European theorists explore pop music philosophy in new books on Rihanna, Kraftwerk, and art-music intersections.
Three recent works by European critical theorists delve into Theodor Adorno's 1941 critique of popular music. Agnès Gayraud's 'Dialectic of Pop,' translated by Robin Mackay, Daniel Miller, and Nina Power, investigates the conflicts between novelty and revivalism in pop music. Jörg Heiser's 'Double Lives in Art and Pop Music,' translated by Nicholas Grindell, looks at artistic interactions through examples like Yoko Ono and John Lennon. Uwe Schütte's 'Kraftwerk: Future Music from Germany' focuses on the band's creative approaches. These publications reflect on Europe's complex relationship with pop music, referencing Jean-Luc Godard's 1968 film 'Sympathy for the Devil,' and they discuss the tension between emotional engagement and scholarly critique, using Kraftwerk's museum performances as a modern illustration.
Key facts
- Three books by European critical theorists examine pop music philosophy
- Agnès Gayraud's 'Dialectic of Pop' uses Adorno's method against his dismissal of pop
- Jörg Heiser's 'Double Lives' explores art-music exchanges through case studies
- Uwe Schütte's biography focuses on Kraftwerk's artistic strategies
- The works engage with Theodor Adorno's 1941 critique of popular music
- Gayraud analyzes tensions between novelty/revivalism and authenticity/affectation
- Heiser warns against boundary-blurring as neoliberal commodification
- Schütte celebrates convergence between art and music disciplines
Entities
Artists
- Agnès Gayraud
- Theodor Adorno
- Rihanna
- Fatima Al Qadiri
- Kraftwerk
- Yoko Ono
- John Lennon
- Joseph Beuys
- Carsten Nicolai
- Joe Meek
- Donna Summer
- Jean-Luc Godard
- Michaela Melián
- La Féline
- Serge Gainsbourg
Institutions
- Urbanomic
- Sternberg Press
- Penguin
- Frankfurt School
- Berghain
Locations
- Jamaica
- Cologne
- Berlin
- Germany
- France