The Magnetic Fields - '74 No

Stephin Merritt created for himself several sacred rules of work. One - what he calls the “ABBA theory” - stipulates that, in case he cannot remember a melody he composed, it is because, in fact, it did not deserve to be remembered. Another, included in a “Formulist Manifesto”, proclaims that “all art aspires to the status of the Top 40 bubblegum pop. We formulators reject (with a sigh of relief) the illusory aspirations of the moderns for individual expression ”. Hence, a conviction follows: “I don't need inspiration. I do need time, a notepad, a pen, and appropriate background music to neutralize the music that I inevitably have in my head ”. As an accessory, the notion that “for any idea, there is certainly a context in which it is a good idea” is helpful. For example, recording an album where all the songs start with “i”, designing a trilogy “no synth”, drowning an entire disc in distortion, “à la” Jesus & Mary Chain, or indulging in the writing of 69 possible variations on the "love song"