Electronic Music

Response to Elie During, "Appropriations: Deaths of the Author in Electronic Music" in Sonic Process.

Electronic music is a type of art, which has the ability to fall under the radar for most audiences. Like graffiti art, the uninitiated dismiss both art forms. One major difference is that this art form may be experienced by thousands of people during an outing to a club or bar on the weekend. The artist, who performs live, feels the emotion in the room and fills this area with auditory waves. Artists emerge quickly as the resources to create this type of music are readily available in the form of home recording studios. Electronic music raises many questions regarding appropriation as the artists often use samples from other musicians. To create a successful work, it is important to understand the complex sound society, which exists and possess good knowledge of their works.

Although the electronic musicians may resemble those of the fluxus movement, their audience is certainly broader. They can be perceived as an evolution of audio art where the concept of authorship is disappearing. The structure is established by the medium as opposed to the creator. In this sense, it is the music, which defines the maker. The art is appreciated for itself and its rhythms. The instruments are no longer guitars or trumpets. Electronic musicians work with computers and samples from other media. In a sense, the studio becomes an instrument. It is not surprising that the creator is not necessarily the author. This signifies that the author may suggest how their rhythms are harmonized but is not explicitly producing it. By separating the creator from the work, is easier for the audience to relate and involve their perception in the work. 

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