Ràdio Web MACBA presents Variations #4 - The Explosion

Jon Leidecker presents an introduction to the history of sound appropriationism in 20th century composition, popular art and mainstream media, and the convergence of these trends in the present day.

The idea of a completely original piece of music is fairly recent. Music was passed on through sound, through generations, even for centuries after the invention of written music. Only in the 14th century did it become standard practice for a composer to sign his name to a piece of music and claim it entirely as his own, giving rise to the cult of the individual composer. But as recording supplanted sheet music in the 20th century, the presence of communal influence became unavoidably obvious once again as composers began to use recordings to make new recordings. We can now hear the presence of more than one voice. And there is a reason why people don't say they listen to a record – they say that they play a record. From the beginning, recordings have been instruments.

The fourth episode of VARIATIONS provides an overview as the art music tradition of collage music is joined by the popular culture tradition of hip hop, which would establish many of the same aesthetics and practices solidly in the mainstream. Featured composers include Grandmaster Flash, the Latin Rascals, David Byrne & Brian Eno & Negativland.

Transcript available here:
http://rwm.macba.cat/uploads/20110623/04Variations_transcript.pdf

Link to the complete series:
http://rwm.macba.cat/en/variations_tag

For more information on this series and other podcasts, visit Ràdio Web MACBA.

(Originally broadcast Thursday 6pm, repeats Sunday 6am, Tuesday 6am and Wednesday 8am)