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  • Writer's pictureLuis Ramsey

Contextual Research

The issue I often find with my work is that it doesn't always come from an established background of artists or practitioners. More often than not it is a concept that has been inspired by my own experiences and media consumption. Thus, many of the contextual links back to practitioners or examples are loosely tied in with the themes of the concept.


However, memory is a living experience; one that almost every living thing experiences (and often those that aren't living as well). Musical memory refines that, linking music and song to specific memories or backgrounds.

Radio shows like Inheritance Tracks and Desert Island Disks take this idea and discuss it with celebrities and other people alike, talking about what songs they'd take with them to a desert island (hence the show's title) or where they got their musical taste from. This shows how many of the things we do as individuals stem from experiences and influences of our past which, with music, can often stem from out families and cultural surroundings.


After a discussion with my parents, I found a lot of their music was inspired by other people. My dad, for example, said a lot of his music interests came from having an older father. My mum, however, says a lot of her influence comes from my dad, and a little from her parents. Mine on the other hand doesn't seem to stem from anywhere in particular. I am not one for the most trending music, but more for narratives and atmospheric impact; that is where The Weeknd comes in. I would definitely say a lot of the 70s funk and 80s pop comes from my parents, but doesn't exactly replicate it. The synths of Tame Impala or the electric funk of Jamiroquai combine the best of those decades and put a modern twist on it (which is why I believe Blinding Lights was and still is such a hit, playing with the sound of 70s synth, similar to that in A-Ha's Take On Me, supported by modern lyrics).


I could go on for ages, linking the genres of my music interest with my influences, but based on Spotify's 2020 unwrapped, there would be at least 200 sub-genres to explore...

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