory and nostalgia, creating a sense of familiarity in places one might have never seen before. Yet at the same time, these spaces carry a sense of dread, of the uncanny, seeming foreign, yet nostalgic simultaneously.

To me at least, “Bye Bye Butterfly” is the auditory version of such a liminal space. Just close enough to what one might consider “normal music” to appear recognizable, maybe even familiar, while at the same time feeling eerie, strange, maybe even hostile at times. It encapsulates the spirit and feeling of these liminal spaces perfectly, making it the perfect experience for anyone that revels in that special taste of the uncomfortable.

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