Authors:	Maksimović, Irina
Title:	The Other by Itself: Authenticity in electronic dance music in Serbia at the turn of the centuries
Online publication date:	10-Apr-2019
Year of first publication:	2019
Language:	english
Abstract:	Electronic dance music (shortly EDM) in Serbia was an authentic phenomenon of popular culture whose development went hand in hand with a socio-political situation in the country during the 1990s. After the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991 to the moment of the official end of communism in 2000, Serbia was experiencing turbulent situations. On one hand, it was one of the most difficult periods in contemporary history of the country. On the other – it was one of the most original. In that period, EDM officially made its entrance upon the stage of popular culture and began shaping the new scene. My explanation sheds light on the fact that a specific space and a particular time allow the authenticity of transposing a certain phenomenon from one context to another. Transposition of worldwide EDM culture in local environment in Serbia resulted in scene development during the 1990s, interesting DJ tracks and live performances. The other authenticity is the concept that led me to research. This concept is mostly inspired by the book “Death of the Image” by philosopher Milorad Belančić, who says that the image today is moved to the level of new screen and digital spaces. The other authenticity offers another interpretation of a work, or an event, while the criterion by which certain phenomena, based on pre-existing material can be noted is to be different, to stand out by their specificity in a new context. The phenomenon/work/event should be evaluated from the perspective of time when is performed, appeared or presented. To prove my thesis I created an argument through four steps. Firstly, I presented main characteristics of the genre and its contextual development from 1991 to 2000. Secondly, EDM was not only considered as a musical phenomenon, but also as a performance. Starting from the architectonics of music flow, I examined the appearance of the tracks in other forms that are also important for the analysis of EDM such as music video and live performance. Each of them focuses on one phenomenon which determines EDM as specific genre: sample, remix and (two metaphors) musical spaces/spatiality in music. Thirdly, EDM parties were considered as multivalent forms in which music is the most important, albeit not the only element. By analysing three select recordings of live parties as performances I found out three aspects that were (re)shaping through them: ritualised performance, re-enactment, and aspect of space. Finally, re-reading analysed examples using the lens of the other authenticity, I found several ways of expressing the other authenticity, e.g. presence of the past and relation to it, symbolic communication with the pre-existing material, the key sound image/the key moment of the performance, etc. Using interdisciplinary approach and developing system of analysis I made a link between ethnomusicology – studies of popular music – performance studies. The model of concentric circles (music–DJ–performers on stage–VJ–audience–space–space-time context), illuminates levels of performance in EDM (with the centre in the same point: in music). The model opens a new perspective for thinking about music-performance not in the relations which are divided as a music and performance, but as a new platform. In that light, EDM becomes transitional phenomenon of popular culture which stresses the importance of understanding the uniqueness between sound/music and performance/theatre.
DDC:	780 Musik 780 Music
Institution:	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department:	FB 05 Philosophie und Philologie FB 07 Geschichts- u. Kulturwissensch.
Place:	Mainz
ROR:	https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI:	http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-4812
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hebis:77-diss-1000027196
Version:	Original work
Publication type:	Dissertation
License:	In Copyright
Information on rights of use:	https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Extent:	vii, 292 Blätter
Appears in collections:	JGU-Publikationen