Hip-Hop pedagogy as production practice: Reverse-engineering the sample-based aesthetic

Hip-hop practice contains a rich matrix of creative methodologies within its paradigm, which can inform and inspire music production pedagogy in higher education. The techno-artistic trajectory of rap production consists of numerous phases that may involve live performance, recording, sampling, synthesis, programming, mixing and mastering. Furthermore, it is not rare for self-contained processes—such as interpolation and the creation of content for sampling—to be actualised as developmental phases within the larger production cycle. The well-documented issues affecting phonographic sampling have given rise to alternative methodologies inviting live musicianship within hip-hop practice, but also a dependance on synthetic sonics (often as signifiers of geographical or stylistic divergence). As a hybrid production vehicle par excellence—both live and electronic, performed and programmed, modern and vintage—Hip-Hop provides a fertile context for the application of diverse techniques in pursuit of inter-stylistic aesthetics. The paper explores the spectrum of creative opportunities that lie between live performance, the sample-based process, and notions of 'composition' as encompassed within the hip-hop paradigm, seeking to identify under-represented aspects of contemporary music production and unexploited synergies in popular music curricula that may benefit from further integration

Synth Sonics as Stylistic Signifiers in Sample-Based Hip-Hop: Synthetic Aesthetics from ‘Old-Skool’ to Trap

The use of synthesisers in Hip-Hop has ranged from sonic emulation, to sample augmentation, to original creation (arguably, of timbres and sub-genres alike). From the referential use of analogue synth leads in ‘G-funk’, to the EDM-inspired layers of ‘Crunk', to the subtle use of sub-synthesis in ‘Boom-Bap’, a reciprocal dynamic can be observed between the types of synthesisers deployed and the aesthetic context expressed by Rap sub-genres. In an age of exponential stylistic morphing - particularly noticeable within electronic music forms - the relationship between synthesised sonic signatures and genre transformation necessitates closer investigation. Furthermore, the use of synthesis in sample-based Hip-Hop challenges the purist focus on phonographic sampling as the sole route towards stylistic legitimacy. What are the sonic factors that render synthetic timbres acceptable, appropriate or authentic? The paper aims to examine how synthesisers contribute to the stylisation of Hip-Hop sub-genres, and investigate how the relationship between synthesis and the sample-based process has evolved throughout the style’s trajectory. The methodology fuses (auto)ethnography, aural and intertextual analysis, to theorise on synthesiser usage against a Rap typology, before putting the findings to the test within a creative practice context

Sonic Necessity and Compositional Invention in #Blues-Hop: Composing the Blues for Sample-Based Hip-Hop

Rap, the musical element of Hip-Hop culture, has depended upon the ‘recorded’ past to shape its birth, present and, potentially, its future. Founded upon a sample-based methodology, the style’s perceived authenticity and sonic impact are largely attributed to the use of phonographic records, and the unique conditions offered by ‘composition’ within a sampling context. Yet, while the dependence on pre-existing recordings challenges traditional notions of authorship, it also results in unavoidable legal and financial implications for sampling composers who, increasingly, seek alternative ways to infuse the sample-based method with authentic content. But what are the challenges inherent in attempting to compose new content - inspired by traditional forms - while adhering to Rap’s unique sonic rationale, aesthetics and methodology? How does composing within a stylistic frame rooted in the past (i.e. the Blues) differ under the pursuit of contemporary sonics and methodological preferences (i.e. Hip-Hop’s sample-based process)? And what are the dynamics of the inter-stylistic synthesis? The emerging hypothesis of this paper is that the sonic objectives of sampling production create unique conditions for the composition, appropriation and, in turn, divergence of traditional musical forms, giving birth to era-defying genres, leveraging on the dynamics of this interaction. The musicological inquiry utilises (auto)ethnography reflecting on professional creative practice, in order to investigate compositional problematics specific to the applied Blues-Hop context, theorise on the nature of inter-stylistic composition, and consider the effects of electronic mediation on genre transformation and stylistic morphing

Sample magic: (Conjuring) phonographic ghosts and meta-illusions in contemporary hip-hop production

Sampling has been criticised as “a mixture of time-travel and seance”, “the musical art of ghost co-ordination and ghost arrangement”, and a process that “doubles (recording’s) inherent supernaturalism” (Reynolds 2012, pp. 313-314). Yet out of all the sample-based music forms, hip-hop receives the lion’s share of attention in popular music literature; critics are puzzled by its appeal, scholars identify a plethora of problems in its function, and practitioners and audiences alike are mesmerised by its effect. Rap producers attribute an inherent ‘magic’ to working with past phonographic samples and fans appear spellbound by the resulting ‘supernatural’ collage. The author examines the music’s unique recipe of phonographic juxtaposition, exploring the conditions of this ascribed ‘magic’, investigating gaps in perception (Lehrer 2009) between emotional and intellectual effect, and deciphering parallels in the practice and vocabulary mobilised against a range of genres in performance magic

"The ESG investment boom and its effect on green innovation"

The ESG investment boom brought scrutiny and stirred a raging debate on the true value of sustainable companies. While the majority of research focuses on past share performance and expected future returns, my paper aims to contribute to this debate, by shedding light on a less discussed aspect of ESG firm value: their output in terms of green innovation. Using detailed data on green patenting, my fixed effect regression analysis shows that despite the significant capital flows to the sector, reflected in higher stock returns, companies have taken lackluster steps towards combating the effects of climate change innovatively. My results cast doubt on the relevance of the ESG scoring system for real environmental outcomes and support calls for regulatory action

Iannis Xenakis and Sieve Theory: An Analysis of the Late Music (1984-1993)

This thesis is divided in three parts, the first two of which are theoretical and the third analytical. Part I is an investigation of lannis Xenakis's general theory of composition, the theory of outside-time musical structures. This theory appears in many of Xenakis's writings, sometimes quite idiosyncratically. The aim of this part is to reveal the function of the non-temporal in Xenakis's musical structures, by means of a historical approach through his writings. This exploration serves to unveil certain aspects discussed more thoroughly through a deconstructive approach. The deconstructive is demonstrated in the classification of musical structures and aims partly at showing the nature of Time in Xenakis's theory. Part II is preoccupied with Xenakis's Sieve Theory. In the earlier writings on Sieve Theory he presented a slightly different approach than in the later, where he also provided an analytical algorithm that he developed gradually from the mid1980s until 1990. The rationale of this algorithm and the pitch-sieves of 1980-1993 guides Part III, which is preoccupied with a methodology of sieve analysis, its application, and an exploration of the employment of sieves in some of Xenakis's compositions of the 1980s. When possible, the analysis takes in consideration the pre-compositional sketches, available at the Archives Xenakis, Bibliotheque Nationale de France. The sketches reveal aspects of the application of Sieve Theory, not included in Xenakis's theoretical writings. As with the application of other theories, Xenakis progressed to less formalised processes. However, this does not mean that Sieve Theory ceased to inform the process of scale-construction. As the conclusion of this dissertation indicates, he employed Sieve Theory in order to achieve structures that conform to his general aesthetic principles that relate to various degrees of symmetry and periodicity

Bass | the wider frontier: low-end stereo placement for headphone listening

The placement of low-end spectra in popular mixes has ranged from dogmatic centrality to extreme staging, but current developments in production workflows, stylistic evolution and increasingly personalised modes of consumption have resulted in alternative—if less polarised—approaches to low- end production. The authors question how contemporary practitioners ‘sculpt’ bass in their mixes, the strategies that are deployed to secure translation, and the relationship between innovation in the bass spectrum and sensible mix architecture. The aim is to investigate the aesthetic and pragmatic causality behind the phenomenon, but also to examine and theorise on the creative possibilities for future bass staging

Extraction of consensus protein patterns in regions containing non-proline cis peptide bonds and their functional assessment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In peptides and proteins, only a small percentile of peptide bonds adopts the <it>cis </it>configuration. Especially in the case of amide peptide bonds, the amount of <it>cis </it>conformations is quite limited thus hampering systematic studies, until recently. However, lately the emerging population of databases with more 3D structures of proteins has produced a considerable number of sequences containing non-proline <it>cis </it>formations (<it>cis</it>-nonPro).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In our work, we extract regular expression-type patterns that are descriptive of regions surrounding the <it>cis</it>-nonPro formations. For this purpose, three types of pattern discovery are performed: i) exact pattern discovery, ii) pattern discovery using a chemical equivalency set, and iii) pattern discovery using a structural equivalency set. Afterwards, using each pattern as predicate, we search the Eukaryotic Linear Motif (ELM) resource to identify potential functional implications of regions with <it>cis</it>-nonPro peptide bonds. The patterns extracted from each type of pattern discovery are further employed, in order to formulate a pattern-based classifier, which is used to discriminate between <it>cis</it>-nonPro and <it>trans</it>-nonPro formations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In terms of functional implications, we observe a significant association of <it>cis</it>-nonPro peptide bonds towards ligand/binding functionalities. As for the pattern-based classification scheme, the highest results were obtained using the structural equivalency set, which yielded 70% accuracy, 77% sensitivity and 63% specificity.</p