Once again, I got woefully behind on updating my website. I have to make this more of a priority. My apologies. There have been several Sound Philosophy episodes added since my last post on this site. They include:
030–The “First Death: of Hip Hop and “Rapper’s Delight.”
In this episode, I am joined by Matt Carter and Eric Taxier to discuss “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugar Hill Gang, which historian Jeff Chang refers to as the “first death of hip hop.” I begin by outlining the inevitability of narrative and interpretation to history–that there is no “just the facts” approach to history, no matter how hard we try. I then suggest that Jeff Chang tells a story of death and resurrection (and a shift from authenticity to increased inauthenticity) while someone like Dan Charnas tells a story of expansion and innovation (in business as much as art). Then Eric and Matt join me to discuss various elements of that “first” rap recording: the shift away from the DJ toward the MC, the use of a backing band and the continuation of a remix culture, the citing of names as tags, and other issues.
My Kant Series or Set of Series
There are several episodes (and more coming) that deal with the thought of Immanuel Kant both as it applies to various topics in music and a deep reading of the Critique of Pure Reason though a series of conversations with Eric Taxier. I will discuss each of these series in separate posts–right away, I promise.
Thanks, as always, for listening and reading. I promise to be more diligent in updating.