The Waywords and Meansigns Opendoor Edition debuted in 2017 as a part of the Waywords and Meansigns project setting James Joyce's Finnegans Wake to music. The Opendoor Edition features over 100 artists and musicians performing unabridged passages of Finnegans Wake. [1] An open edition, participants are invited to contribute to the Opendoor Edition on an ongoing basis. The edition first premiered May 4, 2017. [2]
The genres represented in the Waywords and Meansigns Opendoor Edition are quite diverse, ranging from metal and industrial to folk and jazz. [3] Many of the tracks are experimental; some recordings adhere to fairly traditional song formats while others offer audiobook-like readings with ambient accompaniment. [4]
The Waywords and Meansigns project began in 2014 with a goal of setting James Joyce's Finnegans Wake to music unabridged. They released two unabridged editions of the text, in 2015 and 2016. [5] Over 300 people have been involved in Wayords and Meansigns since 2014. [6]
The Waywords and Meansigns Opendoor Edition features contributors from 15 different countries in what was called "an all-star cast of weirdos." [7] The music is often experimental; the musicians' only requirements were that "the words be audible, unabridged and more or less in their original order." [8] All audio from the project is distributed freely online under Creative Commons licensing.
Contributors to Waywords and Meansigns are a self-described collection of "musicians, artists, poets, scholars, weirdos, passionate Wake-heads, those totally ignorant of the Wake, and anyone generally adventurous." [9] Artists participating in the Opendoor Edition include: Krzysztof Bartnicki; Martyn Bates; John Wolf Brennan; Neil Campbell; Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth and Lou Rogai of Lewis & Clarke; Joe Cassidy of Butterfly Child; Hayden Chisholm; S.A. Griffin; Kinski; Ulrich Krieger; Jason Sebastian Russo; David Moss; Monica Queen; Schneider TM; Sally Timms; Mike Watt; and many more. [10]
The Guardian has highlighted the project for making Joyce's famously difficult novel more accessible. [11] Finn Fordham, a James Joyce scholar at Royal Holloway, University of London has called the project "wonderfully innovative." [12]
Tracks are organized by page and line number, followed by the artist name, and then occasionally followed by the track's nickname.
Chapter 1 (pp. 003–029)
003-010.24 - The Here Comes Everybody Players
003.01-003.09 - Hervé Michel and the box sets
003.01-003.14 - Roman Tsivkin and the box sets
010.25-016.09 - Chris Rael
013.20-015.11 - Peter Chrisp and the box sets
018.17-021.04 - John Cerreta - "Stoop to Prittle"
023.16-024.14 - Nigel Bryant - "O Foenix Culprit"
027.22-029.36 - Cedar Sparks (Tim Carbone and Lou Rogai)
Chapter 2 (pp. 030–047)
030-047 - Krzysztof Bartnicki and Bouchons d'oreilles with Wojtek Kurek
045-046 - Yehuda Vizan and the box sets
Chapter 3 (pp. 048–074)
048-050.35 - Wiel Conen & Charlotte Gilissen
052.18-053.35 - S.A. Griffin
053.36-055.02 - Joe Cassidy
055.03-056.19 - Neal Kosaly-Meyer
061.15-061.16 - Seán Mac Erlaine - "Nooningless Knockturne"
066.28-067.06 - Graziano Galati
067.07-067.27 - Schneider TM - "His Phizz Fell"
071.10-072.16 - Jon Wahl - "Abusive Names"
Chapter 4 (pp. 075–103)
75-103 - Matthew Duncan and James Heflin
Chapter 5 (pp. 104–125)
104-125 - Tim Cornelius
107 - Hayden Chisholm
Chapter 6 (pp. 126–168)
136.01-136.36 - Lavinia Murrary - "Mursque"
139.15-139.28 - Maharajah - "Ann Alive"
139.29-140.07 - Maharadja Sweets
140.08-141.07 - Papa Sprain
141.08-141.27 - Coldharbourstores - "Question 5"
141.28-142.29 - Old Fiends (Jason Merritt, Kenneth Griffin, Jason Sebastian Russo, and Paul Dillon)
142.30-143.02 - Little Sparta with Sally Timms and Martin Billheimer - "Question 6. How Are Yor Maggies"
148.33-152.15 - Kevin Spenst and Hitori Tori - "Question 11"
152.16-159.18 - Mr. Smolin - "The Mooks & The Gripes"
159.19-163.07 - William Sutton
163.08-165.07 - Conspirators of Pleasure (Simon Underwood and Poulomi Desai)
Chapter 7 (pp. 169–195)
169-195 - Gavan Kennedy
169-195 - Mike Watt and Adam Harvey - "Shem the Penman"
170.25-174.04 - Layne Farmen of "Faraday"
174.05-175.06 - The Philip Cleary Ensemble - "The Cull"
175.07-175.28 - Mr. Smolin - "The Ballat of Perce Oreille"
175.29-181.33 - The Philip Cleary Ensemble - "a Dubliner (and a spy)"
181.34-182.29 - Karen Ponzio
Chapter 8 (pp. 196–216)
205.16-210.06 - Joe Fee - "Anna Livia"
213.11-216 - Re-Scribe
215.36 - Seán Mac Erlaine - "My Ho Head Halls"
Chapter 9 (pp. 216–259)
223.12-224.07 - Sauerbraten Beef Ring - "Nought A Wired From The Wordless Either"
224.08-226.20 - Lucy Hollier - "The Pearlagraph"
226.21-228.02 - David Hurn and Abigail Hopkins
228.03-229.01 - Joel Wranning
229.01-229.29 - Owen Tromans
229.29-230.25 - Brendan Kinsella and Brian Tyree
230.26-231.22 - STV
231.23-232.26 - Michael Maier and Brian Tyree
254.01-254.08 - Chelidon Frame - "Our Seawall"
254.08-254.09 - Mr. Smolin - "Ancients Link With Presents"
254.09-254.17 - Lys Guillorn - "Have Done, Do and Will Again"
254.18-254.29 - Lys Guillorn - "The Mar of Murmury"
254.29-255.03 - Lys Guillorn - "Hoet of the Rough Throat Attack"
256.01-259.10 - Gareth Flowers
257.29-259.10 - Krzysztof Bartnicki and the box sets
Chapter 10 (pp. 260–308)
260-270.31 - Super Nova Nudge
263.17-263.30 - Liz Longo
266.20 - Liz Longo
273.01-273.28 - Phil Minton
274.02-275.13 - Gregory Betts
284.04 - Seán Mac Erlaine - "Brick Bath"
288, fn. 1 - Seán Mac Erlaine - "An Ounceworth of Onions for a Pennyawealth of Sobs"
293.01-300.08 - Sticky Foster and Usurper
304.05-305.11 - Janken's Henchmæn featuring Marco Toriani - "Magic J Amezons"
305.08-306.07 - Janken's Henchmæn - "FAQ Deady"
306.08-306.10 - Janken's Henchmæn featuring MonkeYear - "Aen.C"
306.16-306.31 - Janken's Henchmæn featuring MonkeYear - "Frogterdati"
307 - Greg Nahabedian
308 - body bender - "Delays"
Chapter 11 (pp. 309–382)
310.22-311.20 - Doug Eisenstark
310.22-311.20 - Matt Battle
311.21-312.16 - Insides
312.17-313.13 - Barry Bender - "To Old Sporty"
313.14-314.14 - M. David Hornbuckle - "Whereofter"
314.15-315.08 - Alek Erickson
316.11-319.02 - Steve Fly
319.03-319.36 - Cathal O' Leary
322.01-323.24 - Kinski
323.25-324.17 - Tenement and Temple (Monica Queen and Johnny Smillie)
324.18-326.20 - Renata Meints
326.21-326.36 - Tom Segear
329.14-330.11 - Steve Pantani - "And Dub Did Glow"
330.20-332.09 - John Wolf Brennan
332.10-333.05 - David Moss & Boris Hegenbart - "stepping the tolks"
333.06-334.05 - meunders
372.23-373.12 - Haunted Robot, Ltd. and Dameon Merkl - "Last ye, lundsmin"
380.07-382.30 - The Science Of Deduction
Chapter 12 (pp. 383–399)
383-399 - Andrea Riley's Opendoor Score - Score only, record your own interpretation or performance!!
Chapter 13 (pp. 403–428)
403-418.08 - Ross&Wayne
403.01-405.02 - Candle
418.09-419.08 - Ross&Wayne
418.10-419.08 - Aleorta - "Grace ondt Hope"
419.09-428 - Ross&Wayne
429 - Mary and Sara Jewell
Chapter 14 (pp. 429–473)
446.11 - Seán Mac Erlaine - "Zuccherikissings"
446.16-446.17 - Seán Mac Erlaine - "Rainkiss on Me Back"
Chapter 15 (pp. 474–554)
494.27-497.03 - Layne Farmen of "Faraday"
499.04-499.36 - Human Flourishing
500.01-501.06 - Adam Matlock
504.20-505.31 - Belorusia
506.34-509.36 - Rod Stasick - "Peace Antiques"
510.01-510.36 - Junklight
511.01-511.36 - Hardworking Families
512.01-512.20 - PhÆDRx - "To The Pink, Man!"
534.07-535.12 - Neil Campbell - "Calm Has Entered"
538.18-540.36 - Ulrich Krieger - "Finnegans Longstone"
540.09-550.03 - Bruce Woodside - "Haveth Childers Everywhere"
550.04-554.10 - At it Again!
Chapter 16 (pp. 555–590)
556.01-556.22 - Martyn Bates - "Night by Silentsailing Night"
589.12-589.19 - Stanton Warren - "...and the band played on"
Chapter 17 (pp. 593–628)
593 - Adrian DiMatteo
594.01-595.29 - Rich Chapman
595.30-596.33 - watercodes
596.34-597.23 - Epiphany Now
597.24-598.27 - Hayden Chisholm
598.17-600.04 - Mariana Lanari and Sjoerd Leijten - "Supernoctural"
598.28-599.24 - Les orages de janvier - "Sable Rampant"
601.21-602.08 - Cathal O' Leary
602.09-603.33 - Mark Sheeky - "Finnegan's Judgement"
603.34-604.22 - Kaia Jackson
604.22-606.12 - Gerry Smyth
606.13-607.16 - Doug Eisenstark
607.17-607.36 - John Shakespear - "High Tigh Tigh"
608.01-608.36 - Asha Passalacqua
609.01-609.36 - Ken Davidson
610-611.02 - The Most Ever Company - "Muta & Juva"
613.01-615.11 - Peter Quadrino - "Vicocyclometer"
615.12-619.16 - Kamil Szuszkiewicz featuring Pictorial Candi - "Pollabella"
627.34-003.18 - Steve Gregoropoulos - "Recirculation"
The Opendoor Edition's music received a generally positive reviews, including a 7.8 rating from Paste. [13] Open Culture's Josh Jones deemed the Opendoor Edition "one of the most appropriate responses to the novel in the 78 years since its publication." [14] Other writers did not review the music itself but focused primarily on the project's ambitious and unusual nature. [15] [16]
Maria Schurr, in her PopMatters review, wrote: "the well of inspiration springing from Joyce's words is thrillingly infinite." [17] Paste's Jay Horton wrote of the third edition: "It's soon enough made clear that there are as many varieties of musical renderings as there are interpretations of its prose, which sparks the likely-unavoidable problem concerning the songs and the book they're taken from and the ideas it (barely) contains – there's just too damn many." [18] Culture.pl described listeners as "wallowing in the infinite possible meanings that Finnegans Wake inspires." [19]
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of the 20th century. Joyce's novel Ulysses (1922) is a landmark in which the episodes of Homer's Odyssey are paralleled in a variety of literary styles, particularly stream of consciousness. Other well-known works are the short-story collection Dubliners (1914), and the novels A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and Finnegans Wake (1939). His other writings include three books of poetry, a play, letters, and occasional journalism.
Ulysses is a modernist novel by Irish writer James Joyce. Parts of it were first serialized in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and the entire work was published in Paris by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, Joyce's fortieth birthday. It is considered one of the most important works of modernist literature and has been called "a demonstration and summation of the entire movement." According to Declan Kiberd, "Before Joyce, no writer of fiction had so foregrounded the process of thinking."
Finnegans Wake is a novel by Irish writer James Joyce. It is known for its experimental style and its reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the Western canon. Written over a period of seventeen years and published in 1939, the novel was Joyce's final work. It is written in a largely idiosyncratic language that blends standard English with neologisms, portmanteau words, Irish mannerisms, and puns in multiple languages. It has been categorized as "a work of fiction which combines a body of fables [...] with the work of analysis and deconstruction"; many critics believe the technique was Joyce's attempt to recreate the experience of dreams and hypnagogia, reproducing the way in which concepts, memories, people, and places become amalgamated in dreaming. It has also been regarded as an attempt by Joyce to combine many of his prior aesthetic ideas, with references to other works and outside ideas woven into the text. Although critics have described it as unintelligible, Joyce asserted that every syllable could be justified. Due to its linguistic experiments, stream of consciousness writing style, literary allusions, free dream associations, and abandonment of narrative conventions, Finnegans Wake remains largely unread by the general public.
Jorn Barger is an American blogger, best known as editor of Robot Wisdom, an influential early weblog. Barger coined the term weblog to describe the process of "logging the web" as he surfed. He has also written extensively on James Joyce and artificial intelligence, among other subjects; his writing is almost entirely self-published.
The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man is a 1962 book by Marshall McLuhan, in which he analyzes the effects of mass media, especially the printing press, on European culture and human consciousness. It popularized the term global village, which refers to the idea that mass communication allows a village-like mindset to apply to the entire world; and Gutenberg Galaxy, which we may regard today to refer to the accumulated body of recorded works of human art and knowledge, especially books.
The Skin of Our Teeth is a play by Thornton Wilder that won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It opened on October 15, 1942, at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, before moving to the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway on November 18, 1942. It was produced by Michael Myerberg and directed by Elia Kazan with costumes by Mary Percy Schenck. The play is a three-part allegory about the life of mankind, centering on the Antrobus family of the fictional town of Excelsior, New Jersey. The epic comedy-drama is noted as among the most heterodox of classic American comedies — it broke nearly every established theatrical convention.
Feldkirch is a town in the western Austrian state of Vorarlberg, bordering on Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is the administrative centre of the Feldkirch district. After Dornbirn, it is the second most populous town in Vorarlberg. The westernmost point in Austria lies in Feldkirch on the river Rhine, at the tripoint between Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
Kinski is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. They have released eight albums, a number of split albums and EP.
David Kahne is an American record producer, musician, composer, and former record company executive.
Mary Lorson is an American writer, musician and composer. Best known for her time as the lead singer of alternative pop groups Madder Rose and Saint Low, Lorson has gone on to release albums with The Piano Creeps and Mary Lorson & the Soubrettes. She lives in Ithaca, New York.
Lewis & Clarke is the pen name of American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer Lou Rogai. The name references the fellowship and correspondence between C. S. Lewis and Arthur C. Clarke, not the 19th-century explorers. He has released three studio albums, Bare Bones and Branches, Blasts of Holy Birth, and Triumvirate, as well as several singles and EPs. The moniker is also a metaphor for journey on many levels and the music has been described as art-pop or avant-folk. Rogai is the founder of La Société Expéditionnaire, a record label dedicated to creating "beautiful sounding records and tangible musical artifacts".
Barry Smolin, also known as Mr. Smolin, is an American radio host, teacher, composer, and writer. He last taught at Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, and was a longtime radio host on L.A. area public radio station KPFK.
Feng Jianming is a Chinese literature professor.
Constantin George Sandulescu was a Joycean scholar, but in the first place, he was a linguist with twelve years' experience in the Department of Theoretical Linguistics of the University of Stockholm in the 1970s and 1980s, specializing in Discourse Analysis. In that capacity he read a dozen or so papers at various international congresses.
Our Cubehouse Still Rocks is the fourth album by the Boston Spaceships, released in 2010. The title refers to a passage from Finnegans Wake, the classic modernist novel by James Joyce. This album is the highest rated Boston Spaceships release on Metacritic, exceeding Let It Beard. This release is also the highest rating Robert Pollard project on the site, with his solo album, Lord Of The Birdcage, being his highest rating album in general.
Francisco García Tortosa is a Spanish University Professor, literary critic, and translator into Spanish. In Spain García Tortosa is considered one of the chief experts on the figure and work of the Irish writer, James Joyce, whose creations he has translated and about which he has published a wide range of studies. The Irish hispanist, Ian Gibson, has called García Tortosa «Spain's leading expert on Joyce», while considering his translation of Ulysses, in collaboration with María Luisa Venegas, as «prodigious».
Waywords and Meansigns: Recreating Finnegans Wake [in its whole wholume] is an international project setting James Joyce's novel Finnegans Wake to music. Waywords and Meansigns has released two editions of audio, each offering an unabridged musical adaptation of Joyce's book. A third edition, featuring over 100 artists and performing much shorter passages of the book, debuted May 4, 2017.
Krzysztof Bartnicki is a Polish translator, writer, musician/composer, lexicographer and Joyce scholar. His translations into English include poetry of Stanisław Dróżdż and Bolesław Leśmian. He is the author of several Polish-English dictionaries.
Coldharbourstores are a British experimental ambient pop band.
Gerry Fialka is an American experimental filmmaker, curator, lecturer, interviewer, and writer. He lectures and leads workshops on experimental film, avant-garde music and art, subversive social media, books by James Joyce, and Marshall McLuhan’s media theory. He was Frank Zappa’s archivist and production assistant for ten years, and also worked for George Carlin. LA Weekly has described Fialka as a “cultural revolutionary”.