About The ArtChive Project

The ArtChive Project is an ever-expanding digital collection of Music and Film from all over the world. Everyday, a work from the collection is posted with links to free downloads and information about upcoming events in London. Our aim is to help you discover incredible artists, both past and present, and to help you embrace all forms of music more fully. For more information about the ArtChive Project and to recommend music to include, please email Alex at theartchiveproject@hotmail.com

The Philosophy of The ArtChive Project

Music on the surface is the sound created from the mixture and arrangement of five comprising fundamental elements – harmony, melody, rhythm, timbre and silence. Yet, the human brain picks up music on a far more significant level than as a mere formula of these five components.

The raw spark fueling the creative musical process is the artist’s emotions and expression. They dictate the composition (being the mixture and arrangement of music’s fundamental elements), and as such, form a tangible part of the music – a new element. It’s as if music is the carrier through which the artist transports his/her expression. Any mixture and arrangement of the five fundamental elements of music that does not incorporate the artist’s expression therefore should not be considered music, but ‘organised sound’ (think One Direction and The Cheeky Girls…).  All is not lost however – an endless amount of incredible music, has been and is still being made, just waiting for you and I to discover it.

You as the listener perceive music in a completely unique way – you create your own individual representation of the intangible creation, thus become part of the creative process itself. You’re as much part of the creation of the music as the artist, yet interestingly you’re not in control of your own perception. This is why vast differences in musical taste exist and what makes music such a personal art form.

The ArtChive Project is about rising up against the bland, monotonous shit-pop being forced down the throats of the brainwashed masses. Let’s take music back to its purest form and consciously hear it as it should be heard.

*The ArtChive Project is aware that musical philosophy is subjective and we openly welcome comments and debate. I’m not trying to alter your way of thinking, rather actively make you question it. 

How to Listen to Music 

The way that music is listened to in modern culture is severely detracting from our ability to fully embrace it to its full potential. It’s constantly being played in the background as if it’s just sound to fill the silence, so its meaning and importance is lost. Here is a suggestion of how music can be listened to in order to embrace it more fully, and how I try to listen to music myself:

• Sitting down comfortably on your bed, close your eyes and put on your headphones.
• Play a song you like and try and let it fully engulf your consciousness.
• Make sure to hold concentration and not to drift off into random thought – if you do start to drift off, be mindful of your thoughts and try and return your concentration back to the music.
• You’ll soon realise that you can let the music become more emotionally powerful than you’d ever have imagined and the more you do it, the more intense it will become.

I’m aware that this seems like a very strange way of doing things, yet compare it to the way you watch a film: Consider if during your first time watching The Matrix you don’t fully concentrate but dabble in shit-chat with your friends about the semi-fit girl you saw on the night bus. Yes, you’ll see the bullet-stopping stunt scenes and witness Keanu Reeves’ questionable acting skills, but you won’t have a clue as to what the fuck is going on.

I really do hope this website can help you discover a wide range of  incredible music and help you embrace it more fully. Remember to email me with any suggestions you may have to help me improve the site: theartchiveproject@hotmail.com