'Choon' Writing and Popular Music Practice

Research Paper delivered at University of Newcastle, June, 2000

This paper has purposes: on the one hand, to provide an account of how my compositional work relates to the area of popular music practice, and on the other, to communicate something about myself in terms of artistic motivation and academic focus.

The presentation consists of two sections: it begins with a brief description and contextualisation of my work, and then goes on to consider its relevance to practices within popular music. Where appropriate I'll incorporate audio examples to demonstrate the realisation of the conceptual themes considered. On a personal note and bearing in mind the department's concern for theory into practice, this opportunity for critical reflection has proved to be stimulating and encouraging; having devoted a number of years now to the production of my own music many of the thoughts presented here represent theory 'out of' practice.

Introduction

The simplest way I like to describe my work is as 'groove-based studio composition'. In common with much electronic and dance-based music, it emphasises structural and textural components. Through the use of sequencing software, looped and syncopated rhythmic patterns form the music's structural basis. A balance is struck between repetition and variation, on the one hand to maintain the continuity of a fundamental bodily connection, and the other to provide a sense of development and progression. The notion of development here is something that functions on a number of levels but which seeks to address both the somatic and psychological needs that I perceive as important for myself and for the imagined listener. My aim, for a number of years, has been to write music of physical and intellectual appeal.

The music's textural emphasis emerges from, and is dictated by, the technology involved, and represents what I like to think of as a contemporary form of orchestration. The key word here, relating to DJ mixing (which I'll return to), is 'layering'. It is an important requirement of the music to ensure separation between what are in essence electronically generated sounds. A number of characteristic and technologically determined manipulations are employed to this end. Firstly, the sound-design that shapes individual elements, primarily this involves EQing, filtering, and pitch selection, but of course many other possibilities exist when working within the digital domain; secondly, there is the process of the 'mix', where further distinctions within the sound-field can be determined, this would include panning, further EQing, individual volume levels, and the use of effects. Such content would come under the banner of the music's 'production values'.

Exactly what elements are used tends to be very broad. This is due to the possibilities afforded by digital technology that enables the creation of sounds from a quite literally infinite amount of sources. Having said this, the following categories can be identified: percussive elements, bass, breaks or breakbeats, synthesised patches, samples from records and video, and other 'found sounds'. Where vocal content is incorporated it is more usually treated as a textural element rather than for the sake of any lyrical content.

Having given a brief description of the music, I want to be a little more specific about its cultural location. Although it is not a music that is commercial in the sense of mainstream dance music, it does allude to be a commodity associated with club-culture and affiliated areas of musical consumption; in particular, the post-rave generation. Appropriate performance contexts would include clubs, so called 'chill-out' rooms, lounge-bars, and domestic listening environments. For those of you with the appropriate subcultural capital it is worth mentioning some associated genres, record labels, and artists. Genre terms that fit most closely would include Electronica, Downtempo, Loungecore, and Breakbeat; associated record labels might include Warp, Pussyfoot, Ninja Tunes, Mo Wax, Pork Records, Kudos, and Rough Trade; and finally, bands and artists referenced by listeners of my music include Daft Punk, The Boards of Canada, Ultramarine, Morcheeba, Fatboy Slim, Kraftwerk, LFO, Nightmares On Wax, Orbital, and Richard Kirk. Broader reference points that can be made, echoing the stylistic characteristics of the area I'm working within, would include: late sixties and early seventies funk, soul, and Motown; hip hop and electro; and electronic music from both the European Avant-garde and American Experimental traditions. Finally, and drawing from these last two traditions I should mention my commitment to the processual dynamics of creative endeavour. In particular, improvisation, 'happy accidents', and a Zen-inspired aesthetic characterise my working method and approach. The compositional immediacy and spontaneity enabled by sampling and sequencing are a continual source of excitement and inspiration.

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