by Maartje Boekestein - winner of the 2019 IASPM/VNPF popular music thesis prize [Bachelor’s]
Where’s my snare? / I have no snare on my headphones / There you go. Eminem’s opening lines on his 2002 single “Cleanin’ Out my Closet.” Performed ad lib and in no way related to the content of the song that is about to follow. Then why are they left in?
In a nutshell, that is the type of question this thesis has tried to answer. Considering the frequent use of sounds, effects, and lyrical references included in popular recordings which draw attention to the medium of music and its recording process, the question remains as to what end they are employed.
Grouped under the term ‘metamusicality’ (as these extramusical elements draw attention to music’s medial qualities as the foundation of music making), this research argues that recorded allusions to the production process (1) support genre-specific ideas of authenticity, (2) enhance the sensation of liveness upon listening, and (3) draw attention to the juxtaposition of live and recorded music by showing that references to both can co-exist on the same medium.
How can music recording be used as a tool for meaning making? Which values are involved in the inclusion of extramusical material? Which statements are made regarding the surrounding music industry? How do artists insert references to their recording process or the recorded nature of their music to comment on genre conventions and values?
To investigate these questions, this research makes use of the analysis of musical case studies, genre theory and literature analysis. It furthermore borrows from theatre studies and the Brechtian concept of ‘distanciation’ to explore metamusical elements as a form of ideological industry commentary. Modernist and postmodernist theory form the foundation of the research in their approaches to authenticity and agency. Additionally, the concepts of liveness (Philip Auslander) and deadness (Stanyek and Benjamin Piekut) are explored to understand the co-existence of references in popular music to both live performance and recording processes.
Building on the aforementioned theoretical framework, this thesis finds that sonic references to the recording process and the medial quality of music can reveal ideological implications: Based on the conventions, rules and values perpetuated by genres, the inclusion of metamusicality can draw attention to the different forms of authenticity and agency requested by the specific genre contexts. Extramusical markers can help re-create the sensation of live performance while simultaneously enclosing concepts of liveness and deadness. Metamusicality can reveal the complicated relationship between recorded and performed music and the tension of their oppositional value systems.
Juxtaposing the intended authenticity of imperfection (in live performance) with the highly polished production circumstances of the recording studio, metamusical elements allow for a listening experience that oscillates between the recorded and the live.
Contact email: m.i.boekestein[at]gmail.com
Personal blog: https://thedadanthology.home.blog/
Maartje Boekestein
Maartje Boekestein completed her BA in Arts, Culture and Media at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen with a focus on Theatre and Music Studies. She is currently finishing her MLitt in Theatre and Performance Practices at Glasgow University. Maartje holds a scholarship from the Ev. Studienwerk Villigst.