Uploaded July 2019 | Updated September 2026, 46 minutes ago
crosstowntraffic2018.wordpress.com
This presentation took place as part of the conference Crosstown Traffic: Popular Music Theory and Practice, which was hosted by The University of Huddersfield from September 3 - 5 2018. This event combined the IASPM UK&Ireland Biennial Conference, the 13th Art of Record Production Conference (ARP), an ISMMS conference, and the additional participation of Dancecult.
A recurrent theme within popular music studies has been discussion of how the field can integrate different disciplines and professions, for example exploring both music and its context; involving both practitioners and researchers; and encouraging interdisciplinary and collaborative work. Many different issues make such approaches challenging, and various different popular music focused subject organisations have developed somewhat independently of one another. This conference brought four such groups together, to exchange knowledge, collaborate, and encourage crosstalk.
/// SUPPORT
Popular Music Studies Research Group (PMSRG), University of Huddersfield research.hud.ac.uk/pmsrg/#
Centre for Music, Culture and Identity (CMCI), University of Huddersfield
research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/cmci
The International Association for the Study of Popular Music UK and Ireland Branch (IASPM UK & Ireland)
iaspm.org.uk
Association for the Study of the Art of Record Production (ASARP)
artofrecordproduction.com
Dancecult Research Network (DRN) studies into electronic dance music culture
dancecult-research.net
International Society for Metal Music Studies (ISMMS)
metalstudies.org
/// ORGANIZERS
IASPM UK&I: Rupert Till
ARP: Katia Isakoff, Shara Rambarran
ISMMS: Karl Spracklen
Dancecult: Graham St. John
University of Huddersfield: Jan Herbst, Austin Moore, Lisa Colton, Toby Martin, Catherine Haworth, Mark Mynett
/// CREDITS
This online project was edited, collated, and made available online by Chris McConnell, Jack Zissell, and Colin Frank.
/// PRESENTATION DETAILS
‘The undiluted squash of UK math rock’: The Performer’s View of ArcTanGent
Joe O’Connell
Email: oconnellj2@cardiff.ac.uk
/// ABSTRACT
In its promotional materials, ArcTanGent describes itself as ‘the world’s ultimate music festival for connoisseurs of Math-rock, Post-rock, Noise-rock, Alt-rock and everything in between’. August 2017 saw the festival sell out its fifth instalment, attracting five thousand attendees to a farm south of Bristol. Its competitive booking of internationally-recognised acts makes ArcTanGent an unmissable event for fans of the genres, many of whom play in bands and aspire to perform at the festival themselves. In the case of the largely DIY UK math rock scene, this aspiration derives in part from ArcTanGent’s assumption of congressional status among scene participants. Not only does it provide a platform for lesser known bands to promote themselves to an engaged audience, it also presents an opportunity for scene stakeholders from around the UK to interact socially and strengthen networks. This paper draws upon multiple interviews with three bands on ArcTanGent’s 2017 line-up to provide an overview of the meaning of the festival to performers within the UK math rock scene. The levels of experience of each performer varied, from debutants (Right Hand Left Hand) to internationally-recognised veterans (TTNG) via current scene ‘stars’ (Alpha Male Tea Party). The findings of these interviews expose notable differences in the meaning of the festival to each subject, highlighting the excitement and expectation of newcomers on the one hand, and the limitations felt by more experienced performers on the other. The subjects’ levels of engagement with the event also serve to underline its importance to members of the scene, suggesting that in its short period of existence ArcTanGent has become an important pillar in the structure of this underground community.
crosstowntraffic2018.wordpress.com
This presentation took place as part of the conference Crosstown Traffic: Popular Music Theory and Practice, which was hosted by The University of Huddersfield from September 3 - 5 2018. This event combined the IASPM UK&Ireland Biennial Conference, the 13th Art of Record Production Conference (ARP), an ISMMS conference, and the additional participation of Dancecult.
A recurrent theme within popular music studies has been discussion of how the field can integrate different disciplines and professions, for example exploring both music and its context; involving both practitioners and researchers; and encouraging interdisciplinary and collaborative work. Many different issues make such approaches challenging, and various different popular music focused subject organisations have developed somewhat independently of one another. This conference brought four such groups together, to exchange knowledge, collaborate, and encourage crosstalk.
/// SUPPORT
Popular Music Studies Research Group (PMSRG), University of Huddersfield research.hud.ac.uk/pmsrg/#
Centre for Music, Culture and Identity (CMCI), University of Huddersfield
research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/cmci
The International Association for the Study of Popular Music UK and Ireland Branch (IASPM UK & Ireland)
iaspm.org.uk
Association for the Study of the Art of Record Production (ASARP)
artofrecordproduction.com
Dancecult Research Network (DRN) studies into electronic dance music culture
dancecult-research.net
International Society for Metal Music Studies (ISMMS)
metalstudies.org
/// ORGANIZERS
IASPM UK&I: Rupert Till
ARP: Katia Isakoff, Shara Rambarran
ISMMS: Karl Spracklen
Dancecult: Graham St. John
University of Huddersfield: Jan Herbst, Austin Moore, Lisa Colton, Toby Martin, Catherine Haworth, Mark Mynett
/// CREDITS
This online project was edited, collated, and made available online by Chris McConnell, Jack Zissell, and Colin Frank.
/// PRESENTATION DETAILS
‘The undiluted squash of UK math rock’: The Performer’s View of ArcTanGent
Joe O’Connell
Email: oconnellj2@cardiff.ac.uk
/// ABSTRACT
In its promotional materials, ArcTanGent describes itself as ‘the world’s ultimate music festival for connoisseurs of Math-rock, Post-rock, Noise-rock, Alt-rock and everything in between’. August 2017 saw the festival sell out its fifth instalment, attracting five thousand attendees to a farm south of Bristol. Its competitive booking of internationally-recognised acts makes ArcTanGent an unmissable event for fans of the genres, many of whom play in bands and aspire to perform at the festival themselves. In the case of the largely DIY UK math rock scene, this aspiration derives in part from ArcTanGent’s assumption of congressional status among scene participants. Not only does it provide a platform for lesser known bands to promote themselves to an engaged audience, it also presents an opportunity for scene stakeholders from around the UK to interact socially and strengthen networks. This paper draws upon multiple interviews with three bands on ArcTanGent’s 2017 line-up to provide an overview of the meaning of the festival to performers within the UK math rock scene. The levels of experience of each performer varied, from debutants (Right Hand Left Hand) to internationally-recognised veterans (TTNG) via current scene ‘stars’ (Alpha Male Tea Party). The findings of these interviews expose notable differences in the meaning of the festival to each subject, highlighting the excitement and expectation of newcomers on the one hand, and the limitations felt by more experienced performers on the other. The subjects’ levels of engagement with the event also serve to underline its importance to members of the scene, suggesting that in its short period of existence ArcTanGent has become an important pillar in the structure of this underground community.
