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Poetic terrorism, the ARIA’s and Spotify

This article is a double-decker that stems from the writing I’ve been doing for uni and also from scrolling Instagram. The first part is my very rough attempt at unpacking what poetic terrorism is and how we might think about it in-relation to media (theoretical and boring). The second is an application of this train of thought contra the ARIA’s/Spotify (grounded and annoying). It’s a pseudo-intellectual, ham-fisted piece that I am reluctantly publishing. Unfortunately, I intend to continue writing blog posts with the aim of compiling these into a physical zine down the track. Fortunately, the ones after this will be more about music itself, rather than all this stuff I perceive it to be couched in.  Part 1: Terrorism stuff Poetic terrorism is a term that, as far as I know, was popularised by Hakim Bey. The definition that Bey provides of poetic terrorism is, in-part: “An exquisite seduction carried out not only in the cause of mutual satisfaction but also as a conscious act in a d...
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The logic and unreality of BIGSOUND 2025

BIGSOUND is the death-drive of industry. It is schoolies for the regressed creative precariat, a smoky backroom for Australian music’s deep state. It is Davos for indie rock egotists, the World Economic Forum for moustache-mullet-earring as uniform. Those in their 20s begging to be exploited and those with memories of how cool street press was in the 80s who know how to do the exploiting. But perhaps that is giving both sides too much credit. BIGSOUND is less about the husks who occupy positions of power and more about the totalizing trans-human logic of capital. The core of BIGSOUND is quickly revealed in its refusal to pay artists and opaque, hype-centric criteria as to who is allowed to play. It is a humiliation ritual. There is no room to question whether Spotify, TikTok or multi-billion dollar companies should play a role in local music. Your job as a delegate is to learn the hamstring stretches, touch your fucking toes and post on socials. Metrics = artistic value! Brands > ...
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