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Series:   Elements in Popular Music

The Crossings

Defining Slave to the Rhythm

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2023

Jeremy J. Wells
Jeremy J. Wells
Affiliation:
University of York

Summary

The album Slave to the Rhythm is typical of the exaltation of pop stars but atypical in its presentation and interaction with biographical material. Three crossings are considered in this assessment of the work: technological, cultural, and structural. These are presented with a detailed track-by-track analysis using a range of signal processing techniques, some adapted specifically for this project. This Element focuses on the combination of digital, novel, and analogue technology that was used, and the organisational and transformational treatments of recorded material it offered, along with their associated musical cultures. The way in which studio technology functions, and offers interaction with its users, has a direct influence over the sound of the music that is created with it. To understand how that influence is manifested in Slave, there is considerable focus on the development and use of music technology.
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Keywords

pop productionmusicologymusic technologysamplingTrevor Horn
Type
Element
Information
Series: Elements in Popular Music
Online ISBN: 9781009071079
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 23 November 2023

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