Louder, Harder, Better - Technologism and Human Interaction

"Louder, Harder, Better"

Today, I was struck by the incessant push of pure technologism towards higher efficiency, often at the cost of other concerns. The words to a song by Galantis entitled "Louder, Harder, Better" encapsulate this attitude.

The genre of music is most generally called "electronic music"--a genre whose creativity is largely derived from the way the artist puts together an almost infinite array of sounds and voices both created and borrowed, many of which are heavily contextual and influential. In this way, the genre could be said to exist because of electronics--an important class of technology which has changed the world as we know it.

Nevertheless, as a musical production, the track is intended to be enjoyed by human listeners. Therefore, electronic music is intended to appeal to a deeper human sentiment precisely because it is humans who are enjoying it.

"As good as it ever gets"

Sexual, technological and commercial: the connotations prevalent in this song are juxtaposed to create a specific image of man. Sexual, technological and commercial are somehow equivalent and are enjoyed as such, bringing the word "transaction" to mind. The electronic music, with its constant and programmed beat, reinforces the notions of mechanical, technology, modern and efficient.

The lyrics assume this is as good as it ever gets.
I refuse to assume this: Is this really as good as it ever gets? Have you ever experienced personal interactions that were not commercial or transactional?

"Are you the one from my side of town?"

The line changes to "Wilder, deeper, better". This is less suggestive of technology and more of human interaction. Obviously, the sexual connotations are still present, but not necessarily the most obvious to everyone: simple human conversation can also be wilder, deeper and, as a result, better.

Technology is not usually considered "wild" or "deep" in this way.

The beat becomes more reminiscent of a heart-beat and less of a mechanical churn. Yet, mechanical conceptions of the human body also come into play here.

"Maybe"


I get the feeling that technology is conceptualized as necessarily heartless, efficient in our conception of efficiency, and serving only the things we currently value.

What would technology which makes it easier for human families to grow stronger look like ? What would technology which lifts people out of poverty look like? Do we already have these technologies? Does the technology necessarily need to be a machine or computer chip?

Could human touch be a coveted and underrated technology?

Perhaps the technologies of the future will be geared towards making current technologies more human.