Aural Intercourse: You say you want a revolution

By Mike Prevatt

Two weeks ago, Aural featured a Quickie report on The Grey Album, the mash-up project by Los Angeles DJ/producer Danger Mouse that combines the musical elements of the Beatles' 1968 self-titled collection (a.k.a. The White Album) with Jay-Z's a capella raps from last year's The Black Album. Since then, the once-underground album has become a mainstream-broaching phenomenon, as well as a focal point for debates on copyright law, fair-use rights, record label politics and artistic censorship.

The surge in awareness of the album is rooted in two significant events: the issuing of cease-and-desist letters by the Beatles' distributor, EMI, and the online music community's subsequent act of civil disobedience last Tuesday, when 170 websites offered the album's 12 tracks as free downloads. The movement's website base, GreyTuesday.org, says about 100,000 digital copies of the album were obtained either from the websites or file-sharing services such as Kazaa, resulting in more than 1 million total song downloads.

The project started as a promotional tool for Danger Mouse, the moniker used by DJ Brian Burton. He spent two weeks producing The Grey Album, without permission from the Beatles' or Jay-Z's publishers, and made 3,000 physical copies for promotional distribution--a practice widely used by many local/underground DJs and "bedroom" producers. Word reached the music press, which treating the disc like it was an officially sanctioned release. Some critics hailed the album as groundbreaking and ingenious.

EMI reacted by sending Burton a cease-and-desist letter, which he complied with immediately. By that point, the album was being widely traded on Kazaa, and uploaded onto various sites and blogs. EMI also contacted those groups, citing copyright infringement. Feeling as if the industry was blocking the music from being heard, advocates at downhillbattle.org, a music activist site, organized "Grey Tuesday" to protest EMI and the recording industry. Webmasters would make available the 12 songs in defiance of EMI's demands, while others not uploading music would color their web pages gray in support.

The question being asked most is whether the songs are actually violating copyright law. The tracks are more or less sonic collages defined by samples. Rather than covering the original songs, elements are cut and pasted to make a new work completely, something sample-friendly artists like Fatboy Slim and DJ Shadow have been doing for the past decade. However, those musicians clear the use of samples, and the original artists and publishers receive credit and compensation for them. In the case of The Grey Album, the Electronic Frontier Foundation argues that EMI is not as protected as it claims it is, and that fair-use privileges may be undermined.

Interestingly, EMI is the only copyright holder threatening the distribution of the songs. Damon Dash, the head of Jay-Z's label, Roc-a-Fella, recently complimented the project in the New York Times. "I think it's hot," he said. "It's the Beatles. It's two great legends together."

Dash might've also added that hip hop has thrived for the past 25 years because of this type of streetwise promotion. DJs and artists may not make a cent off such an endeavor--as is the case with Burton--but they might score significant exposure that leads to word-of-mouth hype, high-profile gigs and industry attention.

Beyond that, the phenomenon has been growing in the form of mash-ups, where DJs and electronic/hip-hop producers have taken the vocal portion of one usually familiar song and synced it to the music of another. Whereas club culture trends were based on certain techno subgenres--like trance, jungle or breakbeat--now the blending and blurring of styles is the dominant movement.

As far as artistic statement and value is concerned, The Grey Album isn't pop's next Nevermind, but it's certainly a vital and accomplished effort, and there are some inspired hybrids on display. In particular, Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say" is lifted by the Fab Four's piano-driven "While My Guitar Gently Sleeps." Elsewhere, the rapper's presence gives the Beatles' rock composition more of an urban, darker feel. The Grey Album underscores both the versatility of good artistry and the potential creativity within pre-existing music. However imperfect or even contrived its combos may be, they're always intriguing. Curious music fans can hardly be blamed.

The most enduring art serves multiple contexts and translates to the most universal of audiences. Danger Mouse has successfully and imaginatively reinterpreted hip hop and rock in a manner that deserves to be heard. At the very least, it has sparked a necessary discussion between art and commerce.

Quickie

Bitpass (bitpass.com), the online commerce service that facilitates purchase transactions (particularly of a smaller scale), recently launched Mperia (mperia.com), a user-friendly, self-described online "community" where independent artists can sell their wares directly to customers, who in turn score greater exposure to unheard music thanks to low download prices and recommendation-oriented "taste tribes." This bypasses the normal contract system and traditional recording industry model by way of artists earning 70 percent off their sales, without any contractual obligations. Both uploaders and downloaders can, among other things, participate in online discussions, distribute information such as tour updates, and rate content. Las Vegans who have already made their work available on Mperia include Darby Gill and the Little People, Big Friendly Corporation and Joshua Ellis.

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