More Brilliant than the Sun

by Kodwo Eshun

The classic work on the music of Afrofuturism, from jazz to jungle

More Brilliant than the Adventures in Sonic Fiction is one of the most extraordinary books on music ever written. Part manifesto for a militant posthumanism, part journey through the unacknowledged traditions of diasporic science fiction, this book finds the future shock in Afrofuturist sounds from jazz, dub and techno to funk, hip hop and jungle. By exploring the music of such musical luminaries as Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane, Lee Perry, Dr Octagon, Parliament and Underground Resistance, theorist and artist Kodwo Eshun mobilises their concepts in order to open the possibilities of sonic the hitherto unexplored intersections between science fiction and organised sound. Situated between electronic music history, media theory, science fiction and Afrodiasporic studies, More Brilliant than the Sun is one of the key works to stake a claim for the generative possibilities of Afrofuturism. Much referenced since its original publication in 1998, but long unavailable, this new edition includes an introduction by Kodwo Eshun as well as texts by filmmaker John Akomfrah and producer Steve Goodman aka kode9.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Theory, Race, Art, Literature

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Kodwo Eshun is a British-Ghanaian writer, theorist and filmmaker. He studied University College, Oxford University and Southampton University. He currently teaches on the MA in Contemporary Art Theory in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Reviews

[Ana Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Playlist available here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/16U...

[Gerhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly trippy book that turns music into language and language into music. I read this mainly for Kodwo Eshun’s take on Sun Ra. As far as I know, he is one of the first to make the connection that Sun Ra’s invocation of “a lost Pharaonic Egypt” as a shadow of a “lost Africa” was a direct expression of the “New Philosophy of African Redemption” expressed by George M. James in his 1954 book ‘Stolen Legacy’, subtly subtitled: ‘Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy’. In that book, which I looked up out of curiosity, James states:

… the true authors of Greek philosophy were not the Greeks; but the people of North Africa, commonly called the Egyptians; and the praise and honour falsely given to the Greeks for centuries belong to the people of North Africa, and therefore to the African Continent. Consequently this theft of the African legacy by the Greeks led to the erroneous world opinion that the African Continent has made no contribution to civilization, and that its people are naturally backward. This is the misrepresentation that has become the basis of race prejudice, which has affected all people of color.

It is easy to see how James influenced Afrocentric thought, Black nationalism, and Pan-African philosophy in the mid-twentieth century. For example, Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) envisioned a Black empire, independent of colonial powers.

Eshun interprets Sun Ra’s cosmology or “MythScience” as an Afrofuturist reworking of this Afrocentric recuperation of ancient Egypt. Where Garvey’s politics sought redemption through a return to Africa (in a geographic and nationalist sense), Sun Ra transforms this idea into a cosmic, mythic return to an “interstellar Egypt,” a reimagined Africa located in outer space. As I said, trippy.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of the book refers to the hook of a 1992 UK breakbeat record entitled "Valley of the Shadows" or "31 seconds". Like the title, much of what Eshun does here is bring us back to those intimate moments in recent and distant past and highlight the unforeseen outcomes and influences in the bodies of work of those that came before, via interpretation, stimulation or simply to just snap into the world around us. This is a fiercely intellectual take on African diaspora through music and visual culture and in various ways, draws interesting comparisons in the 20th century. Expanding on the importance , whether abstract or straight forward, of underground urban music, original influences, messages from the tools being used and life, in direct relation to the producers and consumers of culture, specifically from the 70s to the 90s and the echoing messages relayed by generations past.....turn off the TV, clear your head and get inside the mind and behind healthy perspectives from this highly gifted writer and his suggestive and conclusive meditations.

[Amanu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Music reviewing at its best and most abstract. For lovers of music and language.

[Stewart Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Afro-futurism via Deleuze, Ballard and Harraway. Music writing as thought experiment. Still fresh.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

From what I can tell, Eshun is doing with language exactly what Attali suggests can be done with music to foster creative and social freedom. 'More Brilliant Than the Sun" is really a musical voyage crisscrossing the black Atlantic and suggestive of the outer realms that Sun Ra proffers. It's also a great resource for finding out more about 90s jungle, out-of-this-world out jazz, and early hardcore hip-hop.

[Tim Jaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me realize that Electronic music is the past, present, and future.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style of it was hardly bearable. There are some great ideas, but I disagree with the overall argument of the book. To me, machine music is not liberation, but a process analogous to the effect of capitalism in society - a radical alienation of human labor and a loss of individuality. Most of the music described does not live up to the lavishness of Eshun's descriptions. I'm not really sure that what makes a piece of music Afrofuturist is the sheer fact that it was recorded by an African American who scratches on turntables.

[Your Your · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eshun is a concept engineer who establishes a gameplan for hiphop & techno in the laboratory of highly-synthesized everyday life. I suggest people who don't like Eshun's style to approach the book as a dotcom bubble-era publicity campaign for Black Atlantic music from the 70s to 90s. Sometimes liberation is just about securing the bag -- I ended up streaming a lot of the music he references in this book.

[Fariz · Rating 3 out of 5]

despite it faults and supposed irony with the heavy emphasis on afro-futurism that seems to be dying after the glimpse of 21th century (cultural diminishment-assimilation of our corporate-hyperreal adage), i still can't think many books that manages to transcends it's materialistic presupposition that demands externalization of your sense more fiery and ambitious over this one.

definitely a book that you'll come back revisiting every time you create your own echo and requires you to go further over rationalizing the sound, and starts to look beyond the science it entails into how many sounds you compile like Eshun's deliberations of all his inspiration.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tengo algunas dudas: ¿dónde está exactamente la "ficción" sónica? No está en los textos de Kodwo Eshun que componen el libro, que más bien son prosas poético-teóricas pero estrictamente no ficcionales. Tampoco queda claro por qué nombrar así al dispositivo electrónico de los remixes y el breakbeat. En fin, creo que hay algo muy interesante acá pero es un libro de eruditos para eruditos.

[Lorenzo Munzi]

Bit too advanced/abstract for a noob like me but this shit rules. I’ll be back.

[Ben Bush]

Post-humanist hiphop, etc. criticism, part of the Afrofuturist reading list (though I wonder if Eshun would necessarily agree with descriptor applied to his own work.) Geto Boys, Norbert Wiener, Public Enemy, Dr. Octagon, Donna Harraway, Marvel Comics, Detroit techno, Kraftwerk, Alice Coltrane. There's some great inversions here of accepted truths, which I guess what makes Eshun a good theorist. Written 95-97, there's a way it feels "dated" but I actually found this to be one of the most interesting parts: pseudonymity, anonymity, maleable selves vs. representing an identity, etc. etc. 90s post-humanism vs. contemporary humanism. Parts of it feel predictive, parts it feel out-of-date and I enjoyed that sensation.

[Levi]

just when you thought all 'music criticism' you'll ever read will be all about dry formal “analyses" that “contextualizes" biographies and mouths off unsatisfyingly broad conclusions, there comes a book like this one that turns the entire thing over its head. A rather exciting read.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

a poetic kernel from a moment in music history now past waiting to be found and re-membered through some future music movements.

[Cobertizo · Rating 3 out of 5]

"No somos censores, sino sensores. No estetas, sino kinestetas. Somos sensacionalistas. Los últimos mutantes incubados en parlantes-útero. Tu madre, tu primer sonido. El dormitorio, la fiesta, la pista de baile, la rave: esos son los laboratorios donde se ensamblan a sí mismos los sistemas nerviosos del siglo xxi, las matrices del discontinuum de las Futurritmáquinas. El futuro es mejor guía para el presente que el pasado. Prepárate, estate listo para cambiar todo lo que sabes sobre la historia de la música por un fugaz vistazo de su futuro."

[Muthee BM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterpiece. One of the most eloquent books on music that I have read, the book takes music as its territory and goes even further, sending probes that travel at the speed of 33 1/3 (and faster) and the prosthesis of the arm. Language is part of the dance, the human is in the background and the new sounds emerging continually complicate, and that is really "more brilliant than the sun".

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

an absolute pleasure to read–tickling corners of my brain i was previously aware of, but didn't have the words to properly comprehend, much less articulate. it poetically illuminates an approach to life which utilizes music & technology as a tool for understanding where we came from, where we're headed, self actualization, and beyond...totally singular & HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:)

[Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro te transporta al paisaje musical que describe el autor,una forma de ver y sentir la música, donde te das cuenta que el futuro empezó desde los 50 pero la gente se dió cuenta de ello hasta 40 años después .De Sun Ra hasta Tricky pasando por Kraftwerk y Public Enemy.

[Rus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alucinante viaje por lo que el autor llama Ficción Sónica aproximándonos a artistas referencia en lo que a crear mundos y navegar galaxias sonoras se refiere.

[a r g · Rating 5 out of 5]

immaculate

[Eye Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forced myself to read this as a PDF. Desperately needs to be re-printed. Besides "Lipstick Traces," it is the best book on music I have ever read.

[Fred Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glitched-out afro-futurism. A digital bath in the schizo interface of the posthuman. Challenging and weird but incredibly rewarding.

[lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book on the planet

[noise hello kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

saggio musicale più figo mai scritto. adesso so da dove cominciare per scoprire davvero l’hip-hop. fantastico sopratutto quando parla di drexciya e Sun Ra.

[Dank Wit]

I'm now obsessed with the concept of "sonic fiction" but kinda wish eschun had chosen a different term for it, ideally one with less hedgehog wattpads in its google results

[Malini Sridharan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the general concept and subject matter but had some trouble getting into sections on music I had not listened to and those that tended more toward the descriptive than the analytic. I think a lot of what I disliked about this book is rooted in my dislike of breakbeat-- his descriptions of how it is so awesome simply did not reach me.

[mao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Afrofuturist sonic fictions.

[Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Superunlesbar

[Gaius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whatever happened to the Verso reprint this was supposed to get? Such a great book. There are some solid PDFs of it online, though.