Typically, documentaries make my uncomfortable and hyper aware of something I would typically not think twice about. They bother me, to the say the least. However, I did not feel that way with RiP!: A Remix Manifesto. I love the cheeky narration and the overall approach narrator had despite tackling a relatively big problem in the art world. Though I could be biased since I am a Girl Talk fan.
I am a strong believer in the idea that once an idea has been put out there, it has overcome the stage of simply being someone’s idea and has truly taken on form of its own. A being or entity if sorts, if you may. The same way that people can have similar ideas, there will always be artistic creations that echoes past sounds and ideas. Therefore it is simply ridiculous to believe that remixing is stealing, when in fact it may actually be considered less so than having pieces being “inspired” by an artist.
Both of my brothers had been DJs during the prominence of club kids in the 90s, so naturally I am not oblivious to the abundance of tracks they ripped to create their otherworldly trance and house mixes. The way I saw it, they were creating stories of their own using ideas from several different people and meticulously lacing them together. New meanings, or in this case sounds, were formed. Saying that sampling and remixing are “stealing” other people’s music would be like saying that Freud and Jung ripped off ideas from ancient philosopher. It is over all a silly concept.
In my opinion, the rise in technology has made the big entertainment companies more hungry. Hungry enough to chase down individuals for creating art that many people probably enjoy over the original. It is almost ironic how music executives are so deeply hurt over people using work that has not even be created by them and barely dents their paychecks. If anything, they should be thanking these people for exposure of these greying tracks.
Sadly, it seems music is more valued than most other forms of art.