Mashup extarodinaire, producer and DJ, Brian Burton, (in)famously known by the self titled moniker, Dander Mouse is an artist with exceptional talent. His immediate yet unsuspecting success erupted when his music experiment, which was intend for him and his close friends, went viral and soon became an internet phenomenon.
Danger Mouse’s Grey Album is an ingenious collaboration that layers Jay-Z’s A Capella Black Album overtop instrumental tracks and George Harrison’s vocals off The Beatles' White Album.
While listeners celebrated DJ Danger Mouse’s creative mastery, EMI issued a cease-and-desist order in attempts to squash the album for Burton’s unsolicited use of The Beatles music. By downloading and streaming his creation, fans and anti-copyright activists together challenged archaic copyright law on what was known as Grey Tuesday (exactly six years ago today).
Since the release of the Grey Album, Danger Mouse has embarked on many music projects which have been tremendously successful. I can’t help but fallow his musical endeavors-- album after album Danger Mouse will not disappoint. In fact, within the last couple of years he has produced some of my faveourite musical masterpieces including his most recent collaboration project Broken Bells, with The Shins’ James Mercer. He has also produced Beck’s Modern Guilt, Gnarls Barkley and Gorilaz’s Demon Days (a little ironic, seeing as how their manager is admittedly adverse to P2P sharing).
BROKEN BELLS, "THE HIGH ROAD" from EJ on Vimeo.
Gnarls Barkley - Who's Gonna Save My Soul from Chris Milk on Vimeo.
Even after years of his debacle with copyright law and the corporations that lobbied them, Danger Mouse still preservers. Some have even suggested that EMI has repudiated their animosity towards the Grey Album so that they can continue to harpoon other re-mixers and further clamp down on creativity.
Last year Danger Mouse teamed up with Sparklehorse and David Lynch, on one of his most impressive collaboration projects called Dark Night of the Soul, which featured a wealth of musical talent including, Iggy Pop, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas and The Flaming Lips. Nonetheless, his rift with EMI still managed to impede the release of his personally funded project. Instead of allowing the album to falter however, listeners were encouraged to buy a blank CD-R that came with a 100+ page book adorned with Lynch’s photographs.
“All copies will be clearly labeled: ‘For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will,’ ” a spokesperson for Danger Mouse said. “Due to an ongoing dispute with EMI, Danger Mouse is unable to release the recorded music for Dark Night Of The Soul without fear of being sued by EMI.”
"All copies will be clearly labelled: 'For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will.'"
-Billboard Magazine
If we can learn anything from Danger Mouse and his ongoing dispute with EMI, it is that creativity should not be stifled by copyright law. It is about time the music industry reshapes their corporate structure to include and embrace this paradigm shift that is the internet and a thriving re-mix culture.
The issue of sampling and remixing music is at the forefront of the music industry right now because the explosion in recent technologies has made this process almost effortless. The music program serato http://www.serato.com/ allows DJ’s to create new music by simply matching up sound wave lengths. Long before this program DJing was a highly skilled art form, the DJ would have to listen closely for bits of music that would fit together perfectly, now it is all visually done through the matching of sound wave lengths. This I feel has lead to a deskilling of the music industry, now anyone with a bit of money can become a professional DJ, it does not take the years of experience and practice it once did. I know this because I have a couple of friends who DJ, one who has opened for Hip Hop legend KRS One. While I am not against the idea of sampling and remixing I feel that it has become too easy and is leading to a deskilling of the music industry, before it took talent now it just takes some money and a computer.
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ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. I agree with you on this one. I think that what it means to be a “DJ” is very skewed. Since the advent of easy to use re-mixing software, anyone has the ability to tweak and edit music samples. Sadly, I have also noticed a decline in what it means to be a DJ. Just because someone can beat match a few songs with their laptop and drum machine, does not mean they have the credibly to be considered a DJ. I have a hard time tolerating the poorly produced electronic music that dominates today’s (and I use the term very loosely) “DJ culture”. If I wanted to hear some embarrassing amalgamation of top 40 and cheesy techno I would listen to Sandstorm and C and C Music Factory.
ReplyDeletePersonally I find those who use turn tables (and use them well) are the most impressive and entertaining. After witnessing unprecedented talent from live performances by DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist and Kid Koala, I am very skeptical when it comes to laptop wielding DJ impersonators such as Steve Aoki, who have no innovation or technicality. In fact, I would not be surprised if Aoki does noting more than press play on a predetermined playlist during his live shows.
HOWEVER there are a couple of exceptions and I do believe Danger Mouse is one of them. As aforementioned, yes everyone can use editing software but it does not mean they are going to be the next Kid Koala. This applies to any type of media editing, whether audio or video. If someone is a talented editor, then they will produce something exceptional. I think this is what separates the actual artists from the impostors.
If you have an ear for music production or audio engineering then it shouldn’t matter what media you use to showcase your capabilities. Danger Mouse probably started editing on his laptop, using whatever music editing software he had at his disposal, but because of his talent and unique style, he now produces brilliant music for prestigious artists.
Very interesting thoughts. In my opinon I feel that though the description of a DJ is skewed I believe it is still as worthy as being in the artist category with those who sing song and thise who create the beats. I strongly feel that DJing is a talent just like acting, being a journalist or a recording artist and what they produce is worthy entertainment.
ReplyDeleteAs discused in class nothing "created" now is unique, but that doesnt mean that what these DJ's are doing should be overlooked or not given credit becuase they are creating from something that was already created. We all do that.
And yes now it is much easier for the general public or DJs to retrieve music and make mixes but though it is at the fingertips of many it doesnt mean everyone is capable. I can honestly say if I tried to DJ even with the use of all these new technologies and DJing for dummies I would be unsuccessful becuase as I said its a talent.
Lastly. I wanted to say I consider DJing to be free-riding not theft, it harms no one if anything sids all those involved.