June’s Artists in Residence, Superhand, and experimental electrons duo from mid-Wales deliver another epic live track in reaction to the recent political events, Gaslight by Superhand. Throughout 2017 these artists will take a leading creative role in what Wales Arts Review publishes, centring their skills on a challenging project over the course of a month. We were inundated with applications, receiving hundreds of emails about the positions, and it was no easy task whittling down all that talent to this final eleven. Our team of six editors debated long into the night, and in the end, we decided on a collection of people who we most want to work with, and whose work excites us. We think you will be excited by them too.
This again was a live improvisation, we later worked on the ideas in the hope of creating a new tune, but we got a bit lost on the way. This track is the original take after trying different versions…, hence being 20 mins but we found it to be more interesting than our work trying to turn it into a song. It will get worked on in a live set, and the track will develop in that scenario. Again a Moog Modular 15 and a Sub 37 was used, midi was sent via an Elektron Analog Four, which converts midi to CV. Drum machines were Analog Rytm and a Volca beats machine, but not much programming as we improvised the track of the hoof.
For vocal, we used a Korg Kaoss Pad for sampling and looping vocals that enable you to store, manipulate vocal, or any sound. We recorded onto Pro Tools, with minimal editing.
Gaslight by Superhand is available now via Soundcloud.
About Gaslight by Superhand – The When, What & Whys
I don’t know about you – but I’m exhausted.
I’m frustrated and so saddened by the state of affairs in the UK. I feel like I do not belong here- the things that have reared their ugly head recently have totally shocked me. I thought I lived in a progressive thinking country in Europe – but we were just a little bit behind- or had just had an archaic government, and voting system. But since the EU referendum- I’ve been awakened to the hatred and downright backwards thinking a large number of people in the UK feel-and even had someone tell me to “fuck off home” online (Obviously due to my aka name – which is Swedish – and ancestral name from my great grandfather.)
Years ago my father warned me about the government’s eroding of our rights – which I never forgot – I guess it stuck with me because I found this thought contrary to the society which I believed I was living in: a “free” society.
Growing up the message received was; you can do what you like, say what you like – be who you want to be, we are British! (FFS) We can do as we like! Etc etc. And I guess this is a strength, and also a weakness within our collective identity as a country.
I’m really completely shocked by this divide, brought to a head by Brexit. It’s divided not just communities, but families, mine included.
Now we find ourselves in a complete mess. And it is evolving very fast-changing every day – I’m NOT surprised that Jeremy Corbyn has done so well. But the “establishment” are. Do you have to ask why are they so surprised? (because they are “living in a fantasy” Thom Yorke sings in my head.) They are completely out of touch. The thing that frustrates me so much, is that a big set of people can not see through the lies and media. I understand the ‘old school’ Tory voter, they are typical and familiar, and have some decency and values. But this current set of barely human representatives, have a complete disconnect from reality. Hence this song “Gaslight”.
I see Theresa May and her government constantly use this technique in parliament. They deny reality. The reality of the majority of people living in the UK. They are presented with facts, and they dismiss them. I watch the tv- I shout – I swear A LOT!! I feel powerless. I feel like they are the psychotic boyfriend who’s denying his infidelity. My general conclusion about the way the majority of conservative MPs behave is that they mostly come from very privileged backgrounds. They have been cushioned their whole lives by their privilege, and have no idea, how it is to live/start out with NOTHING. It’s not even on their radar. They’ve never lived on benefits. They’ve had help every step of their lives. If they did not attend public school, then they were helped by their parents to achieve their best in school etc. They were helped onto the property ladder. They believe they have worked hard for what they have – so they are successful. What they fail to understand is that without those cushions, their lives would be extremely different and that individuals need to have the basic help in life to get them on their way. Being disadvantaged is not anyone’s fault, and it has fuck all to do with working hard. The insecurity of poverty is almost impossible to work your way out of- hence the saying “poverty trap”.
I see so many parallels between this current UK government and the fascist regimes of the past. The heartless cuts to the disabled, and demonisation of the poor, the reckless destruction of the welfare state, labelling the “Have nots” as scroungers, whilst the ultra-privileged get their expenses paid, their drinks at the bar subsidised – and this misdirection of anger is an OUTRAGE. The level of authoritarianism is scaring me to death. Not to mention climate change – which has been totally sidelined – not mentioned at all throughout the #GE2017.
Theresa May and this Conservative government are self-serving and taking the piss out of us all. It’s an absolutely unbelievable situation that they have created in the UK. Forming a coalition with the DUP to me is completely beyond – it’s the LAST STRAW.
Theresa May needs to go to see a doctor asap. She gaslights the country all the time-
….. don’t let ANYONE GASLIGHT YOU.
TACTICS USED BY THE GASLIGHTER
Gaslighters use a variety of subtle techniques to undermine your reality and portray you as the disturbed and messed up one. These include, for example:
- Discrediting you by making other people think that you’re crazy, irrational or unstable.
- Using a mask of confidence, assertiveness, and/or fake compassion to make you believe that you “have it all wrong.” Therefore, eventually, you begin to doubt yourself and believe their version of past events.
- Changing the subject. The gaslighter may divert the topic by asking another question, or making a statement usually directed at your thoughts, e.g. “You’re imagining things—that never happened!” “No, you’re wrong, you didn’t remember right.” “Is that another crazy idea you got from your (family member/friend)?”
- Minimizing. By trivializing how you feel and what you think, the gaslighter gains more and more power over you, e.g. “Why are you being so sensitive?” “You don’t need to get angry over a little thing like that!” “I was just joking around, why are you taking things so seriously?”
- Denial and avoidance. By refusing to acknowledge your feelings and thoughts, the gaslighter causes you to doubt yourself more and more. For example, “I don’t remember that, you must have dreamt it!” “You’re lying, I never said that.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re changing the subject.”
- Twisting and reframing. When the gaslighter confidently and subtly twists and reframes what was said or done in their favour, they can cause you to second-guess yourself—especially when paired with fake compassion, making you feel as though you are “unstable,” “irrational,” and so forth. For example, “I didn’t say that, I said _____” “I didn’t beat you up Johnny, I just gave you a smack around the head—that’s what all good fathers do.” “If you remember correctly, I was actually trying to help you.”
This piece, Gaslight by Superhand is part of the Artists in Residence series.
Inga Carlström
European Citizen
Source: https://lonerwolf.com/gaslighting/
