BRANDING SOUND: PORTER ROBINSON, VIRTUAL SELF, AND THE INFLUENCE OF BRAND ON MUSIC by HOLLY OIZUMI A THESIS Presented to the School of Music and Dance and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Musicology June 2019 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Holly Oizumi Title: Branding Sound: Porter Robinson, Virtual Self, and the Impact of Brand on Musical Experience This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Musicology degree in the School of Music and Dance by: Juan Eduardo Wolf Chairperson Drew Nobile Member Larry Wayte Member and Janet Woodruff-Borden Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2019 ii © 2019 Holly Oizumi iii THESIS ABSTRACT Holly Oizumi Master of Musicology School of Music and Dance June 2019 Title: Branding Sound: Porter Robinson, Virtual Self, and the Influence of Brand on Music This thesis investigates the branding strategies of DJ-producer Porter Robinson and his side-project Virtual Self. This project situates both brands within their generic, historical, and cultural contexts. After an introductory chapter that explains the structure and methodology of this project, Chapter II explores the Porter Robinson brand. I suggest that Robinson’s branding strategy reflects Mark Samples’ conception of the artist brand, pitting both him and his music against the commercial mainstream. Chapter III then considers Robinson’s shift to suggesting a different branding model under Virtual Self: interstitial branding. The interstitial branding model allows Robinson to maintain the subcultural capital accrued under this artist brand strategy while also interacting more closely with the EDM mainstream. This thesis contributes to the pre-existing scholarly discourse on music-branding by suggesting a continuum of commercial and anti-commercial appeals to consider what happens “in between,” expanding the possibilities for future studies on music-branding. iv CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Holly Oizumi GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington DEGREES AWARDED: Master of Arts, Musicology, 2019, University of Oregon Bachelor of Music, Performance, 2017, Central Washington University AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Electronic Dance Music Branding Ludomusicology Amateurism PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Teaching Assistant, School of Music and Dance, 2017-2019 GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS: Outstanding Graduate Scholar in Musicology, University of Oregon, 2019 James and Katie Gaudino Scholar of the Year, Central Washington University, 2017 Best Student Abstract, “Approximation and Identity: Appropriation in the Works of George Crumb”, Pacific Northwest Chapter of the American Musicological Society, 2017 C. Farrell Fine Arts and Research Scholarship, An Evening with Crumb, Central Washington University, 2016 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express sincere thanks to my thesis committee for their guidance throughout this project. Thank you to Prof. Juan Eduardo Wolf for your detailed comments and insights throughout the thesis writing process, and to Profs. Drew Nobile and Larry Wayte for your thoughtful feedback that aided in preparing this document in its final form. I would additionally like to thank Dr. Mark Samples and Dr. Loren Kajikawa for their comments and mentorship from the early stages of this project and my musicological study. This thesis has also been improved by the comments of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the American Musicological Society, whose engagement with an earlier version of Chapter III changed the project for the better. Finally, I would like to express sincere appreciation for the help and support of my husband, Sora Oizumi, whose well-trained ear and production skills greatly aided my understanding and analysis of this music. vi For Briana, whose kindness and love of music we will never forget. 1997-2018. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 2 Structural Overview ............................................................................................... 10 II. THE ARTIST BRAND, BRAND COMMUNITY, AND PORTER ROBINSON’S WORLDS ................................................................................................................. 13 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 13 Early Career and Transition to Worlds: Brand Aesthetics and Musical Style ....... 18 The Case of “Lionhearted”: Industry Frustration and Robinson’s Response ........ 26 Worlds Live: Performing Brand ............................................................................ 35 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 47 III. CONSTRUCTING A VIRTUAL SELF: INTERSTITIAL BRANDING AND SUBCULTURAL AUTHENTICITY .................................................................. 49 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 49 Creating a Virtual Self: An Overview of Aesthetics ............................................. 53 Sonically Branding Pathselector and technic-Angel .............................................. 60 Performing the Virtual Self: The Influence of Brand on Set Construction ........... 67 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 84 IV. CONCLUSION...................................................................................................... 86 Project Limitations and Questions for Future Research ........................................ 89 REFERENCES CITED ................................................................................................ 92 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Butler's model of EDM track form ........................................................................ 8 2. Peref's suggested verse-chorus formal model based on Demi Lovato's "Cool for the Summer" ................................................................................................................ 9 3. The cover of Robinson's Spitfire EP ...................................................................... 19 4. Cover of Porter Robinson's Worlds ....................................................................... 21 5. Formal outline of "100% in the Bitch" .................................................................. 22 6. One hypermeasure of the basic beat of "100% in the Bitch" ................................. 22 7. Formal outline of "Divinity" .................................................................................. 25 8. Formal outline of "Lionhearted" ............................................................................ 29 9. Robinson and a group of young Japanese girls roam the city, armed .................... 31 10. Robinson looks over the city in a room atop a skyscraper .................................... 31 11. Formal outline of "Fellow Feeling" ....................................................................... 33 12. Empty terrain planes from the introduction ........................................................... 38 13. Partial text from the "I'll depend on you" graphic displayed during "Sad Machine" 39 14. "Flicker" hand graphic ........................................................................................... 40 15. Vocaloid text from "Unison" ................................................................................. 41 16. Green moose man visual from "Fresh Static Snow" .............................................. 42 17. Ox skull figure from "Fresh Static Snow" ............................................................. 43 18. Name entry box visual ........................................................................................... 44 19. Fuccboi visual during "Lionhearted" ..................................................................... 45 20. Virtual Self EP cover ............................................................................................. 54 ix Figure ...........................................................................................................................Page 21. Message board at virtualself.life featuring the Markovian texts ............................ 55 22. technic-Angel ......................................................................................................... 56 23. Pathselector ............................................................................................................ 57 24. A portion of the waveform for "Eon Break” .......................................................... 59 25. More Virtual Self iconography, featuring the Markovian texts and low image resolution ................................................................................................................ 59 26. Formal outline of "Ghost Voices” ......................................................................... 62 27. The "boots-n-cats" figure found in "Ghost Voices" ..............................................