From Sacrifice to Telematic: On Music and Ritual

This paper explores diverse perspectives on the relationship between music and ritual. It begins by addressing Han’s intriguing question regarding the disappearance of rituals in the data-driven neoliberal era. Subsequently, it examines Attali’s model of symbolic categories, tracing the evolution of music from primitive society’s rituals to modern digital expressions. Further, it investigates Benjamin’s views on art’s transformation through mechanical reproduction and Flusser’s concept of telematic dialogue in contemporary creativity. It is underscored that listening transcends mere solitude; it’s a ritualistic engagement ingrained in our collective human experience. Music, as a medium of resonance and harmony, has the power to combat the decline of traditional rituals and foster an ethics of beautiful forms, transcending the isolating noise of compulsive communication in contemporary society. The paper concludes by asserting that reinterpreting ritual values through music enhances our understanding of art and offers avenues to combat self-centered tendencies fostered by neoliberalism.