Call for articles
Production Technologies and Studio Practice in EDMC
Special edition of Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture
Guest Editors: Simon Zagorski-Thomas and Ed Montano
http://dj.dancecult.net/
This special edition of Dancecult seeks to address the paucity of academic literature on production practices and technologies in electronic dance music (EDM). While the scenes, audiences and cultures of EDM have received thorough analysis in academia, the practices that underpin the production of this music remain curiously underexplored.
This special issue will gather leading contemporary research on the technologies and techniques that are fundamental to the studio contexts and production environments of EDM artists, DJs, composers, remixers and producers. The issue is grounded not only in existing EDM literature but also in the broader developing field of the art of record production which draws on a hybrid mix of practitioners, academics, theoretical models and research methodologies.
Rock music discourse is often articulated through an “aesthetics of production”, with the roles of producers, recording technologies and studio locations helping to shape the perceived authenticity of artists and styles. In comparison, EDM production has rarely been afforded the same scrutiny and analysis. This special issue represents an opportunity to address the lack of material on EDM production specifically and to add to the scholarly debate on record production more broadly.
The diversity of sounds, styles and sonic aesthetics that constitute EDM provide a rich field of production practice for investigation. Historically, one may think of the rhythmic interplay of analogue instruments and technologies in disco, or the manipulation of drum machines and bass units that gave rise to techno and house. In a more contemporary context, digital audio workstations are radically reshaping the sound of EDM, while the Internet has facilitated new forms of production practice through geographically dispersed collaborations. Such change impacts not only upon the sounds that circulate within global EDM culture, but also on the kinds of relationships that underpin the creation and production of the music. Interrogating and interpreting this production is central to understanding the creative processes that generate EDM.
// SUGGESTED THEMES //
Potential themes for articles include (but are not limited to):
– Studio technologies
– Collaboration inside and outside the studio
– Creativity inside and outside the studio
– Analogue versus digital
– Live versus the studio
– Online production and the Internet
– Media representation of EDM production
– Key producers in EDM
– Sampling and remixing
– Theoretical approaches to understanding EDM production
– Researching EDM production
– The industry of EDM production
– Audience reception/interpretation of EDM production
// SUBMISSIONS //
Feature Articles:
Feature Articles will be peer-reviewed and are 6000–9000 words in length (including endnotes, captions and bibliography). See Section Policies.
“From the Floor” Articles:
This special edition will also feature a special version of the From the Floor format: “Stories from the Studio”. Submissions for this shorter format (750–2500 words) should relate one (illuminating / thought-provoking / exemplary / problematic / surprising) vignette from one’s own production work and practice, followed by brief and exploratory comments. This format will be of particular interest to scholars and practitioners who wish to share some of the insights of their work, but are unable to devote the time necessary for a feature-length article. See guidelines at the Section Policies link above.
Articles must adhere to all style and formatting rules stipulated in the Dancecult Style Guide (DSG). Download it here.
Multimedia Submissions:
Dancecult encourages authors to complement their written work with audio and visual material. See the DSG for style and formatting requirements.
Language:
Although the language of publication in Dancecult is English, the editors strongly encourage submissions from non-Anglophone scholars and will be happy to provide linguistic/stylistic support during the writing process.
// DATES AND DEADLINES //
This special edition is proposed for publication in Dancecult in May 2014.
If interested, send a 250-word abstract (along with brief author bio) to Ed Montano (ed.montano@rmit.edu.au) by 1 July 2013.
If your abstract is accepted, the deadline for full article submission is 1 December 2013. Beyond that, the deadline for online submission to Dancecult (for peer-review) is 1 March 2014.
Please send enquiries and expressions of interest to Ed Montano: ed.montano@rmit.edu.au