Plunderphonics and Borrowing

Making music out of other music and sound

Introduction

This essay is going to discuss Plunderphonics. Firstly, the definition of plunderphonics will be looked followed by its history, then composers who are active in this style and examples of their work. Finally the challenge or issue that surrounds plunderphonics will be discussed.

What is it?

The term Plunderphonics was originally formed by John Oswald in 1985. Plunderphonics is music that takes sound from one or more recordings and altering or combining them to create a new composition. In this style of composition there is no attempt to hide the fact that the sounds have been borrowed. These sounds can be snippets from several pieces to create a new one. They can be parts of speeches, or a full piece that is altered in some way.

These alterations can be pitch, style, tempo or the additions of effects.

Historical Context

Although the term plunderphonics came about in 1985 it can be traced back as far as the Baroque period. An example of this is the third movement of Luciano Berio’s Sinfonia, which is entirely made up of other composers and writers works. Charles Ives and Ferruccio Busoni are also examples of early composers who used plunderphonics.

Composers

John Oswald is a Canadian composer and saxophonist. He has experimented with this style of music in many ways, drawing primarily on 20th century popular and classical music sources. His first recording in 1989 was widely known due to the legal actions taken against it which will be discussed later. He took Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and doubled the tempo or faster. This was titled “doublerite” and performed at the opening concert New Forms Festival.

Other compositions Oswald has completed are:

“Pretender” – featured Dolly Parton singing “The Great Pretender”. The song progressively slowed down so that she sounded like a man.

He also did another version of “Rite of Spring”, “Spring” in which he shuffled around the orchestration and had different parts playing on top of another.

In 1989 Oswald released an expanded version of “Plunderphonics” which contained 25 tracks.

Each track took material from one artist and included reworked material from both popular musicians and classical works. An example is the Beatles and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.

Challenge or Issue

The issue or problem that rises with plunderphonics is copyright. As none of these samples have been cleared, this can sometimes result in legal action due to copyright infringement. John Oswald found this problem with his first CD “Plunderphonics”. Oswald funded this CD himself and gave it to radio stations and the press for free, adding a liner note that read as follows:

“This disc may be reproduced but neither it, nor any reproductions of it are to be bought or sold. Copies are available only to public access and broadcast organisations, including libraries, radio or periodicals.”

This CD was released in May 1988, and between Christmas Eve 1989 and the end of January 1990 all distributions ceased and all copies destroyed. Michael Jackson pursued this endeavour. He felt his copyright was violated as Oswald used a selection of his works.

However, some composers use plunderphonic music as a way of protesting the copyright laws.

This is a problem that will constantly arise in the making of plunderphonic music. Many composers will object to the use of their copyrighted material thus making difficult to create plunderphonic music.

However, this style of music opens up an entire avenue of creativity in the music world. It enables styles to joined and old music being revisited and shown in a new light.

Conclusion

This assignment has just explored the world of Plunderphonics. It discussed what pluderphonics is, its history and the composers who explore this style and their works. Finally, finishing with the challenges that surround this style of music and in my opinion how this will affect the style.

Resources

• Holm-Hudson, K. 1997. Quotation and Context: Sampling and John Oswald's Plunderphonics. Leonardo Music Journal 7, 17-25.
• Walser, R. 1995. Rhythm, Rhyme, and Rhetoric in the Music of Public Enemy. Ethnomusicology 39:2, 193-217.
• McLeod, K. 2005. Confessions of an Intellectual (Property): Danger Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Sonny Bono, and My Long and Winding Path as a Copyright Activist-Academic1. Popular Music and Society 28:1, 79.

Cox, C. and D, Warner. 2004. Audio Culture Reading in Modern Music. USA: Continuum International Publishing Group inc.

Grove Music. 2006. Grovemusic online. http://www.grovemusic.com.ezp02.library.qut.edu.au/shared/views/article.html?from=search&session_search_id=306256737&hitnum=2§ion=music.44085 (accessed 24/08/06).

Jones, A. 1995. Plunderphonics Pataphysics and Pop Mechanics, England: Saf Publishing.

Landy, L. 1994. Experimental Music Notebooks. UK: Harwood Academic Publishers.

Representative composers:

• Hank Shocklee and Public Enemy
• A great deal of hip-hop and tributaries
• John Oswald
• Luciano Berio (Sinfonia)
• Christian Marclay
• David Shea
• James Tenney
• DJ Danger Mouse
• DJ Spooky
• Michael Nyman