Prabably, when I was around 13 years old, computer music appeared and became so faddish in Korean pop music market. It was called MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). Many people were fanatical in the songs composed by MIDI. In my thought, there are three reason. First, people would enjoy their diverse and multi-changeable sounds which existing formal instruments (guitar, piano, drum etc.) could not imitate. Second, they would pay attention to, so called, "sampling," which is a way to compose and arranage a song by MIDI. A composer gets a sample which might be a part either of rhythm or melody of a certain song and inserts the sample into a song the composer is working. People would feel fresh when listeing to such a MIDI technique.
Of course, computer-aided music had been created before MIDI by things like synthesiser. Actually, synthesiser can be also one of MIDI. However, it is literally a computer-aided instrument. Simply put, it is not a computer, but an electronic musical tool implanting computing system. This is not only a distinct POINT between computer-based music (by MIDI) and computer-aided music (by synthesiser), but also the third reason why computer music was so attractive. That is, a computer is in my room but a synthesiser not there.
Even though not sharp readers, you might get it. Right! Computer is for everyone, just common people, but synthesiser is for musicians. The computer composers have is basically not different from one in my room. In other words, that means everyone who has a computer can make music. How fantastic! Anyone can play guitar on his/her computer. MIDI, this "infernal machine" enabled an RW culture beyond RO culture (33). Listerners begun to not regard music as artifact only musicians deal with any longer. It was possible for common computer users to create music and participate in it. MIDI absolutely resolved Sousa's fear that "fewer and fewer would have the access to instruments, or the capacity, to create or add to the culture around them; more and more would simply consume what had been created elsewhere"(25). It is more democratic in the sense of participation.
REMIX: For me, it is a familiar word, which reminds my nostalgia. Before saying about my nostalgia, let me first go back the second reason of computer music's popularity, "sampling." Some musicians used to remake the same song with sampling, then they called it "remix version." as far as I remember (now sampling is so popular that no musicians would not think of it as a special technique as they remake with it). I liked remix version than original one. So, at that time when computer music became popular - it's time to tell my nostalgia - I would like to make my own remix version, using songs I enjoyed. These were all forms of cassette tape, that is, analog formats. I picked several pop tapes (I remember some; Boyz II Men, Michael Bolton, New KIds On the Block and someKorean pops) and prepared one empty tape to copy the songs. Right, my method to remix them is a physical combination; to link parts of each song. That was my remix version. I feel, probably, RW is kind of one of human instincts. I really wanted to make (write) something after listening (reading) to the songs I liked. In that sense, it might be indispensible that digital technology appeared.
Another issues Lessing discussed is copyright. This has been still being one of hot issues online. His point is that copyright laws online should be least in the extent which protects copyrighters. Bascially, I agree with him but his argument is more or less ambiguous and not clear. He said "ther is no plausible argument that aloowing kids to remix music is going to hurt anyone" (114). He is right. I was also such a kid. But, I don't think that an illegal use of other's product itself can casue physical injury. Think about it. You upload my picture on facebook and someone downloads and retouch it, and spread out online. Oneday, you go to a website and encounter your remixed picture again. How would you feel? I know this is an extreme case but we have to consider about that. It is related to online privacy issue.
Taerhim,
ReplyDeleteI share that history of the analog sampling with cassette tapes. Making mix tapes was an art, and it is something that we can do so much more easily now with the digital culture. But I think it takes away part of the meaning. When we made mix tapes, it was the time and effort that meant as much as the songs on it. I feel like that has been lost.
Instead, we can quickly create a collection, but if we want to share it, we have to deal with the copyright issue. Unless, of course, we're a famous dj, and then it might not be as big of a deal.
But synthesizing music through sampling is an entirely different issue. As we discussed in 804, how much of a song can we sample before it's considered a copyright violation. Lessig doesn't really address this, but it is something that we need to explore. We don't want to be pirates: Arrgh (except today, which is talk like a pirate day).
Emily: I know we cannot make music by sampling without any permission about the sampling. Sampling I said above was about professional musicians who already have rules about sampling music composition, not for amateurs. Yes, I don't want to be pirates too, so I'm thinking of composing music for the documentary project in 804 :)
ReplyDeleteI share your affinity for sampling, Taerhim, and i think remixing is very human. Strangely, I don't usually like remixes where I know what the original song was. I'm not sure, but maybe I have too much nostalgia for the old song in its "purity."
ReplyDeleteThat said, I love sampling, remixes, etc. where I don't know what the original song was, or if I find out it was from some obscure song that I'd never heard of. For some reason, and this is something to think about, perhaps research, I don't want a song by AC/DC to be remixed by a popular rap artist, or at least I don't want to be hyper-aware of it. The best remixes, imho, are those that sample the kick drum from this song, the bass line from that song, and then the piano line from a Jazz legend, or something. To me, this signifies not only a greater ear for talent and for music harmonies and potential genre-slashing, but seems more like real creation, less "pirating," a concern Emily seems to share, though maybe on different terms.
Go MIDI!