Ian Condry: Music and the New Social Economy: Value and Livelihoods in a Post-Capitalist 21st Century ICAS public lecture series videos are posted on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAA67B040B82B8AEF

1. Ian CONDRY
Global Studies and Languages
MIT
Music and the New Social Economy
An Anthropological Perspective
Images: Miku, AKB48 and Anarchy

2. The future is
already here. It is just
unevenly distributed.
未来は既にここにある。ただ、
不平等に分散している。
- William Gibson

3. USA productivity vs. typical wages,
(produttività vs. salari tipici), 1948-2014
Source: Economic Policy Institute (epi.org)
www.epi.org/publication/understanding-the-historic-divergence-between-productivity-and-a-typical-
workers-pay-why-it-matters-and-why-its-real/ (Bivens; Mishel 2015, Economic Policy Institute)

4. [C] episode 9

5. Income Inequality in USA:
since 1979, growth for 1% only
5
Source: Congressional Budget Office

6. Zombie capitalism begins around 1980

7. Thomas Piketty (2013):
# of billionaires, 1987-2013
10 times increase, from 140 to 1400
7http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/capital21c/en/pdf/F12.1.pdf

8. “You can’t change
capitalism.”
“Communism lacks vibrancy.”
What is a model for a
democratic,
social economy, that
respects diversity?
The record industry is
dissolving.
But music today is a natural
experiment in emerging social
economies.
「資本主義が
変わらない。」
「共産主義はエネルギー
がない。」
どういう民主的な
いわゆる社会経済が
可能ですか？
レコード産業はなくなり
つつある。
が、今日は音楽の世界が
社会経済の色んなあり方の
自然実験になってるといいます。

9. Music & musicians after the recording industry
“Everything is Free”
Sylvan Esso & Flock of Dimes
(written by Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings 2001)
Everything is free now
that’s what they say
everything I’ve ever done
I’m gonna give it away
someone hit the big score
figured it out
they were gonna do it anyway
even if it doesn’t pay
• すべてが今は無料だ
• そう言うよね
• 私が今までにやったことのすべて
• ただでみんなに放る
• 誰かがビッグスコアができた
• 上手く解決したが、
• 彼らはとにかくそれをやるつもりで
• それが支払わなくても上げる

10. Jonathan Sterne (2014)
“There is no music industry”
“… as with its cultural life, music’s
economic life extends far beyond
remediations of live performance….
There is no ‘music industry.’ There are
many industries with many
relationships to music.” (p. 55).
音楽の文化的な生活と同様に、音楽の
経済生活は、ライブパフォーマンスの録
音をはるかに超えています。
「音楽産業」はありません。音楽との
関係が豊富な産業が数多くあります。
Media Industries Journal, 1(1): 54

11. Value of Recorded Music
レコーディングの経済的な価値 USAJapan
Sources: RIAA, RIAJ

12. Anthropology and value
• David Graeber (2001) Toward an Anthropological
Theory of Value
– " . . . look at social systems as structures of
creative action, and
– value, as how people measure the importance
of their own actions within such structures" (p.
230)
– 社会構造＝クリエティヴアクション構造
– 価値＝自分で計るアクションの重要性

13. If social economic space-time
is curved, what is gravity？
もし、社会経済的な時空
曲がっているなら、
重力とは何ですか？
VALUE: from flat to curved
social economic space time
平面から曲面への社会経済の価値

14. After the recording industry
• music festivals / live shows
• ミュジックフェス
• idols / merchandising the social
• アイドル、社交の商品
• crowd-funding
• クラウドファンド
• crowd-sourced virtual idols
• ボカロイド

15. What is “gravity” that curves
social economic space time?
• money
• intimacy
• good sounds
• audience
• and . . . ?

16. ZIPANG: party in the ruins
廃虚の中のパーティー
白浜フラワーパーク
千葉、南房総
Shirahama Flower Park,
Minami Boso, Chiba
+ “Jungle Palace Hotel”

17. Zipang ジパング 6/17
• techno music festival
• only Japanese artists
• organized by Takada Jyoji,
“Upper Kidz,” around
Gatosano bar (Harajuku)
• Main acts: DJ Nobu, K-Bomb,
Eree, Fumi, Medical, CMT,
Kihara Naoki, Groun土, etc.

20. “live painting”

21. sound guys, 6am, pouring rain
mud, leaking ceiling, flooded walkways,
but great sound with constant adjustment

22. Music attracts many people, various
arts, merchandise, & networking too
• DJs, live music, and dance
• live art painting
• light show with former crew
members of Kurosawa Akira
• silk screen shirts, leather work,
jewelry, guarana
• healthful food trucks

23. AKB48
starts December 2006 with 20 members

24. 会いに行けるアイドル
“An idol you can go meet”
• not “media idol”
• only accessible through TV or
magazines
• “live idol”
• daily shows in Akihabara
• shake hands, vote, collect
• Yasushi Akimoto, producer and
songwriter, with over 100M in
singles sales (top in Japan)
24

25. 25
AKB48
“AKiBa = Akihabara

26. 26

27. 27

28. 28
Three-day “General Election”
for members moving up and down

29. Nogizaka 46
“official rival of AKB 48” 29
“The next seven “centers” will be selected based on
lesson results and responses on N 46 official website.”

30. AKB 48 商法
“shôhô” = sales technique
• In 2012, 15 of the top 30 singles = AKB family
• But fans don’t buy for the music
• vote for “center” “member” in next single
• collect photos and other extras
• ticket access for live performances
• ticket access to “shake hands” events
– CD is about social connection /
participation (not music)
30

31. commodity becomes social value

32. social value becomes commodity

33. Value of aging
(for college students)
Awesome
Suck
Age

34. Value of aging
(for middle-age professor)
Wisdom
Sucker
Age

35. Value of song (to me)
value
time
don’t
know
just
heard
heavy
rotation
over
played
sick
of it
forgot
radio
nostalgia!
success in
DJ mix!!
DJ mix
fail
I still
like it

36. Anthropology and value
• David Graeber (2001) Toward an Anthropological
Theory of Value
– " . . . look at social systems as structures of
creative action, and
– value, as how people measure the importance
of their own actions within such structures" (p.
230)
– 社会構造＝クリエティヴアクション構造
– 価値＝自分で計るアクションの重要性

37. Duke University Press
2006
Japanese translation
日本のヒップホップ
NTT Publications
2009

38. MC U
at
Club Bed
in
Ikebukuro
(Tokyo, Japan)

39. Umedy at Gig-Antic in Shibuya (Tokyo, 2/97)

40. Kakato “Tabla ’n Rap”
Buddha Brand
“Funky Methodist”

41. social
value
Economic
value

42. Shingo Nishinari
“Ichimô dajin” by Infumiai Kumiai

43. Fans at "B-Boy Park 2001," Yoyogi Park, Tokyo

44. David Graeber (2011)
“Debt: The First 5000 Years”
• “ . . . all social systems, even
economic systems like capitalism,
have always been built upon a
bedrock of actually-existing
communism” (p. 95)
• Example:
– X: “Can I borrow a pen?”
– Y: “Sure, for a dollar.”
– X: “Loser.”
44

45. Amanda Palmer & crowd-funding
HOLA COMRADES!!
This is the biggest announcement i've made
in a while. i'm freakin out.
....i've been hinting for over a year about
launching a new subscription system . . . i
want to GET BACK TO MAKING ART.
i've decided to use PATREON.COM to fund
my new musical & artistic undertakings.
a subscription site for people who really
want to support artists in an ongoing way.
patrons agree to pay a set amount of
money per piece of content that's
released (say, $3 per song, video, etc),
and you can CAP the monthly limit, so
you never have to pay more than your
budget allows.
March 2015 email to fans

46. Amanda Palmer
like i say in the blog:
if kickstarter was
like dating, this is
more like going
steady.
i'm psyched to go on this ride with
whoever's willing to come.
i love you guys, so much.....and thank you.
http://www.patreon.com/amandapalmer
xxxx
AFP

47. learning & expertise
as social value
• Bar Bonobo in
Tokyo
• famous DJs play for small
crowd - why?
• learn from expert audience
• great sound design acoustics
• networking with fellow artists
Koji Morimoto (animator) of Oyaji Knights
at Bonobo

48. J. K. Gibson-Graham
“A Postcapitalist Politics”
• If we can begin to see
non capitalist
activities as prevalent
and viable, we may
be encouraged here
and now to actively
build on them to
transform our local
economies.” (p. xxiv)

49. Source:
J. K. Gibson-Graham
“Postcapitalist Politics”

50. learning & expertise
vs.
monetization moments
• patron
$$ album
• sell object $$
• sell ads / merch $$
preparation, production music in public

51. Skatepark of Engagement
curvature of social economic space-time
consumersproducers
“free”
ads
radio
Pandora
Spotify
subscrip-
tions
live
show
merch
crowd
fund
YouTube
Red etc.
Live
Nation
Patreon
Kickstarter
angel
investors
VIP
meet &
greet
buy
music

52. 52
Vocaloid 2 CV01 (character
vocal series)
Hatsune Miku

53. Vocaloid, voice synthesizer software
(lyrics & melody)
53

54. Miku, virtual idol
http://www.crypton.co.jp/mp/pages/prod/vocaloid/cv01.jsp (11/10)

55. 55

56. layers of participation
Top Miku Video:
10 million views
Nov. 2012
cloud of comments
Nico Nico Dôga
ニコニコ動画

57. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O17f3lB7BFY accessed 6-10-15

58. http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/play/hologram-484669 (11/11/10)

59. 60
Oct. 2012

62. Miku Miku Dance
free software for 3D video making
63

63. 64
“Chaining Intention”
video by Masataka P

64. 65

65. 66

66. 67

67. 68

68. 69
Hachioji P, first major album

69. PiaPro (“peer production”)
70
Video describes licensing issues http://piapro.jp/intro/
“Of course,
Miku illustrations
are copyrighted under
Crypton Future Media.”

70. Crypton Future Media: 3 licensing scenarios
1. non-commercial, no recompense
covered by Piapro Character License (PCL)
– > freely use images, make goods, w/o asking
71

71. 2. non-profit, but some recompense
if recoup only costs of materials --> submit application
through PiaProLink, receive QR code
72
Crypton Future Media http://piapro.jp/intro/

72. 3. commercial, for profit
negotiate a contract with Crypton, pay license fees;
“This income to support CGM” (consumer generated media).
7332
Crypton Future Media http://piapro.jp/intro/

73. Social Economies:
a complex mix of social & economic values
• Live performance as authentic experience - hip-hop
and other live shows
• Merchandising participation: AKB48 and other pop
idols in Japan
• Learning & networking in the underground DJ scene -
Bar Bonobo (Tokyo)
• Crowd-funding - Amanda Palmer (Boston, USA)
• Community first, then $$$: Miku and other virtual idols

74. value of music
(curvature of space-time)
• not just point of sale, value shifts over time, with audiences
and different levels of intimacy
• social value of music vs. economic value (curvature)
• cultural norms, not just “technology,” are key to business
models (e.g., monetizing photos)
• for today’s listeners, few “own” music, but many seek
connection, sense of participation
• idea of “ownership” hasn’t disappeared, but is transformed
through selfies and personal videos of concert experiences

75. 終
the
end
iancondry.com
Email:
condry@mit.edu
wallpaper from Samurai Champloo official website