Uploaded June 2019 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours 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
An Internal Migration: Language Choice in Russian Contemporary Indie Music
Marco Biasioli
-
University of Manchester
Email: marco.biasioli@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
/// ABSTRACT
The reasons for language choice in popular music in countries that are not Anglophone range from commercial expectations to faithfulness to a perceived (especially rock) tradition that was born and developed in Anglophone countries. But this choice, which musicians often view as ‘simple’ or ‘spontaneous’, conceals complex questions of identity. In a country like Russia, in which English is not widely spread or understood, and which has produced – unlike Scandinavian countries, Germany and France – very few internationally renowned acts, the choice of English gives rise to heated debates: some see it as a step forward towards integration and cosmopolitanism, others as a renunciation of cultural autonomy; some regard it as a challenging yet rewarding manifestation of personal creativity, others as an avoidance of Russia’s strong literary heritage and as an instance of escapism. This engenders claims of ‘internal emigrations’ (Gorbachev 2011) that deserve scholarly attention. Through the analysis of interviews from case studies and industry professionals (collected in the period July 2016 – November 2017), this paper investigates the reasons for and the values that Russian indie musicians attribute to English, as well as how critics and journalists view this choice. As the discussion unfolds it will become clear that the choice between Russian and English represents not only the main issue in the Russian indie music world, but also the most decisive factor in a Russian band’s career.
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
An Internal Migration: Language Choice in Russian Contemporary Indie Music
Marco Biasioli
-
University of Manchester
Email: marco.biasioli@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
/// ABSTRACT
The reasons for language choice in popular music in countries that are not Anglophone range from commercial expectations to faithfulness to a perceived (especially rock) tradition that was born and developed in Anglophone countries. But this choice, which musicians often view as ‘simple’ or ‘spontaneous’, conceals complex questions of identity. In a country like Russia, in which English is not widely spread or understood, and which has produced – unlike Scandinavian countries, Germany and France – very few internationally renowned acts, the choice of English gives rise to heated debates: some see it as a step forward towards integration and cosmopolitanism, others as a renunciation of cultural autonomy; some regard it as a challenging yet rewarding manifestation of personal creativity, others as an avoidance of Russia’s strong literary heritage and as an instance of escapism. This engenders claims of ‘internal emigrations’ (Gorbachev 2011) that deserve scholarly attention. Through the analysis of interviews from case studies and industry professionals (collected in the period July 2016 – November 2017), this paper investigates the reasons for and the values that Russian indie musicians attribute to English, as well as how critics and journalists view this choice. As the discussion unfolds it will become clear that the choice between Russian and English represents not only the main issue in the Russian indie music world, but also the most decisive factor in a Russian band’s career.
