Perceiving the Mosaic: Form in the Mashups of DJ Earworm
Department
School of Music
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2020
Embargo Period
10-26-2021
Abstract
The formal analysis of mashups is generally overlooked because their structures are assumed to be derived from one or more of their component tracks. This article explores the generation of original formal structures in one of the most well-known and complex mashup artists, DJ Earworm. We show that the form of his mashups can neither be derived from a singular work nor be analyzed by their thematic or harmonic construction. Instead, verse–chorus forms are revealed by correlating mashup sections to the formal origins of their borrowed material, which is based on the composer’s writings and interviews, a history of formal correlation in the mashup genre, and multiple analyses.
Journal Title
Music Theory Spectrum
Volume
43
Issue
1
First Page
19
Last Page
42
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1093/mts/mtaa016