Up until last year there were three things it would seem you could count on. Death, taxes and an X Factor winner being at number one for Christmas. All three things not very nice, but thankfully last year the public at least managed to leverage one of these things out of the equation. Thanks to the efforts of Jon and Tracy Morter, X Factor had to settle for the number two spot and in the eyes of the nation…well, the good guys won.
However with Christmas fast approaching this is no time to rest on our laurels, once again the spectre of something cheesy and unsatisfying riding at the top of the charts is an all too real possibility. However once again, there is the prospect of salvation only this year it comes in the form of…silence.
Four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence to be more precise. For those that aren’t familiar this was a piece originally composed by John Cage in 1952. It was written to be performed by any band or instrument and involved the musicians not playing for that duration of time. While this may seem unconventional to many actually achieving true silence is something that is surprisingly difficult to manage and while you may stop interacting with the world around you, the world itself continues unabated which can (and has) made this an interesting project.
Because the original piece is in three movements it was rendered ineligible for the UK charts so a number of machines and producers have got together to record a new version. Those involved include the likes of Orbital, Coldcut, Pete Doherty, Enter Shikari, Fenech Soler as well as remixes (yes remixes!) courtesy of Mr Scruff, Adam F, Alex Metric, Herve, Fake Blood (and tons more, there’s even an opportunity for you to create your own version of the piece).
While it is undoubtedly a pleasing prospect to derail anything Simon Cowell is involved in lets not forget the primary reason why all involved are doing this. All proceeds from the single go to a number of charities including C.A.L.M a service for young people in search of help and advice. Youth Music a leading UK charity which helps improve the lives of disadvantaged young people. The British Tinnitus Association, Nordoff Robbins Trust and Sound and Music all which will benefit greatly from any proceeds generated.
By signing up to to Cage Against The Machine website you will be asked for your email address and a reminder & chart eligible buy link for the single on December 13th. The single will be released on the Wall Of Sound label and will be available from the usual digital outlets with iTunes already providing you with pre order links.
So there you have it, an opportunity to do something for a good cause that once again has a cheeky little dig at the establishment. The links are below…