On Mortality, Immortality & Charles Ives

A reading of the Mortality Tables manifesto accompanied by sound responses from Vince Clarke and venoztks.

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Notes by Mat Smith:

“In life, our one true certainty is death.”
– Mortality Tables, On Mortality, Immortality & Charles Ives (2022)

Around March 2022, without really meaning to, I began writing what could loosely be described as a manifesto for Mortality Tables.

I started reflecting on the tragedy and inevitability of mortality, but also how our memories of those who have passed away ensure that they live on – granting them, it felt to me, a measure of immortality. To this was added reflections on the life, accomplishments and twin careers of Charles Ives, the turn-of the-century insurance actuary and composer whose musical works went mostly unperformed in his lifetime, and whose image forms the Mortality Tables logo.

‘On Mortality, Immortality & Charles Ives’ was finished in early June 2022. A recording of me reading the essay was made by Gareth Jones at The artLab in Shoreditch, London. The recording was then sent to Vince Clarke and venoztks, both of whom recorded sound responses to the text.

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