Oblique Saturdays

A series for Saturdays in 2026 inspired by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt's set of cards, Oblique Strategies (Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas). Eno and Schmidt created them to be used to unblock creative impasses and approach problems from unexpected angles. Each week I'll turn over an Oblique Strategy card and post a song or songs inspired by the suggestion. 

Last week's Oblique Strategy suggestion was Don't break the silence.

My responses to this were A Life Of Silence by Scott Fraser and Timothy J. Fairplay plus Simon and Garfunkel, Bill Drummond's No Music Day and Mark Peters. The Bagging Area collective were prompted to suggest Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode (this had several suggestions), Elliott Smith, Delirium, Bjork's It's Oh So Quiet, Durutti Column, Crass' Sound Of Free Speech, Kate, Julian Cope, The Silence, Ranking Dread, John Cage, The Delgados, Deep Purple and Kula Shaker, and Fugazi. That list is a radio show/ mix tape in itself. Thank you to Jez, Beerfeuledlad, Chris, C, Rol, Japsikeliz, Ernie, hsd, JC and Walter. 

This week's Oblique Strategy is this- Humanise something free of error.

It didn't spark much in me at first, few initial responses which is what often happens when I choose a card. I can see how in the recording studio a band/ artist could apply that suggestion- mess it up, put the human element in, put  mistake back in that you took out earlier. 

Then I thought about house music and those early 80s records (and many made sicne) where the music is totally flawless in terms of being computer assisted. Programmed drums, sequenced basslines, Midi, synths and keys playing perfect electronic notes. And then an unmistakably human vocal on top that took the robotic/ programmed element and humanised it, something like this endlessly brilliant slice of 1986 Chicago house....

Love Can't Turn Around

Farley Jackmaster Funk and Daryl Pandy, Daryl being the very human vocalist.

I also then thought of this song by Kurt Vile, Bassackwards, a nine minute long opus from 2018 where the music is free of error- acoustic guitars, harp and drums all locked in, loose but controlled psychedelic folk-rock with little bursts of perfectly deployed backwards guitar and feedback and on top Kurt's vocal, very human and real, a long sigh in the face of existential dread. 

Bassackwards

The video is peak 70s beach nostalgia. 

I typed Humanise something free of error into Google and found a book by that title by Sarah Piegay Espenon, a visual research project about climate change and man- made weather modification. I imagine she took the title from Eno and Schmidt's Oblique Strategies. One of the reviews says that the book is 'an oblique response to... issues of power and left opened visual associations along the thin line between peaceful and hostile usage of geoengineering' (read it here and see some of the photos) which sounds like it very well fit in with some of the things Crass were concerned about in the late 70s and early 80s. 

Feel free to leave your own Oblique suggestions in the comment box.