Text 7
Text 7, 2011, performative work, from the evening of the participatory lectures He Never Taught Anyone Anything, Yet we Called Him a Teacher, organized by Pole art group, Na Zábradlí Theatre, Eliad's Library, 2013, photo: Pole art group's archive
Prologue
This text, or rather this
set of texts, videos and pictures, will for the first time not include an
UNBOXING video. Not that I don’t have anything more to add with respect to this
phenomenon, but during the course of examining and scrutinising it I came
across some interesting material which says something about contemporary means
of production in a way that is different, but perhaps just as interesting. It
happened more or less by accident, in fact. While I was looking for another UNBOXING
video I chanced upon a cover version of a Beyoncé song: Best Thing I Never Had.
To begin with I wanted to skip over it and click on another link, but something
grabbed my attention. Even though it was another amateur or semi-amateur video,
there was something different about it. It wasn’t the sort of performance
someone had recorded in their living room, bedroom or secretly in their
bathroom, the kind of thing you watch when you want to amuse yourself at
somebody’s expense. I started to watch and especially to listen closely. I was
watching a seated woman singing into a condenser microphone, wearing studio
quality headphones. The picture quality and camera work were also good.
Everything was clear and intelligible. And, above all, it was no longer ridiculous.
Horribly symptomatic, more like. I was surprised, and so I searched on and on
and found hundreds and hundreds of cover versions of this composition. The same
song every time, the same notes, the same intonation, the same technology, but
in a different house, with other objects and other bodies. It’s basically the
same thing over and over, the same song, but why not perform it, properly.
Because it’s actually the best thing I’ve ever heard, wanted and had.
In electronics, a digital-to-analog
converter (DAC or D-to-A) is a device that converts a digital (usually binary)
code to an analog
signal (current, voltage, or electric charge). An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) performs the
reverse operation. Signals are easily stored and transmitted in digital form, but a DAC is
needed for the signal to be recognized by human senses or other
non-digital systems.[1]
![]()
She wrapped the present
for Mum in a page from a lifestyle magazine. But it was not a leaf torn out at
random. She had selected it because of the photograph of a woman’s hand with a
large gold ring. She remembered that Mum wore a similar one. She took it off
every time before cooking, putting it to one side. Once she had finished and
put everything away she put it on her finger again.
Beyonce - Best Thing I Never Had (Hannah Trigwell cover); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoZgbnvwOsM&feature=related; 3. 12. 2011.
I am not an audiophile.
Audiophiles love audio and equipment, but rarely music. An audiophile is
someone who can't listen for more than a few minutes before stopping to change
capacitors or swap cables. Audiophiles spend more on equipment than they spend
on music and concerts. They will own dozens of different headphones, cables and
amplifiers, and receive their pleasure from fiddling with all this gear.
Audiophiles listen to their gear, instead of the music. Audiophiles just as
often are listening to recordings of thunderstorms or locomotives, while I, as
one professional studio musician shared with me, enjoy great music even if it's
coming over a 3" speaker. I know good reproduction, but it's ultimately
all about the music, not the hardware. If I let myself get caught up in the
hardware, I'd have no time to enjoy music. I've only owned three sets of
headphones over the past 35 years: My Koss 4AA that I got in the 1970s, my
Beyer DT 990 (600 Ohm) that I bought in 1988, and now this Sennheiser HD 800. I
still have my Koss, which were rebuilt by Koss for free under their lifetime
warranty in 1995 and work great today. I have enjoyed my Beyer DT 990
continuously since 1988.[2]
![]()
THIS IS AMAZING,KEEP UP
THE GREAT WORK.
I LOVE IT!! ARGHH I CAN'T
WAIT FOR 4!!
B.E.A.U.T.I.FU.L
Beyonce... I like your
new song "Best thing I never had"! I think it suits you more than
your previous single...I wish you luck! =)
i cantwait for the album
to come ouy just know b i will be buying it
i love you beyonce. this
song is a grower i hope it will be a huge ballad. i cant wait for till the end
of time. i hope that one is a songle too.
i love it beyonce is
surly going to rule the world with this song
THIS SONG IS JUST
AMAAAZING; IT IS PERFECT: LOVE IT AND LOVE YOU QUEEN B
OMG Beyoncé I looooveee
it, and I loooooooooooooveeeeeeeeeeeee her voice is wondderful
King B i like that lol I
love my QUEEN
coming to Colombia please
YIRA ARIAS
Perfect song (y)
Queen~Diva ßeyonce.
Queen*ß.
You’re at the top of your
game for good reason…you continue to raise the bar! Cheers King B:-)
Another one =) i love it,
I get an eerie feeling she's referring to Jay :/ lol Good job B, keep em
coming!
I love this song!! I love
the beat too!! YYAAAAYYY!!! The ablum drops in my B~Day month but my b~day is
2morrw!! Maybe I'll get the album for a late birthday gift!!! =D[3]
![]()
Beyoncé - Best Thing I Never Had (AlFord Cover - Chords in description); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgDviYGN5lk; 3. 12. 2011.
kajak12/Mario or other
1541 dac users may explain further, but the Philips TDA1541 was the second
generation DAC chip following the mother of all DACs the original TDA1540. The
TDA1541 is very common to 1990's Marantz and Philips cdps from $299-$3K+ and
found in several other British machines of that era. It is really just a dac
chip like any other dac chip. However, over time I think people have come to
realise that CD technology has not really gone very far, and that the old
TDA1541 is still a very nice sounding DAC chip, some would argue its the best
of them all? It is no longer made, hence its collectability and cult status.[4]
![]()
She wrapped the present
for her father in paper with photographs of lions. Her father understood what
she meant by that and was pleased that during her childhood and adolescence she
had perceived him as the person who provided her with support and security.
Huu - Best thing i never had (Beyonce Cover) THE 100Th VIDEO + SHOUT OUT; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlucqItW6VI; 3. 12. 2011.
After opening the
cardboard box the new owner sees a very similar case to the one housing the
HD600 and HD650 headphones. It’s a nice case lined with a fabric that’s
pleasing to the eye and pleasant to the touch. I decided that I would put them
back in it after each listening session, so they wouldn’t get dusty or damaged.
The soft lining keeps them snug and in fine fettle. As for the construction,
design and craftsmanship, it’s well known that people fall into several
different camps. Some don’t like them at all, others like them a lot, and a
small proportion of people remains unmoved by their appearance. I’m not going
to try to conceal that I belong among the admirers. Having checked them out
carefully, hands-on, I certainly don’t have any misgivings. The headphones are
real whoppers and the large transducers look magnificent.[5]
![]()
i love it!!!!
KING B FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!
I love you B
Loooove ittt, can't wait
for "4" to come out, queen B is back! You are unbelievable, keep up
the great work! I love you
This song is amazing
Beyonce, I loves it
As usual I love
everything Beyonce releases!!!!! This will be the best album yet!!!!! Beautiful
song that I can really relate to.
D'Aaron
I can't wait for
Beyonce's album to be released!!!!! I have it marked on my calander
LOVE IT! I don't think I
can hate anything B puts out, she's AMAZING!!!!!
XOxoxoxoxo!!!!! luv all
ur songsss
Awesome.. I, too, am
excited for this album to come out.. Thank you for sharing with us your gift of
music as it continues to inspire us all to push and strive to be the best.
"Best Thing I Never Had" - Beyonce (cover); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyVCw90X9Xs; 3. 12. 2011.
Love the new sound. It's
always good to see and hear an artist continue to grow and come up with new
sounds. As a music lover of all genres, I will say I am really pleased with the
3 tracks I have heard thus far and look forward to new album "4." It
is always "right" to continue to make music that goes along with
what's out there now. So to hear Beyonce' step out and embrace something new as
a fan I appreciate that and hope all of her fans do as well. Thanks Beyonce'
for more great music and may GOD continue to bless you and guide you.[6]
![]()
My bet was TDA1541A, for
its romantic tone and unbeatable dynamics. It also in my view never fit well
tube output stages, so I believe that my output stages are great match,
especially for their sonic features associated with their absence of feedback
at one, and exceptional linearity at the other side. And once I found myself
into it, I understood that working with the same part in the longer terms is
beneficial: you realize its properties, needs and requirements, and thus the
best way to use it.[7]
![]()
Beyonce - Best Thing I Never Had (cover); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbe44VltVwo; 3. 12. 2011.
He’s a year and a half
old. He’s sitting on the parquet floor wearing a nappy and a short t-shirt, his
bare feet are stretched out in front of him and he’s playing with a little box.
Several days ago he was given a toy BMW, a little blue car, which he fell in
love immediately. He’s trying to put the little toy car back into its box but
he’s not having much success. Each time he tries it the lid jams, preventing
the car from going in any further. And that’s making him upset. Slowly he
begins to realise that he needs to hold the lid open with one hand and slide
the car in with the other. After making several attempts he manages to get the
BMW inside. Now he just has to learn to close the box. That’s not easy either,
but in the end he succeeds. But that’s important! A little while later he
decides to open the package once again and take the car out. It doesn’t take
long before his hand is extracting the object. The moment the toy car is out of
the box, he shrieks with delight as if seeing it for the first time. He is
squealing and his eyes are seeking Dad, sitting somewhere opposite.
![]()
He showed them a photo of
a car parked somewhere in London and said the English word “diagonally”. It was
like a gun had gone off. They perked up immediately and repeated quizzically:
“Diagon Alley”. They were taken by surprise and after a while Kirschner
repeated: diagonally. To which they said: “You know where that is?” or “Can you
tell us where it is?” Kirschner gave up and so it was left up to me.
Pronunciation! Of course! What else! Kirschner wanted to say “diagonal” in
Czech – diagonála – but instead it came sounding like “Diagon Alley” in
English. Which is the place where Harry Potter goes shopping in London.
Amazing! I love it!!!
Vaneee!
I LOVE THIS SONG B. I
CAN'T WAIT TO BUY THE CD ON 06/28/11. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GIRL, LOVE YA!!
I LOVEEEEEEEEEE THIS
SOOOOOOOOONGGGGGGGGGGGGG OMG
Robyn G Neymour - Royale
Nybor
Love it!
OMG! I LOVE THIS SONG
BEYONCE!!!!!! KING B!
DAMNNNN KING B!!! ARE YOU
SERIOUS????
Oh this song makes me
feel optimist . Thanks Beyonce for making music.You are just wonderful.
GOD bless you.
Awesome Beyonce, AWESOME!
♥
For any woman that's ever
been broken-hearted, this what tha deal is! This song is such a beautiful
capture of when a woman has come to a positive place of acceptance &
recovery from the pain of a love lost =) I know this song will resound in the
hearts of women & men throughout the world. ((I can't wait for her next
tour. I HAVE to make it to a show!))
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE
IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B, you are teasing me!!
Can't wait.
SweetBlackHoney
Beyonce ROCKS[8]
Beyonce-Best Thing I Never Had Cover; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT1MYRtrxMs&feature=related; 3. 12. 2011.