Jack White vs. Jonny Greenwood

Or better yet... AMC (analog music creationism) vs. DMC (digital music creationism), which is what these two highly respected and significantly creative artists represent to the world of music. Both create brilliant music in their own unique voices and signature styles. That being said, their approach to how they create said brilliant music couldn’t be more different. They are virtually at the opposite ends of the brilliant music creation spectrum. Jonny Greenwood fully embraces DMC and has masterfully elevated the art form to ever increasingly new heights. Exposing the sanctity of AMC whilst damning DMC and all its evils, born again Analog-ian Jack White has turned his back on DMC and is musical midwife to an era of AMC revivalism ushered in through his firebrand preaching on the pulpits provided to him by his many band projects and their dogged touring schedules. These are two brilliant artists who creatively are considered cosmic forces with in the musical universe. Could this be why they’ve yet to collaborate?



Jonny Greenwood serves as primary architect of Radiohead’s instrumental and digitally created sound. Jonny Greenwood took to digitally created sound, like Mozart took to the harpsichord. He explored it, like Picasso explored painting. We can hear the born fruits of his foray into the dark digital arts on Radiohead’s 1997 landmark album “OK Computer”. Listening to Radiohead’s album releases since “OK Computer” is like watching a documentary of a dragonfly emerging from its pupa shell. Jonny Greenwood transformed from instrumental virtuoso to digital sound alchemist, as he continues to masterfully exploit digitally altered sounds with gusto.

He layers and constructs them, like a mason architect erecting majestic cathedrals each much more magnificent than the last, to co-create some of the most brilliant musical art ever. Jack White has been a music industry darling ever since he and his sister, err ex-wife Meg White started touring back in 1997 as The White Stripes. The White Stripe’s 1999 self titled album release “The White Stripes” was minimalism at its most magnificent and beautiful. The follow up album release 2000’s “De Stijl”, self recorded in Jack White’s living room on an 8-track tape, was a true revelation of Jack White’s AMC fanaticism. From the very beginning The White Stripes served as Jack White’s pulpit from which he preached his own firebrand sermons about reaching salvation through AMC and denouncing the pure evils of DMC. Having achieved cult status, Jack White bought his own recording studio Third Man Records located in Nashville Tennessee to serve as his AMC cults world headquarters. He filled the church, err studio with vintage analog recording equipment. Devoid of the devils typical DMC trinkets and tools, it has become the proving ground for real artists with real talent who posses something true and real to sing about. Third Man Records is now a Mecca for those who seek for their recordings the Holy Grail of a signature sound that can only be delivered by the layered patina of an analog recorded and Jack White produced track or album. Which side are you on? Analog created music or digitally created music? Whose ever team you side on, can we can all agree that good music is good music no matter how it’s created. Those of you who listen to and those of you who create music will ultimately determine which of the two, AMC or DMC, will succeed and endure through the test of time.

Then again, why must one be the victor over the other? Is there not enough open mindedness for both to coexist? Or will we doom ourselves to prolonged fruitless religious-esque wars, in which we all lose?

Email me at:
DrezdenHawk@NGA-Radio.com