Kramer Theory

Postmodern music does not respect the boundaries between sonorities and procedures of the past and of the present.





This Oasis song from 1995 samples the melody from John Lennon's Imagine which was released in 1971. They bring the tune into the 90's 'Britpop' phase of music Oasis are so well known for; this shows a disregard for the procedures of the past, editing a well respected piece of music does not respect the boundaries of past and present.





Kanye samples Shirley Bassey's iconic song, particularly the chorus. This disregards procedures of past and present. It also ignores the boundaries of past and present by completely remixing the song to give an alternative view point of the song, as well as mixing genres.

Postmodern music shows disdain for the often unquestioned value of structural unity. 



This songs features Will Ferrell quotes 'No one knows what it means, but it's provocative, Gets the people going!' from film Blades of Glory. This interrupts the structure of the song, the quote is also said to represent an opinion of rap music, which could potentially suggest the song features an element of irony.



This song starts with a short story which explains the context of the song.

Postmodern Artist

Postmodern Artist on Prezi

I chose Coldplay because of their link to Brian Eno and I have a decent knowledge of their work. I think in recent years they have become more postmodern since taking on Eno as their producer.

Postmodernism Music Theory

Media Theorist Jonathan Kramer says "the idea that postmodernism is less a surface style or historical period than an attitude. Kramer goes on to say 16 "characteristics of postmodern music, by which I mean music that is understood in a postmodern manner, or that calls forth postmodern listening strategies, or that provides postmodern listening experiences, or that exhibits postmodern compositional practices."
According to Kramer (Kramer 2002, 16–17), postmodern music":

1. is not simply a repudiation of modernism or its continuation, but has aspects of both a break and an extension
2. is, on some level and in some way, ironic
3. does not respect boundaries between sonorities and procedures of the past and of the present
4. challenges barriers between 'high' and 'low' styles
5. shows disdain for the often unquestioned value of structural unity
6. questions the mutual exclusivity of elitist and populist values
7. avoids totalizing forms (e.g., does not want entire pieces to be tonal or serial or cast in a prescribed formal mold)
8. considers music not as autonomous but as relevant to cultural, social, and political contexts
9. includes quotations of or references to music of many traditions and cultures
10. considers technology not only as a way to preserve and transmit music but also as deeply implicated in the production and essence of music
11. embraces contradictions
12. distrusts binary oppositions
13. includes fragmentations and discontinuities
14. encompasses pluralism and eclecticism
15. presents multiple meanings and multiple temporalities
16. locates meaning and even structure in listeners, more than in scores, performances, or composers

Jonathan Donald Kramer (December 7, 1942, Hartford, Connecticut – June 3, 2004, New York City), was a U.S. composer and music theorist.

Active as a music theorist, Kramer published primarily on theories of musical time and postmodernism. At the time of his death he had just completed a book on postmodern music and a cello composition for the American Holocaust Museum.

Postmodernism and Music

The postmodern sensibility that anything can be considered cool in an ironic ‘I know it’s bad, but it’s so bad it’s good way’

Work that is created based (entirely or in part) on older material. This incorporates sampling and will take you from the realms of hip hop culture transporting you finally in today’s modern fragmented musical landscape. You will have to listen to some of the artists to fully appreciate them and their work.

Otis (2011) samples
 Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding (1966)
 Don't Tell a Lie About Me and I Won't Tell the Truth on You by James Brown (1974)
 Top Billin' by Audio Two (1987)
 The Greatest Love of All by Eddie Murphy (1988)
 All I Need by Jay-Z (2001)

Let It Out (2010) sampled  Get Out of My Life, Woman by Allen Toussaint (1968) Mr. Big Stuff by Jean Knight (1971) I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby by Barry White (1973) Nothing From Nothing by Billy Preston (1974) Blitzkrieg Bop by Ramones (1976) Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra (1977) Tenderness by General Public (1984) Posse on Broadway by Sir Mix-a-Lot (1988) Waiting Room by Fugazi (1989) Loser by Beck (1993) Flava in Ya Ear (Remix) by Craig Mack and The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Rampage, LL Cool J andBusta Rhymes (1994) Ruby Soho by Rancid (1995) Liquid Swords by GZA feat. RZA (1995)

Audiences that are both niche and mainstream. E.g.: Radio 1, 1xtra, BBC6, XFM


6Music Playlist:

Kathleen Edwards	Change The Sheets
Field Music		A New Town
Jagwar Ma		Come Save Me
M.I.A.		Bad Girls
The Maccabees		Feel To Follow
Niki And The Dove		DJ, Ease My Mind
The Shins		Simple Song
Sleigh Bells		Comeback Kid
We Are Augustines		Chapel Song
Paul Weller		That Dangerous Age
Jack White		Love Interruption

The ways in which people engage and listen to music e.g.: iPod, DAB, mobile phones etc

The legal issues surrounding sampling. (Led Zeppelin ‘borrowed’ heavily from old bluesmen and it took years for the songwriters to be credited and paid royalties. The same group took a hard-line stance initially to be sampled by hip hop groups.)

http://www.everythingisaremix.info/

Stairway to Heaven (1971) sampled  Taurus by Spirit (1968)

The state of the music industry incorporating any recent developments that change how we access/ interact with music e.g.: Spotify, X Factor, iTunes, illegal downloading, free cds with 
newspapers etc

Pick 'n' Mix culture: the past, or distant and exotic cultures, are a) detached from their environment and b) used selectively to anchor the chaotic images of modern European and American life (Elvis Presley's 'It's Now or Never/O Sole Mio'; Gregorian chants in the Top Ten). A modern example would include artists such as Lady Gaga, M.I.A., Madeon and Active Child

Intertextuality: The preference for parody, nostalgia, kitsch and pastiche over realism

(sampling).

The dominance of surface over depth

No strong sense of history or the future. Alienation is abolished by saying, 'Utopia is now' as in raves or music festivals.

A new status for art culture. Art does not represent or reflect reality: it is reality.

Like the characters in a soap opera, pop stars can seem more 'real' than our own friends.

Mix Tape

This Is Nowhere - The Airborne Toxic Event 

The Bakery - Arctic Monkeys 

Christopher's River - Biffy Clyro 

Welcome To The Fabulous Las Vegas - Brandon Flowers

Paradise - Coldplay

Violet Hill - Coldplay

The City - Ed Sheeran

Home - Ellie Goulding

Spanish Sahara - Foals

Back Down South - Kings of Leon

Cold Desert - Kings of Leon

Hinnom, TX - Bon Iver 

Seaside - The Kooks

The Wrong Beach - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

These Streets - Paolo Nutini

California - Phantom Planet

This Is The Place - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Down River - The Temper Trap

Campus - Vampire Weekend

In The Garage - Weezer

Island In The Sun - Weezer

Tokyo - The Wombats

I chose all of these songs as of course they have the idea of a place in the title. I chose this because songs very often remind you of a place, or you often listen to music whilst travelling to a place. I picked out songs from my iPod and also found that these songs reminded me of certain places also. For example Violet Hill reminds me of Glastonbury and These Streets makes me think of listening to it at a  Bus Stop I ended up waiting at for ages a few years ago. I find music is usually a key reminder of places and journeys, and I like that these songs must have a relevance to the artists', which of course you can tell from the songs. 

Guilty Pleasures

Ipod Shuffle

1. Where is the love? - Black Eyed Peas
2. Naive - The Kooks
3. I'll be there for you - The Rembrandts
4. Please Please Me - The Beatles
5. Magical Mistakes - Athlete
6. Red Socks Pugie - Foals
7. Count Me In - Athlete
8. Who wants to live forever - Queen
9. Allstar - Smashmouth
10. Sometime Around Midnight - The Airbourne Toxic Event
11. Sex On Fire - Kings of Leon
12. Evergreen - Will Young
13. Wouldn't have it any other way - The Streets
14. Lost! - Coldplay
15. Autumn - Paolo Nutini
16. Mary - The Maccabees
17. New Jersey Television - Red Light Company
18. What If - Coldplay
19. You're So Right - The Strokes
20. Deja Vu - Beyonce