Kirby Ferguson’s “Everything is a Remix” made a lot of sense to me. I completely agree with his notions of how imitation produces creation and how it is the collective imitation of many things that allow one to create. Growing up, you always learn about Henry Ford as a massive innovator and entrepreneur during the industrial revolution. However, when you think about it on Ferguson’s terms, it takes away most of the magic of his progress. In Ferguson’s eyes he is seen less as a magnificent pioneer, and more of the lucky individual who won the race of creative imitation by combining interchangeable parts with the assembly line.
I thought a lot about the entertainment industry during this movie. Hip-hop and electronic segments of the music industry especially tend to completely build on each other. This is why many people that don’t appreciate the music say that all hip hop or all electronic/trance songs sound the same. However I think the process of new sound creation is really cool for this exact same reason. New hit songs are comprised of tiny imitations combined such as one song’s bass line, another song’s kick drum and some recycled vocals on top (to simplify the process). If you are trapped in the negative mindset that this is not original and is not creation, then go ahead. It’s all incest in the end right?
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