Moralis, Christos (2019) Live popular Electronic music ‘performable recordings’. Doctoral thesis, Univeristy of West London.

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Abstract

This research focuses on Electronic Dance Music (EDM), or popular electronic music, and the way a band can perform live having the same sonic attributes with those of a studio production, investigating production techniques and performance practices that work with these contemporary mediatized live performances. For the purposes of this research, an Electronic Dance Music (EDM) live act has been formed including conventional instruments, such as electric guitar and keyboards, and other more sophisticated electronic devices such as midi controllers and electronic drums along with vocals. The emerging phenomenon of new types of bands or performers, who try to bring the studio sound on stage, created a gap between ‘human’ and ‘non-human’ that requires performers to work with technology in new ways, in this musical style. This thesis builds upon research on authenticity and its relation to aspects of liveness in these types of live performances. More specifically, it builds upon research on Moore’s tripartition of authenticities and the two forms of authenticity that are most salient in this process of ‘musicking’. These are the 1st and the 3rd person as described in Moore’s (2002) model. The 1 st person authenticity relates to the extent to which the participants feel that the performers engage in authentic human expression through their performance. The 3rd person authenticity relates to the participants’ assessment of what constitutes an authentic sonic example of a musical tradition or genre – in this case EDM. In addition to what it should sound like, 3rd person authenticity is also concerned with what are the appropriate ‘tools’ that should be used and factors such as the coherence between aural and visual, employment of skill, performativity and the constant awareness of a ‘standard of achievement’. The aim is to create a musical process in which all the participants feel that the band is performing authentically while being sonically faithful to the genre or tradition. The key is the combination of machine accuracy with some aspects of human expressive performance in a way that maintains the integrity of the popular electronic musical style. Following on from the multiple theories that underpin this research, various methodologies have been followed. Qualitative and quantitative research methods have been followed, through interviews, video observations, and audio data analysis. Having said that, a real-time production and performance process has been developed and is called ‘performable recordings’, that is, ‘a type of music production that enables the artist to perform a musical piece live, using, in real-time, the mixing and post-production processes that create the aesthetics of a studio produced version'. This model intends to promote and support performers' emotional expression and creativity that comes from spontaneity, musicianship, face to face performance and freedom of movement that over the past years were minimized or eliminated due to contemporary production processes and performance practices. Furthermore, it creates opportunities for performers and musicians to get involved on stage with a broader range of modern musical styles and genres.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Keywords:	electronic music, popular, live performance, studio production, real-time, liveness, musical descriptors, authenticity
Subjects:	Music > Music performance
Depositing User:	Users 4141 not found.
Date Deposited:	27 Nov 2019 11:03
Last Modified:	04 Nov 2024 12:49
URI:	https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/6560

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