Speaking from an authoritarian position – what is political remix? ‘Remix’ is a form of media production whereby disparate fragments of culture, often in the form of audio-visual samples, are edited together to produce a coherent whole, whose meaning exceeds or differs from any of the source material and stands alone as a finished piece of artwork in itself. Examples of remix emerged in the mainstream music scene through DJ and hip hop culture where music producers would weave new tapestries together using samples from different songs or audio soundtracks. More recently we have seen many more examples of video remix, where both audio and video content may be remixed in a single piece. Perhaps the primary quality of importance is the fact that the meaning of the piece itself is being remixed. Meaning, of course, is subjective to a degree. What the producer of the work was trying to communicate may not be what is understood by the end viewer/user. In many ways, such works are akin to advertising, a form of visual communication. The producer has a message they want to deliver to an audience. They wrap this message up in a clever remix, which stimulates the user on multiple levels, one of which is the primary message intended by the producer.
But there are also many other messages and meanings (layers of meaning) and symbolism wrapped up in each particular combination of footage, music and imagery which may trigger memories or have connotations far beyond the intended effect of the producer, in many different contexts. Of course, the producer may not have a clear message in mind either, beyond the aesthetic pleasure of combining two or more sets of sounds and images that would not ordinarily be placed together. In the case of Political Remix, in most cases that is, the producer or production team generally has a clear message they wish to communicate using the remix piece as a vehicle to deliver this message to a specific audience. Most political remixes are critiques of power structures, highlighting injustices or calls to action, to boycott companies or individuals or join in protest movements. It is a form of protest, criticism, propaganda in many cases using the media in whatever form it may be consumed by most malleable minds. Political remixes may be posters, magazines, radio / tv spots, mini-documentaries, any kind of audio-visual media. Websites, games. The key point again is that disparate source material has been recombined in the creation of a work with new meaning(s).
CriticalRemix.com
Dr. Owen Gallagher, SFHEA
