Postmodernism and Music - due in February 12th Research based task: The focus of your task will be postmodernism

in relation to music. Please read through this sheet carefully before asking me any questions as most of the answers can be found in this document. Theories and questions to help Homage Does your chosen artist use other peoples music in a respectful way? Are they bringing a potentially overlooked or forgotten style to a new audience? The rey Album is a mashup album by Danger !ouse" released in #$$%. &t uses an a cappella version of rapper 'ay()*s The +lack Album and couples it with instrumentals created from a multitude of unauthori,ed samples from The +eatles* -P The +eatles" more commonly known as The .hite Album. The rey Album gained notoriety due to the response by /!& in attempting to halt its distribution" despite the fact that 'ay()" Paul !c0artney and 1ingo 2tarr e3pressed their approval of the pro4ect. 5n 6ovember 78" #$7$" 'ay() offered his thoughts on the album during an interview on 6P1. 9& think it was a really strong album. & champion any form of creativity" and that was a genius idea:to do it. And it sparked so many others like it... & was honored to be on:you know" quote(unquote" the same song with The +eatles.9 5n ;ebruary 77" #$77" Paul !c0artney whilst commenting on the influence of the +eatles and black music gave this assessment as part of a ++0 documentary titled The +eatles and +lack !usic" produced by <ivienne Perry and /le +eattie. =&t was really cool when hip(hop started" you would hear references in lyrics" you always felt honored. &ts e3actly what we did in the beginning > introducing black soul music to a mass white audience. &ts come full circle. &ts" well" cool. .hen you hear a riff similar to your own" your first feeling is ?rip(off. After youve got over it you think" =-ook at that" someones noticed that riff.@ Ais record company" /!&" held a different view.BvagueC !c0artney said of their reaction" =& didnt mind when something like that happened with The rey Album. +ut the record company minded. They put up a fuss. +ut it was like" ?Take it easy guys" its a tribute. Parody Does your chosen artist use other peoples music in order to mock it and its fans? Are they Attempting to damage the ?authority of a style of music? rey Album( 'ay()*s material" on the other hand" was commercially released in a cappella form. Although that work was copyrighted" it was released for the implicit purpose of encouraging mashups and remi3es. ricolage Does your chosen artist use music from different time periods or genres? Does this change the ?meaning of the original song?

!nterte"tual Re#erences Does your artist reference other songs Dlyrically" melodically" stylistically" visuallyE in their work?

$imulacrum &s your artist ?real or merely playing a ?character? ;or many ?mainstream artists" Their image is 4ust as important as their sound Dif not more soE" postmodern artists play with ideas of image in the way theyre represent themselves. Ae performed in a mouse outfit because he was too shy to show his face" and took his name from the +ritish cartoon series Danger !ouse %onsumption Aow does your chosen artist wish their music to be consumed? &s there an artefact Dob4ectE that accompanies their music? Danger !ouse released The rey Album in limited quantities to a few internet outlets. Due to the amount of attention the mashup received" /!&" copyright holder of The +eatles" ordered Danger !ouse and retailers carrying the album to cease distribution. +ecause of the overwhelming popularity of Danger !ouse*s work this did not happen. The album quickly became popular and well(distributed over the &nternet because of the surrounding publicity. &t also came to the attention of the critical establishmentF it received a very positive write(up in the ;ebruary G" #$$% issue of The 6ew Horker and was named the best album of #$$% by /ntertainment .eekly. The <illage <oice*s annual Pa,, and 'op critics poll ranked the album 7$th for #$$% &n #$$8" Danger !ouse and 0ee(-o Das narls +arkleyE released their first album" 2t. /lsewhere" which included the international hit single 90ra,y9. 90ra,y9 became the first IJ number(one single based solely on downloads. %reation Aow does your artist create their music" are they a musician" a songwriter" a composer" Danger !ouse is an American musician" songwriter and producer. Per#ormance

Does your artist play ?live? &s there a ?show to accompany? &s there a ?style to their videos? .hat if any interaction is there with their audience? B &o strong sense o# history or the #uture' (lienation is abolished by saying) *+topia is no,* as in ra-es or music #esti-als' /ven a critic of postmodernism like Aans !agnus /n,ensburger has observed" *consumption as spectacle is in parody form the anticipation of a utopian situation* D7GK%E.C !n#luence

Aas your artist influenced the wider world of music Dare other artists keen to collaborate" have mainstream artists appropriated their soundE? ;or the higher grades you will need to have an understanding of music that relates to the following areasL the postmodern sensibility that anything can be considered cool in an ironic .! kno, it/s bad) but it/s so bad it/s good/ ,ay 0ork that is created based 1entirely or in part2 on older material This incorporates sampling and will take you from the realms of hip hop culture transporting you finally in todays modern fragmented musical landscape. Hou will have to listen to some of the artists to fully appreciate them and their work. Audiences that are both niche and mainstream. /.g.L 1adio 7" 73tra" ++08" M;! All of the above need to have e3ample attached to help them make sense. The e3amples need to have e3planations that place them within a postmodern conte3t. The following essay e3tract may prove helpful. M+$!% (&3 P4$TM435R&!$M Postmodernism celebrates the end of what the ;rench philosopher 'ean ;ranNois -yotard calls the *grand narratives* of history ( reason" progress and socialism and the dissolving of semiotics into a merely libidinal *energetics*. 6othing is fi3ed any more" and ideology is in a war of position" a struggle for space Postmodernist philosophers like 'ean +audrillard emphasise how the barriers between art" literature and a wider political and social life are now non(e3istent. +ono and 0hris !artin Dboth" ageing male rock starsE become authorities on the environment and development economicsE. 2chool students know more of the cultural life of their country DT<" films" and above all the internet and its applicationsE than teachers.