A2 Media Unit 4 Coursework: January 2015

"I feel that in some ways what's happening in the mainstream is the last gasp of the old industry. Once that does finally die, which it will, something else will happen" - Thom Yorke

To what extent has the British Music Industry changed in recent years, focusing particularly on Radiohead and Hozier.

As with any industry, change is unforeseeable; change in popularity (which can determine and be determined by many other factors such as online views and money in the industry), technology, the internet, and countless other factors can have an endless effect. The British Music Industry is no exception. The landscape in which the BMI thrives has changed an incalculable amount of times; however, it is still successful: bringing in total revenue of “£730 million” [1] in 2013. To represent this change, I’ll be carrying out an in-depth analysis of a music video from both Radiohead and Hozier. Both cover thought-provoking topics of today’s society: The song and the music video of Radiohead's ‘Lotus Flower’ channelling their thoughts about the Zeitgeist of today; and Hozier's ‘Take Me To Church’ talks about the loss of a lover, whereas the music video cover the issue of homosexuality in Russia. With the introduction of New Media, what is viewed as the “old industry” [2] can be seen as declining; “Once that does finally die, which it will, something else will happen” [3]. Thom Yorke's opinion can be seen as, perhaps, controversial. But, as shown further on in this investigation, it is what is to be expected.

The main text I will be focusing on in this essay is Radiohead's Lotus Flower [4]. Lotus Flower was self-released by Radiohead in 2011 and is their latest music video to date. The video itself has gained more than 30 million views on YouTube, whilst Radiohead has 318 thousand subscribers on their channel. Having formed as a band in 1985, Radiohead would first-hand see changes happening to the industry. Radiohead's first single 'Creep' was initially unsuccessful, but rose to worldwide success a few months after the release of Pablo Honey; Radiohead's first studio album. The band's popularity grew in the UK with the release of their second album: The Bends. In the early stages of the band, Radiohead signed a six-album recording contract with major label EMI. The last album part of the contract was in 2003 with 'Hail To The Thief'. Following this, Radiohead have self-released two more albums (their 7th and 8th): 'In Rainbows' and 'The King of Limbs' in 2007 and 2011 respectively.

We are introduced to the video of Lotus Flower with a medium shot of Thom Yorke (Radiohead's singer and lead man) convulsing and flailing his arms. This action is very surprising to the audience, but, as we progress, the audience starts to get used to actions such as these. Dedicated fans, especially fans who have watched Radiohead live, may not necessarily be surprised as this type of 'dancing' is always a part of concerts. I can connote that, after the initial reaction, Yorke seems to be letting the music flow through him as to present another side to the music. A mixture of medium shots, with differing angles, blended with close-ups of Yorke's face and longer, further-out shots add a sense of variety to the almost monotonous video. The use of black and white for the entire video also adds to this feeling as a lack of colour gives a sense of dreariness. The first 50 seconds of the video has very low-key lighting with only a filler light being used to illuminate the background. A lack of light in the foreground almost creates a silhouette of Yorke. The simplicity in this composition reflects the music as only bass and drums are being heard. A key light is now used to present to the audience Yorke. This set-up is used for the majority of video. An exception is shown at three minute thirty seconds when a mixture of close-ups of Yorke's face are shown to accentuate the change in pace in the song. Lighting is also used here to bring about complex shadows on the face.

At times, what we are hearing can be considered parallel to what is seen on-screen, however, there are points where the audience again questions whether this is parallel or contrapuntal. An example of the song being parallel to what is occurring on-screen is when Yorke's actions can be seen to mirror that of the lyrics: "I will shape myself into your pocket" [5], Yorke puts his hands into his pockets while still bouncing around to the beat of the song. "Invisible, do what you want, do what you want" [6], Yorke is now thrusting in the direction of the camera symbolising that you should do what you want. "I will shrink and I will disappear" [7], he now slowly crouches.

There are little typical generic conventions of a music video here. This could be on purpose as Radiohead may be trying to almost parody music videos as a whole by Yorke flailing about on screen. However, I think that Yorke is letting the music engulf him as the meaning behind the lyrics may be about "losing yourself in music and the senses" [8]. An argument can be made that Yorke is physically representing the views of parts of society that go against the social conformities of today. Examples are seen throughout the video and heard throughout the lyrics. An example in the lyrics is "I will shape myself into your pocket; Invisible, do what you want, do what you want." The first line could be referring to having to abide by the social traditions of the public. The word "invisible" in the second line could be referring to this section of society; this unwanted opinion that needs to be heard. This opinion of not conforming to the mainstream and challenging the status-quo is consistent with Radiohead. This can be linked to the theory of hegemony, where power is kept within elite through manipulation of the media. An audience consisting of late-teen to mid-thirties can be applied to this text. Late-teens as they may be able to relate to what can be seen as a rebellious tendency from the lyrics. Mid-thirties as this audience would have been fans when Radiohead was in its infancy in the mid-nineties. These audiences tend to consist more of males than females. Also, the main psychographic for this text would be an aspirer. This is because they are always on the look-out for quality rather than quantity; they also look for alternative rather than the mainstream. This would appeal to more of a middle/higher-class rather than working-class.

Being an established band, the music videos of Radiohead may be expected to be of a high budget. This, however, may not be the case for 'Lotus Flower' as there not much happening in the video itself. A video of the lead man 'dancing' doesn't typically cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. Compared to the U.S. music video for 'High and Dry' [9] (also by Radiohead), Lotus Flower is thought of as very simplistic. Just a quick glance at 'High And Dry's' video tells the audience that a substantially larger budget was used. This could suggest that the music video medium itself is declining. An argument can be made that this is due to the rise of new media, that newer and more sophisticated technologies have allowed artists in the British Music Industry to branch out when promoting themselves and their music. Websites and services such as Soundcloud and YouTube allows artists to "record music, build websites, crowd-fund, upload music videos, create and sell a variety of merchandise and, most importantly, release and promote their music online" [10]. With Bandcamp, artists can set their own prices, with the "pay-what-you-want model being a popular option" [11]. With all these developments, music videos are now not seen as the most important form of promotion. In an era before the internet, where the likes of 'MTV' and 'Top Of The Pops' dictated how successful your band was going to be, the music video was seen as the best marketing tool. Now, where a fan can listen to and download an artist’s music in a click of a button, services such as Amazon and iTunes are used instead of the record shops of yesteryear. The next step would be making music available for free and legally. Thom Yorke seems to have already thought of this as he told the world that his new solo-album "was currently only available through a legitimate, paid BitTorrent file" [12] in 2014. This may be a way to tackle piracy; a major problem for the industry.

The next video I'm focusing on is up-and-coming artist: Hozier. "Take Me To Church" [13] has seen critical acclaim with 62 million views on YouTube as well as Hozier having 224 thousand channel subscribers. Releasing his debut EP in 2013 and his debut self-titled album globally in October 2014, Hozier is signed to Island Records. The video starts off with cutting between a close-up of a fire; a man franticly trying to bury a locked box; and another man riding a bicycle to come and meet the first man. It is established quickly that these two are the protagonists of the text. Typically, Todorov's narrative theory could be applied to the text; however, there is no new-equilibrium here, only equilibrium then dis-equilibrium (the text ends here). The two male protagonists are shown passionately kissing, which, in turn, creates an action code to tell the audience that the issue of homosexuality is involved with the narrative. Later on, a locked chest is unearthed and thrown into the fire shown at the beginning. The use of foreshadowing with the fire creates a non-linear narrative which draws the audience in even more. Linking to Propp's narrative theory, the villain of the text is the gang on the hunt for two protagonists. Growing up in Ireland, Hozier is familiar with a "cultural landscape that is blatantly homophobic" [14]. This served as a basis for creating a "strong statement about the institutional homophobia in Putin's Russia" [15]. The video is showing the representation of homosexuals in Russia; where it is against the law. I think that Hozier wanted to show an accurate representation of what is happening to those who are gay (i.e. brutally beaten). This also reflects back onto the society in Russia and the mediation of Homosexuality in the news. The ideology of multiculturalism is being promoted here as Hozier wants to encourage social and political change within Russia and anywhere else where these views are held. He wants to educate and inform the masses about this big issue. The text is again in black and white. This adds a certain grittiness to text which mirrors the location of Russia well. In the climactic parts of the song, a fast-paced editing style is used. Both videos cover pressing matters of today such as mediation of the news and media itself, moral panics and representations and stereotyping.

The popularity of the music video in the earlier decades was, on the other hand unparalleled. This was also supported by television music programs. The likes of "Top Of The Pops" [16] and Later..With Jools Holland significantly aided artists. The program may have seemed controversial in its time as it is widely known that the artist(s) were lip-syncing along to the studio track. All of this occurred in front of a studio audience. The show can be seen as one enormous music video; an advertisement for the band and their new song. This has since changed as during Christmas, the BBC shows a Christmas special with that year’s most popular music. It is seen that the artists do in fact play live now making the show more into a concert for television rather than an elongated music video. The year reflects the types of music shown as today's Top of the Pops would sound relatively similar throughout the program. At the time of this episode, it was thought that if a band is seen on TOTP, then they have made it to the higher stages of stardom. A UK-based bands main goal would be to get onto the show as this guaranteed sales. However, as new media was introduced and technology developed increasingly, there became more methods of advertising and informing the audience of the 'new album' or 'new single'. This included online advertising using social media (Twitter has aided tremendously) and making the music available through online means. This has reduced the need for the music video and is not regarded as the best way to show audiences new music any more. Websites such as Vimeo have tried to keep this marketing device afloat, but there is no helping a dying market. Consequently, budgets have decreased dramatically for music videos, except for the established, world-known bands/artists, which have not much need for them.

2,099 words

To Be Completed:

Section 4: Other smaller text with reference to online media more in depth as well as more SHEP points.

Section 5: Conclusion

Bibliography:

Academic Texts:

Kolesnik, A. "Popular Culture And History: Representations Of The Past In British Popular Music Of The 2000s." Popular Culture And History: Representations Of The Past In British Popular Music Of The 2000s. National Research University Higher School of Economics, 10 May 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

Magazines:

Budd, C. "Changes in the Music Industry: From Labels to Laptops." English And Media. Media Magazine, 1 Dec. 2010. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM34_Change_music1.html>.

Hendry, S. "Music and Politics." English And Media. Media Magazine, 1 Apr. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM36_Collab_Music_Politics.html>.

Hobbs, M. "From the Unforgettable Fire to Arcade Fire." English And Media. Media Magazine, 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM35_Cultural_Arcade.html>.

Internet Articles:

Aitkenhead, D. "Plan B: 'I Love Directing. But Does My Art Change Lives? I Don't Think It Does'" The Guardian. The Guardian, 7 June 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jun/07/plan-b-love-directing-art-lives>.

Andrews, C. "Has the Digital Revolution Really Changed the Music Industry? | Factor." Factor. Factor, 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.factor-tech.com/connected-world/8125-has-the-digital-revolution-really-changed-the-music-industry/>.

Dredge, S. "Thom Yorke Calls Spotify 'the Last Desperate Fart of a Dying Corpse'" The Guardian, 7 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2014 <http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/07/spotify-thom-yorke-dying-corpse>.

NME Blog. "NME Blogs | Did Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' Honesty Box Actually Damage The Music Industry?" NME.COM. NME, 15 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/did-radioheads-in-rainbows-honesty-box-actually-damage-the-music-industry>.

Lewis L. "Radiohead, 'The King Of Limbs' - First Listen." NME, 18 Feb 2011. <http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/radiohead-the-king-of-limbs-first-listen#LrFXuhDasc8Fd8kB.99>

Perry, K. "Plan B: The Rapper Turned Director on Ill Manors, Class War and Why He Doesn't Want to Be a Politician." GQ. GQ, 8 June 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2012-06/08/plan-b-interview-ill-manors>.

Taylor, G. "A Digital Revolution Transforming the Music Industry." - Capgemini. Financial TImes, 13 May 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://capgemini.ft.com/consumerisation-of-it/a-digital-revolution-transforming-the-music-industry_a-29-69.html>.

Travis, B. "Thom Yorke Wants You to Torrent His New Album." GQ. GQ, 29 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2014-09/29/thom-yorke-tomorrow-modern-boxes-review>.

Books consulted:

Rogers, J. The Death And Life Of The Music Industry In The Digital Age. Bloomsbury Academic, 2013. Print.

Storey, J., ed. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: A Reader. 3rd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 2006. Print.

Wikstrom, P. The Music Industry: Music In The Cloud. Cambridge: Polity, 2010. Print.

Storey, J. (2010). Cultural studies and the study of popular cultures theories and methods (3rd ed.). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Citations:

[1] BPI Surveys, 2014
[2] Dredge, S, The Guardian, 2013
[3] Ibid
[4] Radiohead - Lotus Flower from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfOa1a8hYP8
[5] Lyrics for Lotus Flower from http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/radiohead/lotusflower.html
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid
[8] Lewis, L, NME, 2011
[9] Radiohead - High And Dry from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BciOfJsqh7M
[10] Andrews, C, Factor, 2014
[11] Ibid
[12]Travis, B, GQ, 2014
[13] Hozier - Take Me To Church from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSVMgRr6pw
[14] Shepherd, J, NYMag, 2014
[15] Ibid
[16] Episode of Top Of The Pops from 1978 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5ZutqF5utA
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]

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