Son[i]a #99
John Oswald
John Oswald (Canada, 1953), is one of the leading exponents of sound appropriationism. In the eighties, Oswald coined the term “Plunderphonics” to define his work, which questions issues like authorship, the record industry’s business model and the aesthetics of sound collage as a musical language. Son[i]a interviews John Oswald on the occasion of his visit to the MACBA as part of the concert series “Variations”.
Son[i]a talks to John Oswald.
related episodes
Transcript
Transcript of VARIATIONS #7. The Composer, curated by Jon Leidecker.
Transcript
Transcript of VARIATIONS #5. The Discipline, curated by Jon Leidecker.
The Composer
If sampling had seemed an inherently revolutionary practice in the eighties that called into question the definition and the authority of the composer, the proliferation of artists in the decade that followed reasserted that authority. Mainstream audiences finally recognized appropriation as a legitimate form of creativity once artists became comfortable practicing it as a form of self-expression.
The Relationship
The convergence of mainstream and social media platforms sidelines traditional record labels and sparks new sub-genres from mashups to vaporwave, but also reinforces the perception of music as consumable entertainment. How are we being retrained to our new environment by an aesthetic that has become so pervasive as to turn itself nearly invisible? Never conclude a historical narrative in present time.
Cumulative Tails
Cumulative Tails is a pun upon the 'cumulative tale', where each part of a story relates to that which just preceded and followed it. This radio mix, curated by Vicki Bennett, has been created using that process – a succession of audio tracks picked in conceptual relation only to that which was previously played.
Vicki Bennett
Interview with Vicki Bennett, plunderphonic genius behind People Like Us.
Conversation with Vicki Bennett on her sound collection
This is an email conversation with plunderphonic artist and sound collector Vicki Bennett, which took place in Summer 2013.