Grids

All academics like a matrix - here's one from today:

	Deliberate	Accidental
Political Use
Non Political Use
Political Music
- Narratives
- Anthems
Non Political Music

Spaces and Places.

Last night I had a very enjoyable dinner with friends at the 20,000 Cows Restaurant in Lismore, NSW and thought to write a little about the analogy between this place and the current space for political music.

20,000 Cows is a quaint little restaurant outside of the CBD. It is housed in an old petrol station with an odd, triangular shaped, small building and a small court yard. Inside the walls are decorated with a range of unique and hand made art works, the curtains are all different colours, there are lanterns, candles on the table and a collection of odd pieces of furniture. There is a potbelly stove made out of an old beer keg, panels of melted glass and a book on Ghandi on the wall.

The food which is absolutely beautiful is Middle Eastern and Indian vegan/vegetarian and the philosophy of the proprietor, Murray Vilkelis, is based on animal rights and respect for other living beings. Some people eat around coffee tables while sitting on lounges, others at tables with mismatching chairs.

The atmosphere is fantastic – there are people from all backgrounds including those from non mainstream and mainstream cultures. It serves as a meeting place for many that appreciate the ideological basis of the ‘business’ and it serves as a place where people from outside that culture can be comfortable and become accustom to alternative approaches.

I say ideological basis of the ‘business’ because while there are recommended prices, these are optional –the menu states that these are suggested prices.

It was a great evening and I will be certain to return many more times however it was not without its hiccups. It was very busy with a Gem Festival nearby attracting a large number of people, this led to some cramping with people squashed together in small spaces and the high demand on the staff led to some delays in service and some confusion about meals.

This was really of a secondary concern to my friends and I, and I only raise it because I was thinking at the time what a great analogy this place was for the current space of political music in the digital environment.

Political music is unique and at present it suffers from a small area in which to thrive. The artists congregate in what little architecture is available to them which is beneficial because of its intimacy and concentration, however the spaces have not grown to accommodate new creators, they have not expanded enough to house everyone comfortably and in a way that provides the greatest level of service. The distribution system (serving staff) are limited in effectiveness because of the lack of expansion and money to do more.

The business appears to be worthwhile from an economic perspective however I was not the one to pay the bill so I cannot say from personal experience whether social norms are enough to ensure that the costs are covered. At a guess I would say that most people that go there are ethically motivated enough to pay the recommended price but am sure that on occasion those that can’t don’t, and sometimes those that can, do not either. The generosity of the proprietor is both what attracts people to try new experiences but at the same time does not of itself ensure or guarantee that the business will continue without financial concerns. As I have noted recently, Trent Reznor estimates that only around 18% of consumers paid to access his bands music when a similar business model was used.

The ideological basis of the restaurant is both an attraction to those that appreciate alternative perspectives, catering (pun intended) to their desire for integtrity and respect. For others, perhaps it is something that does the opposite. It is the same for political music - not everyone who is exposed to it goes on to appreciate its true value.

I didn’t get to eat all that I ordered and some friends ate another person’s meal because of the lack of resources (serving staff per customer) – this is a direct parallel to those of us that want more political music but cannot find it.

There were delays in getting our meals (lack of cooks = lack of artists) but the uniqueness of the food was worth waiting for – it takes time to prepare something that is not generic and mass produced.

And there were things that were not welcome, such as the consumption of meat from other sources on the premises and smoking – this relates to the notion that non dedicated spaces for political expression dilute its potency and ability to get its message across.

As I said, it was a wonderful and very enjoyable evening – we all had a great time and please don’t take this as a criticism of the restaurant. This is merely me being observational and using a real space example as an illustration of what is taking place on the internet.

I had been to this restaurant some 10 or more years ago and never saw it in this way. If you ever have the chance, go, and see for yourself how special cultures express themselves and think a little of how much better the world would be if there were more chances for it to do so.

More Information

Wolf & Lamb, Wolf and Lamb: Animal Free Cooking (7th ed, 2002) <http://lis.net.au/marijonas/WOLF01.html#F200> at 17 May 2009

Your Restaurant, 20,000 Cows (2009)
<http://www.yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/20000_cows/> at 17 May 2009

Draft: Philosophical Basis of Thesis

I have recently drafted the first chapter to my thesis which largely describes the theoretical basis for my project. As you can see there are web of interwoven theories which can be categorised into three streams – those which create positive community conditions, those which establish a negative community and those which contribute to what a refer to as a balanced community.

It is a work in progress and already I recognise that some of the expression is a little less than elegant and that I may need to do some more research in some areas. Since writing this (July) I have thought to add an overriding section which discusses cultural theory and the relationship between expression and society (imagine it sitting at the top of my chart if you will).

Sally

Chapter 1 Draft SHawkins 140708.doc

(Select Download with File Factory Basic, enter the text for the captcha box and then select download).

When Worlds Collide – Part 2

Following on from my last post which discussed the differences between real space and cyberspace, I would now like to consider the implications and influences of technological developments on music. Identifying how technological changes have enhanced the ability of music to communicate enables an evaluation of the current conditions offered by the digital music environment and ways in which their potential can be maximised. Socio economic conditions influence technological conditions and vice versa throughout history.

Evolution not Revolution
In the last post I referred to the conception of three worlds by Sir Karl Popper. Another of his theories is that of refutation – here he suggest that knowledge of the world is produced through a process of problem solving iterations. His model for scientific testing starts with a problem solving situation, applies tentative theories which identify false results enabling a determination of the most probable answer(s), leading inturn to more complex and interesting problem solving situations. The identification of false results in one sense is said to emulate the process of natural selection in the biological environment by identifying the most suitable or fit result.

In a similar way to Popper’s theory of knowledge and the theory of evolution, the movement of culture from an analogue environment to a hybrid analogue/digital environment with an ever increasing emphasis on the digital, takes place through a sequence of problem solving, theorising, error elimination and more problem solving.

This theory can be applied in a number of macro and micro extrapolations. The internet itself arguably follows much the same pattern, but for these purposes the focus will be on the narrower conception of the digital music environment as well as music itself.

In the digital music environment, the difficulties creating artificial scarcity led to major content owners, and in turn governments, theorising that increased protections are the most suitable response to the control of intangibles in an intangible environment. Others contend that the problem is not one of recreating scarcity but rather recognition of the impossibility of achieving this and adapting to take advantage of the new environment.

Content owners, motivated by self preservation and money rather than artist, artistic or public benefit, in misidentifying the nature of the problem entered into a cycle which has not solved the true problem and arguably has made the conditions worse for themselves and everyone else. From this perspective strategies such as DRM, file sharing lawsuits against individuals and software developers which inturn impact on overall technological development, the development of closed architectures for music distribution on the internet and the attempt to keep independent artists marginalised by refusing to adopt alternative business models, are the result of addressing the wrong problem in the first place. In contrast, identifying the problem as a need maximise the opportunities for creativity and free expression by applying a theory of positive inclusive community would lead to more interesting and productive problems to resolve such as the detail, application and subsequent revisions of an alternative compensation scheme.

In one sense the content owners have characterised the digital music environment as a context inciting revolution rather than evolution.

Culture also undergoes a constant evolution. Music provides an obvious illustration as a form of expression subjected to differing conditions which favour the existence of certain form, content, styles, accessibility, ability to communicate and in turn the production of social progress.

From its most primitive form of personal, tribal and then public performance, communication through music was, and to a relative extent remains, limited by skill, time and space. Public performances require mastery of instruments, exist for a very finite period of time and are only available to a specific and limited audience. Historically public performance represented the analogue manifestation of music and since this time there has been an ongoing evolution to the form of expression brought about by changes in technology.

The advent of radio saw the removal of space limitations enabling much larger and remote audiences to access music of live performers. This was followed by recording technology which then removed the limitations of time and space enabling audiences to access music at their convenience. Digital technologies also contributed to the production of music with the advent of instruments such as the synthesiser removing many of the barriers for the average person to compose and perform.

The advent of the internet was another major technological development which itself is dynamic and subject to constant change. Here we see the convergence of all the previous adaptations of the production and reception of culture to technology with skill, time and space being further supplemented by enabling instant, low cost and global distribution of works. In some respects for music, this is the ultimate iteration of technology with the potential for the most number of errors inhibiting communication to be eliminated. However the true potential has not yet been properly realised.

As the technological evolution has taken place so too has the content of culture evolved. The content of music has moved from anthropological and community applications to global issues. There have been detectable historical trends with respect to the prevalence of messages within music, one particular notable example being the status of protest music in the United States in the 1960s. This occurred at a time when FM radio was open and commercially ambivalent and there had been technological advances in recording equipment and techniques. Subsequent convergence of record labels and the increased influence of capitalism on the music environment ultimately led to the prevalence of emotive and dance music. If the digital music environment is able to realise its full potential there would inevitably be greater opportunity for the diversity of culture and the ability to support political music and other nonmainstream content.

At various moments in history the technological conditions have combined with the socio economic conditions to favour certain styles over others. In medieval times for example, minstrels and street performers were took on the role of illustrating current events in the commons for those largely illiterate and removed from the immediacy of royalty. Similarly the technical and socio economic conditions in the classical era saw the highest quality of music performed before limited and exclusive audiences. In contrast church music has more generally been performed in a more open environment. Over time and largely in line with changes to technology there has been an exponential growth in the number and diversity of musical styles. While there are many different conceptions to the evolution of musical styles, milestones following the dilution of the classical era include blues, jazz and folk. Rock music marks the start of a dramatic expansion of musical styles which continues unabated today.

The internet and digital technology in particular have created unique musical styles through the use of sampling techniques, mashing and remixing. Enabling limitless reproduction and variation this technology again offers the ultimate iteration by removing barriers to production of music. Similarly with the promise of open and limitless access, this context offers the opportunity to maximise receptive mediation. However the continued determination of major content owners to control music by misinterpreting the problems created by the digital music environment poses an ongoing threat to the realisation of the benefits of this technology.

By enabling or restricting expression, differing modes of communication and architectures in turn influence the effectiveness, style and content of music and therefore the ability to transfer and receive messages. The ultimate conditions for digital culture offer the maximum opportunity for expression to create social progress and without a constant review of the problem solving sequence invoked there will be delays and the possibility that the full potential of the environment will not be realised.

Further Reading
Ed. Michael Benedikt, Cyberspace First Steps (1993)

Wikipedia, Karl Popper (9 May 2008) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Karl_Popper> at
12 May 2008

When Worlds Collide – Part 1

Following on from yesterdays post regarding the file sharing conflict, today I thought to reflect on the context in which it takes place and the implications which arise from the solutions adopted to address the problem. This requires a conceptualisation of the differences between real or physical space, and the internet, which is sometimes referred to colloquially as the digital environment.

Considering more specifically the way these environments interact and alter the production (reproduction) and reception of music it is possible to see that changes taking place are a form of evolution not unlike biological transformations seen in real space. In the first post on this topic I will consider the nature of cyberspace compared with real space and in a following post will reflect on the evolution of culture (music) over time.

How intangibles are produced, live and thrive is the essence of this inquiry.

The Space of the Place
Writings at the time of the emergence of cyberspace provide an insight into the initial reaction to its introduction and perceptions held at that time as to its potential - some of which have been realised but many of which remain elusive. In the introduction to the text Cyberspace First Steps, Michael Benedikt describes a number of ways that this space can be conceptualised. He describes cyberspace as the realm of pure information which decontaminates the natural and urban landscapes; he likens it to a series of corridors where intelligence and electricity meet; and he refers to it as a parallel universe. Furthermore he contends that cyberspace is:

A common mental geography, built in turn, by consensus and revolution, cannon and experiment; a territory swarming with data and lies, with mind stuff and memories of nature, with a million voices and two million eyes in a silent, invisible concert of enquiry, dealmaking, dream sharing; and simple beholding. [Ed. Michael Benedikt, Cyberspace First Steps (1993) 2]

Benedikt specifically refers to Sir Karl Popper’s proposition that there are three interconnected worlds to contend with – the first being the objective world of natural tangible objects with qualities such as energy, weight and motion; the second being that of the minds of individuals and subjective consciousness. This includes, for example, calculations, thoughts, feeling and dreams. The third world consists of largely accidental objective products of collective minds, arising through their interaction with the tangible world – these include things such as language, philosophy, the arts and religion. Bendekit suggests that world 3 manifests in the form of patterns whether they be of ideas, expression, data, information or another. He contends that cyberspace is the most recent evolution of world 3 patterns arising from interactions between worlds 1 and 2. He also suggests that cyberspace will never replace the pre-existing elements of world 3 but will only ever displace them [Ibid page 3-4].

There are a number of differences between real space and cyberspace with respect to the form and nature of the environment, the way people take part in these spaces and the inherent properties of the content.

Relative to each other, real space is finite with a limited capacity where as cyberspace is essentially limitless. Real space is divided by national borders while cyberspace has borders based more on commercial desires with many globally accessible open spaces. In each location in real space there is a period of time over night when there is a significant reduction in activity. Cyberspace however never sleeps with the constant movement of intangibles and global nature of its operation. Cyberspace consists of a collection of multiple forms and structures each with their own preferences, weaknesses and benefits. Each person that interacts in cyberspace adopts the structures in cyberspace which most enhance their lives but at the same time can often expose their vulnerabilities as well.

Just as the form of the environment contributes to our understanding of it, so do qualities specific to people. Naturally, humans must take physical form and we therefore have no option but to exist in a constant state within real space. In contrast, human participation in cyberspace is optional and intermittent. The relative ability to interact anonymously is also an important difference with an arguably far greater opportunity to do so in cyberspace.

There are also inherent differences between the content of real space and cyberspace. While real space content takes many forms including artificial and natural physical forms, as well as expression; in cyberspace all content must be intangible and there is a proportionally far greater concentration of expressive communication than other types.

In the next post I will go on to consider more specifically how technology has shaped the development of music and how Popper’s theory of refutation can be used to help evaluate the choices we make, the results that follow and their implications.

Further Reading
Ed. Michael Benedikt, Cyberspace First Steps (1993)

The movement in digital music

Neil Netanel in his paper ‘Copyright and a Democratic Civil Society’, characterises the three main philosophical positions to copyright law- neoclassicism, minimalism and democratic theory.

Neoclassical copyright theory seeks to maximise control over the use of works and produce maximum profits. Arguments against this form of copyright regulation tend to look to the purpose of copyright law in providing a mechanism for social progress and democracy which requires a more flexible approach for the public access of works. Arguably this is the form of copyright regulation currently employed in countries such as the United States and Australia. It encourages monopoly control and dominance by major record labels and requires litigation to support a business model that is the dominant consideration rather than the quality of culture produced.

Minimalism (or Utopian copyright theory) on the other hand refers to the philosophical position in which artists are given little property rights to their works but rather much greater freedom is afforded to the public to use works without compensation. Perhaps best illustrated by much of the activity currently underway on file sharing networks, such a position fails to provide the mechanism for a reasonable return of funds to artists and therefore fails to support a democratic and civil society. Artists capable of the best expression are not adequately rewarded for their creativity lowering both the standard and frequency of cultural production.

Democratic theory is the central position between these two and Netanel characterises this as the optimum environment for creativity and democracy. Artists enjoy reasonable returns for their creativity whilst ensuring adequate access by the public, therefore maximising the opportunities for the educative powers of culture and the ability for citizens to be aware of and participate in politics. The collective licensing mechanism proposed for file sharing networks is one such example of a form of copyright regulation which seeks to enhance access and provide reasonable support for artists.

In the past the digital music environment could be seen as something of a conflict of extremes – record labels and major media corporations have taken a strictly neoclassicist approach, file sharers and file sharing software developers adopted a minimalist approach with independent artists left to struggle to match the conditions of both of these.

In more recent times however steps, albeit small ones, have been taken to move more toward the centre. The decision by the labels to remove DRM from CDs and to an increasing degree digital files, the development of new business models by independent artists demonstrating their ability to create some opportunities for themselves in a far less regulated environment as well as the increasing discussion relating to the collective licensing mechanisms are all factors indicating the shifting sentiments of the participants in the digital music environment. This all seems encouraging from the perspective of artists and the public until one then refers to the overlapping attention currently being directed to internet wide filtering of copyright material and the increasing pressure on ISPs to take a greater role in policing and enforcing activities on their networks.

In these changing times it can be difficult to say with absolute certainty that the extreme positions of the past remain but it is far from certain that the industry as a whole is moving directly to a democratic paradigm. Small steps in multiple but conflicting directions indicate that the environment is far from settled.

Further Reading
Neil Netanel, Copyright and a Democratic Civil Society, 106 Yale Law Journal 283 (1996)
<http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/ecohist/readings/ip/netanel.htm> at 22 April 2008

Digital Music News, MP3 Fever Spreads: Tesco Latest to Dump DRM (16 April 2008) <http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/041508tesco> at 17 April 2008

TechDirt, Wal-Mart Ditches DRM... And Lots Of Major Label Music With It (8 April 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080408/003857784.shtml> at 13 April 2008

Digital Music News, Wal-Mart Reaffirms Commitment to MP3s; Standoff Continues (7 April 2008) <http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/040608walmart> at 8 April 2008

Digital Music News, The DRM-Free Drag... Why a Broader Rollout Remains Elusive (2 April 2008) <http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/040208drm/> at 8 April 2008

Digital Music News, Marvelous Result: Reznor Disciple Finds $300,000 (14 April 2008) <http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/041308niggy> at 17 April 2008

TechDirt, Another 'Free' Business Model Experiment (28 March 2008)<http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080321/183748624.shtml> at 30 March 2008

ChicagoTribune, Music biz looks at giving fans all the songs they want in exchange for broadband access fee (20 March 2008) <http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2008/03/the-latest-plan.html> at 27 March 2008

Digital Music News, Dolly Goes DIY: Parton Self-Financing Offers Latest Case Study (24 March 2008) <http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/032308dolly> at 26 March 2008

The Technium, 1,000 True Fans (4 March 2008) <http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php> at 23 March 2008