Music Theory to Explain God's Absence
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2020
- It's Ben Show 4!
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with Narration by Justice Cow - / justicecow
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“The harmonic style of 18th century European musicians to Explain God’s Absence”
Wat wat wuuuuut!!!
?
Y'all got joked
Haha me too!
adam Neely!
Oh, please, don't start with that again. Lol
Alright. I have no clue what I just watched, but I'm convinced you're right.
EXACTLY
That’s pretty stupid
Beguiled easily
I'm convinced he's right, but I can't figure out what his point was.
Then you are naïve.
I just wanted the chords to Freebird. CZcams guitar lessons got weird, man.
Welcome to youtube
Maybe the chords to freebird were just the friends we made along way
trueeeee
Yes to all of this
Just play bar chords on a double necked guitar, with one neck tuned in DADF#AD, and the other neck tuned the same but without the hashtag, and you'll be all set.
This morning my dad literally yelled "boy do I have a video to show you!" (because we show each other cool videos and artists e.g. Jacob Collier) and he was going out and before he left he said "I want you to watch it before I come back!" So I watched it... Wow.
This is the kind of dad I want to be
Dude!!!! I was just about to introduce you to Ben Levin videos not realizing I had shown you this a year ago. I reckon you'll appreciate it even more now that you are into video editing and blender. And here I am going through the comments and see my own son!! Yowzers!
@@thebas2560 IM DYING THIS IS SO WHOLESOMEEEEEEEEEEEE
@@thebas2560best dad award goes to you good sir!😂💪
This is how my brain wanders when I contemplate making money from music endeavors.
Then I think of the weird relationship of capitalism and art.
Then I have a full existential crisis.
Then I hear the garbage truck and realize I should have got up earlier cause now my trash is gonna sit around another week.
this is my favorite comment. i read it 2 minutes after our trash got picked up, that i almost forgot to take out. i had to get back out of bed last night to take it to the curb. it was the worst.
Cant you take it out the night before? Thats what we do atleast in Australia
Wow
ben levin perfectly describing ego death is the most relevent "music theory" to date.
When did he do that?
@@MaddSpazz2000 The ego death is when the identity of one self is transforming. An example; the transformation of a teenager growing to a young adult, it's perception of the world and itself has changed, verbigracia, ego death.
@@umrasangus ok, but my question was when did Ben Livin say that in the video?
@@MaddSpazz2000 everytime and at no time at all... just like ego death
@@orlandomiotto7545 ^
The greatest transition ever:
I have several children.
Please explain
Not now. It's time for Ben Show
this video is 2020 / COVID / isolation / musician's sorrow / CZcamsr's loneliness / digital nihilism combined
I couldn't agree more! But don't forget the fifteen yo dream
San Tiago what’s this?
@@briancooley8777 Ben mentions it in the video.
The only thing missing is *E*
Based
The harmonic style of 18th century European musicians* to explain God's absence.
Also, when is adultswim giving Ben his own show?
i thought that immediately after reading the title
10/10
This felt so much like Too Many Cooks yet somehow more surreal
A Ben Levin original on adultswim is probably in the works already.
I thought I knew you from somewhere so went to your channel, not who I thought you were but your music is pretty cool man!
remember when this was a music theory channel?
Nah, I don't want those days back either.
i kinda do
This is “music theory 2”
“Clary Explains It All.”
Favorite moment: an unknown entity finds a mysterious cube; ominous sound design and gorgeous music ensue.
Also, Clary’s song at the end is a show-stopper. So good.
Sometimes I really really wonder how Ben is doing, and I know he’s one of those people who wouldn’t bullshit you with a short answer like “good.” Maybe he’d just answer by making a video like this one. If I were Ben’s friend, and he sent me a video he made to express how he was feeling at the time that I asked “how are you doing Ben?” I’d be very grateful and tell him “this is so great, I could never be so creative, good job, you could make money doing this”
that is very sweet of you. i'll make sure ben is okay.
i hope he make something he loves into a business
i thought the whole point of the video is that people never acknowledged or validated the struggle or hardship in his work, so he got worse & worse at accepting he was a good artist as he subconsciously tried harder & harder to get them to acknowledge the very real & justified difficulties & worries he had about making less-impressive or less-substantial art than before, for his fans.
so communicating that whole sentiment of “i could never do that, good job, u could make money doing that” would just make his existential dread worse
UncleBibby yes that is the joke I’m making
Sage Carter oh.... wow, this channel’s demographic audience is _that_ tongue-in-cheek? okay, noted... i’ll adjust my expectations of subtlety appropropriately
If Ben starts a cult, count me in.
ben IS a cult
I refuse to join an cult that would have me as a member.
Listen to the punch.
You're sort of prescient... He recently thanked his piano and joined the mayor's cult. There's a documentary about it on his channel, but I forget where I put his channel, at the moment.
Me: u should watch Ben levin
Anyone/everyone: what r his vids about?
Me: ummmm
Life and death and everything in between
My dad literally asked me that and I just told him "it's about God's absence". After wathing the vid he said the artistic direction was great but the message was stupid, solely because it was tiding a thing above us with a normal part of our lives. I told him Neon Genesis Evangelion did that, and he found that anime quite good (despite his irrational dislike of Shinji).
Yes but also no
umrasangus it is stupid though. He’s just a hypocrite lol
Summation of music theory in this video:
"You think it sounds like this."
"But really, it sounds like this."
6:41
Yeah I’m watching this and I’m like where’s the theory though
Ben please keep doing what you do and being yourself -- your creativity and spirit are truly unique and precious...really enjoyed this, wow...
This is exactly what i think about you and other CZcams artists. Hi Nahre!
Ben........I've been genuinely suicidal and depressed in the past. It was not fun.
I'm not in that place anymore.
But....I know I'm lucky. If I ever EVER find myself in that place again....I am going straight to your output.
You don't pander to me/us. You get it...all of it. ALL of it. I honestly don't even know how to word what I feel about what you do. I want to be able to type up a vaguely witty comment that expresses the depths of subtlety and nuance that I SEE in your work...and how that impacts me. But I can't. Just know.....if you could experience MY experience of YOUR creative output....you'd understand. But I think you might actually understand that already.....which is why this strange recursive comment somehow makes....sense?
THANK YOU BEN. Seriously.
@@avedic ...same for me !
@@avedic a beautiful comment, this content is genuinely thought provoking. Where as I came looking for answers I've left and left with questions. I've subbed and buried this into the catacombs of my mind to come back at a later date when I find myself saying that I, a young man, have figured out life in its entirety. Fear comes from not knowing; From not knowing what's next or lack of understanding. Fear is when you cannot defeat an obstacle, due to a lack of knowledge. I no longer fear Myself.
This is one of the most strangely intimate videos I’ve witnessed. I feel like you’ve tried to capture your psyche amidst isolation, and how it’s affecting you. I know you’ve never met me, and unfortunately might never, but I want you to know that I connected with this. I don’t know your reasons for making the video, but for me, it managed to encapsulate my own feelings right now, and I am grateful. Thank you, Ben.
The animation quality is wild here, you've really done something amazing.
The part where you talked about how in order to feel good at something other people have to be bad REALLY hit home for me because that's literally my only form of self-worth: Being smarter, working harder, singing better, being better at guitar. When I am above someone then I feel worthy but if people are above me? I feel so worthless. I just wanted to thank you for putting that segment in there, Ben.
this is such next level absurdist art. But it's not pretentious. It's self aware. Hilarious. Entertaining. Surprising. Just about as good as gets. I'm really really blown away, and sincerely moved and inspired. Thanks Ben.
This is the realest shit on this platform right now.
No
Cringe
Still is.
Honestly, Ben just keeps surprising us with his shows. It just hit another bar, it looks like we all are witnesses of something amazing being born. Keep doing great work!
god damn this was good
I'm only eight minutes in and I'm confused and very excited
Heyyyyy it’s Jake Lizzio, hey man I learned music theory because of you
This is awesome! Eye 👁 Opening fo sho....👀😎
Hey it's my favorite guitar teacher.
@@unknownuser820 I heard he fell in love with someone from another planet
Good god the invention of computers has changed what art can be. The limits have grown exponentially, I am so happy to be alive.
*Harmonic style of 18th century European musicians to explain god’s absence
Writing style of 18th century theologians to explain god's absence
m e t a
Lol
Deep
I love that Ben still clutches that Zoom handy recorder close to his heart. It’s like a talisman bridging the gap between his older content and this more surreal content he is putting out now.
I think it's a Tascam DR-05, I used to have one exactly like that but after leaving it in Austria by mistake and beginning to study as a sound editor I "upgraded" to the DR-40X.
It's like Bob Barker's loooong mic
Think its time he wears it lika gold chain!! Beastie's style.
(Justsayin)
👹
Maybe he still likes the way it sounds
"it's supposed to sound like this"
Well you didn't have to punch me in the back of the forehead like that but I'm glad you did.
first time i heard that part i literally cried
@@Fire-Toolz it's particularly odd for me because I've had this notion for years geared towards music composition and production. No matter how long I spend writing, recording, producing, and just straight up jammin' I feel like I'll never fully express the sounds I conceptualize in my head.
My brain goes *BOOOOOOOM*
and then my DAW goes [insert boom-bap here] if that makes any sense whatsoever.
Could you explain how you interpreted this? I am sincerely interested. Thank you
‘I’m not actually convinced that anything is actually broken. Sometimes I think I’m just inventing hardship and problems for myself so I have a reason to stay hungry’
Wow, it’s been a long time since I connected with something like I do with this video. It’s inspiring how personal and honest your videos are. One in a million
this hit hard. Ben you're the only artist ive ever seen who has this much humility and strength to be vulnerable. I love you
Maybe look at more art...?
@@z.s.n. haha that got me for some reason
he really, really reminds me of animal collective. Stylistically, the only similarity is how they're both experimental outfits, but I think it's more about just how uncensored both are. They're able to tackle the most uncomfortable topics in a way that sounds true to people, and that's the great thing.
Radiofloyd 235 thank you for the productive response, very cool
This one of the most moving things I’ve seen in a long time... Your inner thoughts hit home with me. I felt a deep sadness when your paper cranes filled with good intentions were looked at like a product for sale. Art in it’s purest form is expression. I hope you never distill or water down your creativity in the pursuit of popularity or money, and that you continue making art from a place of passion. You are truly a pioneer in the art world!
I have watched this 3 times and the last song sequence 5 or 6. Long story short I am amazed at this video. I don't know how to put the experience in words, but it seems like a personal search for some kind of meaning in a personal time of struggle and pursuit of meaning. The clearest signs of this are the monetizing of hobbies and or a superiority complex in regards to learning and exhibiting skills better than other people. These two take away the feeling of pure joy with the hobby and replaces the activities end goal, enjoying or making something genuine and meaningful, to money or feeling better than others. The feeling of angst, loneliness, and despair seems to prevail in the video as a sort of... underlying note so to speak which ties the different pieces together. Where the pursuit, now being money and superiority, brings these emotions to the forefront. The "demon", the one brown dude, becoming friends with the main character during, what seems to me, the transformation of the pursuit from genuinely towards something... tainted so to speak, again the money and superiority.
The part that I enjoyed the most was the last song. The reason for this was the realization that came before the song, where the person in the video seems to embrace a form of an authentic version of himself. When said person embraces himself, the demon in some sense lets the person go, to pursue their life, as I, for some reason I can't explain, feel the "ben show" seems to be a metaphor for, and while the demon lets go reminds the individual that he will always be there in some sense.
This video challenged me. This video made me nauseous and curious. This video made me scared, happy, and hopeless at the same time. At the point where I almost cried tears of confusion, horror and awe.
This is true art...
I could go on but TL:DR, this seems to be an existential expression of the pursuit of meaning.
I am sorry for rambling. This video just gave me so many emotions and impressions that I had to write out some thoughts to process it all.
P.S: I really hope these songs will be released on Spotify, Bandcamp, or whatever. There are some fucking bangers in here...
Is this what chewing 5 gum feels like?
Only a certain generation will get this joke, but I appreciate it nonetheless. Five Gum: All Marketing, No Flavor.
No, this is what feeling 5 gum chews like
it's what showig 3k skittles down your pants feels like!
This is like if someone recorded a weird dream.
Not even my weirdest dreams can amount to this shit. This is so abstract my subconscious couldn’t come up with it.
I'm feeling most of this now and the rest of it later. Weird sensation of emptiness while at the same **time** feeling close and understood. But that's just meeee.
Basically the same feeling I get from watching Bojack Horseman.
..mE to,...Time a mthrfck'r tho...😕😶🤘
Honestly I kinda just feel like your profile picture. Same feelings as you? Probably...
That was incredible, thank you
How can he even produce of all this himself
I don't know what I'm watching but I can't look away
Edit: I don't know what I've watched but I... liked it?
is ok bb
Same dude
You didn't watch this. It watches you
Hi Ben. You certainly don't get entertainment like that on the BBC. No guff. No pesticides. No free plastic toy. Just 100% original ingredients from the mind of Ben, dipped in super day-glow gloop and sprinkled with musical note candy. No calories. Made my brain muscle ache a bit, but in a good way. Have only recently started to creep back out onto the crazy carousel of life beyond the front garden. Not sure I like it much. Do you know any friendless Mackles who could hold my hand? It's clean. Anyway, there's this guy in the UK called Noel Fielding. I think you'd like him. Thanks for giving me 18 minutes that didn't seem like 18 minutes I'd spent before. Stay safe. Eat fibre. Wear pants. 👍
'18 minutes that didn't seem like 18 minutes I'd spent before.' Indeed!
Ben, please release the Clary Mackle song on Spotify I am begging you
6:41 is my favourite bit of CZcams ever
This seriously is one of the best pieces of art I've ever seen Ben. This one has so many layers and nuances, I'll need to view it a number of times. To me it seems universal and yet very personal at the same time, and so takes the viewer on a journey of discoveries that only they will ever fully know. That's what I've always loved most about music (and life in general), the journey of discovery. The end explains much all by itself, and is a wonderful reminder. Thank you. ^-^
I seriously dont know what I watched, but it seems you found something in there.
Good job.
@@MrMarci878 : Time for me to visit Roger the shrubber.
And also at one point he isn't wearing any pants.
You know Bill Wurtz? He does this kind of stuff
Wow I didn't know Clary Mackle had such a sad origin story
I relate HARD with that... Demon thing. Does demons have pronouns? lol
@@umrasangus everyone's probably gonna pull a stereotypical westerner and refer to the ambiguous Clary Mackle with he/him pronouns but I'll just refer to Clary as Clary.
Clary’s pronouns are she/her
@@FayeFadem shit I just watched Ben Show 3 and found out. Alas, woe is me
Occasionally I come back to this video and I'm moved every single time. Thank you, Ben. It's stunning.
“I wanna see what the world is really like”
Yeah man I cried...
Sometimes we think life is a few chords and we cry for that. We have no idea how many chords are out here, we didn’t even reach microtonality properly.
Thank you Ben! ❤️
Thank you for explain these concepts! I didn't get much of music theory until now, but this video really helped!
That journey from foley to advertisement to metal to rapping was so refreshing. Thanks, Ben!
Thank you Ben for this short and straight to the point explanation!
These are all so ridiculously well produced on all fronts: audio, video/vfx, and story telling. The manner in which you're able to express yourself is astounding and inspiring. Just fantastic. I always look forward to your creations, no matter the time. Please don't feel pressured to produce; just create as the inspiration arises.
Ben I've now purchased 69 Ben related merches. Please release my family from isolation.
I love this new intro to your show.
Does this explain my dads absence?
God went to get smokes and never came back
Yes
Are you Jesus? Then yes.
ErebosGR my dad, my dad; why have you forsaken me for Marlboro 100s at the the 7-11
Yes
This video has been sitting in my watch later for years and I finally came around to watching it. This is phenomenal.
14:22 I love this song so much
Me too
when did ben levin become blender lovin'?
many videos ago!
@@Fire-Toolz True!
This is a Scott Aukerman joke if I've ever heard in e
The words "Ben Show" have become some kind of abstraction. So many layers.
My sis sent this video to me because there was "music theory" written in the title of the video and holy moly I landed on a whole new different kind of A R T. Thank you sis.
This video is like Bill Wurtz pushed to 350%.
This is what real art looks like.
Thank you for great video, but let me just ask: how are you, sir?
I'm worried whether you are doing okay... It's maybe a stupid question though.
Love from Japan.
Such a wonderful journey of beautiful music, visuals and fractured story telling. Keep up the good work!
...stream of consciousness...
Ben, that is an amazing piece of work and it really moved me. I’ve always admired your ability to express yrself non-linearly, like the way our subconscious expresses ideas that don’t necessarily relate at face value when considered under the harsh light of conscious objectivity, but are complete expressions of hope, love or loss to the dreamer. That ability to maintain a narrative over a whole piece made up of seemingly random parts is next-level artistry. I’m envious of that, and admire all of the work that went into its fruition, probably starting as soon as you were in pre-school, all the way through the thought experiments and unusual exercise/approaches to writing you’ve shared on the channel.
I hope you’re able to find footing in the art world, in addition to wherever your heart lies within the trad artist-audience music model we’re used to. You deserve a bigger and grander stage, literally AND metaphorically, like Laurie Anderson big. I mean that as a compliment.
I will support you & your channel in some way or another from now on. Just freakin amazing work man. All the best.
This well expresses my present struggle as an artist, thank you!
And I'm so glad you and Fire-Toolz have found each other for collaboration! (And the others, of course!) This is powerful and moving!
You're like the only artist I need.
Very twin peaks energy. "Do you know who I am? I am the arm. And I sound like this..."
that's what i was thinkin
Indeed, brilliantly Lynchish
You know, often I wonder "How is it people storyboard things like this..."
Then I realize... "Oh Yes, the artist must suffer much. Yes."
Ben. This was wonderful.
This is objectively the best video on CZcams up to date. Whenever I can I come back to this. Whenever people ask why I am so obsessed with YT I show them this.
Thanks Ben.
Wait what is this
This is like adult swim on pcp
And adultswim is already cartoon network on pcp so I'm not really sure where that leaves us
@@mailliw2698 this is like cartoon network on pcp squared
This shit would come on AFTER Robot Chicken lol
dude, thats amazing!! i thought it was about music theory as allways, and got the coolest philosophical video art i've seen in alonv time, very well crafted, and so unexpected. very good job!
theres so much to squeeze out of this that i had to watch it all over again, incredible job dude.
10:59 "here's the truth about hell... it isn't real yet here we are"
Having also found myself in the middle of an existential crisis and having weekly anxiety attacks... this section pretty accurately reflected my daily mental state. So thanks I guess.
it's 2am, i'm stoned to the bone and this is perfect
This is one of the best short movies I've seen, congrats something good out of 2020.
So many awesome musical ideas mixed in with some mind-melting imagery. Your channel is awesome!
I absolutely love what this channel is. Something wholly unique and beautiful, you can't talk about Ben Levin's music without talking about his art, acting, editing, etc as well because they're inseparable. I love this
I feel capable of doing what I want to do after watching you, Ben, thank you Ben Show.
I'm two thirds through this and I'm not sure if I still exist. Send help.
We did! We couldn't find you!
Thank you for making this. Relatively new to your channel, enjoying all the informative stuff you put out but this right here deserves so much more praise than I'm capable of articulating. Just brilliant!
This video has legitimately changed my life and influenced me in so many ways. Thank you, Ben Levin.
I almost feel like I shouldn’t have seen that, but in a good way
Ben is on another level understanding his existence and explaining it in a special way that connects with all of us. I love it
This is really incredible. The mix of thoughtfulness and absurdity is super fun and super genuine. Well done!
DAMN I love this drawn out format, it really drew me in and made me really want to pay attention to what you're saying. And the song at the end was fireeeeee
This was filled with ideas both worth exploring and well explored. Kinda needed something like this to go to my harmony class later thanks
“Ben Levin” will be a common household name.
The format really is growing on me !! Keep up the good work !!
It was over too soon. I loved every damn second. Thank you, Ben. It's such great work.
This video is going to be on my mind for the next year, isn't it. I love how this deals with religion, capitalism and personal fulfilment all at once, things i am struggling with as well, but that part about "this is what life is suppose to sound like" is tbh one of the greatest moments like, ever. The perfect melodic harmony sounds beautiful but short live, while life is actually a tapesty on multiple confusing and disorientating harmonies, great metaphor. Great video. Great job, i love you.
what a fucking magnificent piece of art, this was beautiful and strange and touched me in a lot of ways. i feel like it picked up on some really intimate personal things for me and very insightfully touched on some things about human experience. so beautiful, really something special, thank you ben
This is still one of my absolute favorites videos I've ever watched
Wow thank you for making this, so much of it hits home. Subbed!
I'm a minute in and I'm thinkin: hold on, let me hit a joint before I continue 😅
Oh that’s smart lmao
I was already zooted
I missed it!!!
Facts
Exactly my thought
The question has never been “Where is god?” but God asking, “Where are you man?”
Well, there goes the bit about being omniscient, then.
Maybe he could just like, make me know then.
@@thesquarerootofnegativei6225 Sometimes when you ask someone a question it's not because you need the answer, but because the person you ask needs the question.
@@joez6235 Exactly, rhetorical question
How can you ask the question when you're silent?
Congrats on 100k views man. I rewatch this vid/ sections of it every other day. The music demands attention and the repetition has it stuck in my head through out the day. The most satisfying visuals of the video for me was the straight-faced dancing at the end. I know its not visually impressive or technical but something about it just makes me feel ... good?.. a little more complete.
At first I thought the use of green screen footage and plain models was a bit goofy and out of place but the videos do a lot of world building to the point where it all seems normal. I hope you keep up the TV head model thing going.
Wow! This was beautiful. Ben, several years ago, I called you on behalf of a education startup to tell you how to make guitar video lessons. I knew at the time that it was all pretty absurd and I had nothing to teach you but this puts that experience in a whole new light.
Holy shit. I couldn't look away for 18 minutes. This is weird and beautiful and speaks to the fundamental nature of existence and the human condition, and keeps on throwing on more layers, juxtaposing weird with hard hitting introspection. I love it, and am terrified to share it with my normal friends. Well done, sir!
I don’t completely understand this, but I really appreciate it. Thanks for the amazing content!
Amazing work! Each Ben Show is better than the last, and the first episode was amazing!
Man that was so amazingly tripy and surprising. Awesome job, Ben!
This is a new kind of artist and we're lucky to be here for it. Ben is the vanguard
"I have several children."
"Please explain."
"Not now..."
Freaking out at the Fire-Toolz collab! Easily one of my favorite musicians. Great video.
Man, please release this as an EP somewhere. This is ground breaking art. I also like that you made your message a bit more explicit here...it was so intense. Also, I suddenly realize I need more electronic/glitchy and surreal black metal in my life.