Who or What is Hussalonia?
Hussalonia is a pop-music cult working under the mantra, “Pop does not mean popular.” It was founded in 1997 by Jesse Mank, a multi-instrumentalist and visual artist. Hussalonia's music has enjoyed over sixty-thousand downloads from visitors around the world.
The initial Hussalonia recordings were released anonymously on cassettes through the TTSCC (Tactile Transemitter Sound Capturing Corporation) label. In 2004, Mank revealed his identity by publicly linking his name to Hussalonia for the first time with the release of Percy “thrills” Hussalonia. This is a decision Mank often regrets.
The mantra Pop does not mean popular refers to the etymology of the phrase “pop music” and its discordance with our contemporary perceptions of the word. “Pop” was initially an abbreviation for “popular,” distinguishing the lowbrow music of commoners from the respected, highbrow music of the wealthy, such as classical or sacred music. From the 1940s to the 1960s, the term “pop music” became increasingly linked with the music of teenagers – beginning with crooners like Frank Sinatra and then eventually rock and roll, beat music, R&B, and the music written by the Brill Building songwriters. Today, people often link the term “pop music” with the fabricated, overly produced sounds of top 40 singers and boy bands. Historically, the term “pop music” denoted popularity, but it also connoted lowbrow, mainstream tastes.
An enthusiastic appreciator of popular culture, Mank resents this division between high and low culture, and has been repeatedly quoted as saying, “ I love and hate all music equally.”
Hundreds of thousands of bands/songwriters who make what we call “pop music” will forever toil in complete obscurity. They will never be popular, and in this sense the term “pop music” can be a misnomer; it has nothing to do with popularity. In fact, pop music may even display an inverse relationship with mainstream tastes. It is with this rich meaning that Mank embraces the term “pop music” to describe what he does.
Since 2006, Hussalonia has been releasing all of its music for free. Hussalonia no longer plays live shows or actively promotes its music. This allows for more time to write and record music and eliminates the anxiety surrounding “making it” in the music business. By not releasing compact discs, Hussalonia reduces the consumption of fossil fuels (plastic), non-renewable minerals (aluminum), and the emission of greenhouse gasses (CO2 produced in transporting compact discs). Also, because the success of a nation is based solely on its economy, giving away music for free undermines a system that encourages rampant spending at the cost of the environment and human health.
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