Sounds of the Underground: A Cultural, Political and Aesthetic Mapping of Underground and Fringe Music

Description

In this book, Stephen Graham examines the largely unexplored terrain of underground music-exploratory forms of music-making, such as noise, free improvisation, and extreme metal, that exist outside or on the fringes of mainstream culture, generally independent from both the market and from traditional high-art institutions. Until now there has been little scholarly discussion of underground music and its cultural, political, and aesthetic importance. In addition to providing a much-needed historical outline of this diverse scene, Stephen Graham focuses on the digital age, showing the underground and its fringes as based largely in radical anti-capitalist politics and aesthetics, tied to the political contexts and structures of late-capitalism. Sounds of the Underground explores these various ideas of separation and capture through interviews and analysis, developing a critical account of both the music and its political and cultural economy. Contents Preface Part I—What Is the Underground? 1 Introduction to the Underground and Its Fringes 2 The Music and Musicians 3 Global and Local Underground/Fringe Scenes Part II—The Political and Cultural Underground 4 Politics and Underground/Fringe Music 5 Cultural Policy and Underground/Fringe Music 6 Artists and Music, Improv and Noise 7 The Digital Economy and Labels 8 Festivals and Venues Part III—Listeningto the Underground 9 Noise as Concept, History, and Scene 10 The Politics of Underground Music and Noise 11 The Sounds of Noise 12 Extreme Metal Conclusion List of Interviewees Notes Bibliography Index