Dr Justin Morey

This article seeks to investigate some of the considerations that inform and help to determine the creative studio practice of contemporary sampling composers. Collaborative writing and production, specifically the co-opted collaboration implicit in using samples, will be assessed to consider those aspects of the production process which the participants consider to be authorial. These considerations include acts of listening, selecting and editing. In examining these matters this paper places emphasis on how sampling composers actively constrain their options in order to promote a creative relationship with their musical material. Techniques such as, firstly, traditional sample manipulation, secondly, the use of a sample as an initial building block for a composition from which the sample is then removed and, finally, live performance in the studio which is subsequently cut up and treated as a sample, will be discussed. Case studies, in the form of semi-structured interviews with sampling composers, will be drawn upon to assess approaches to and views about these forms of studio composition

This article draws on qualitative data gained from interviews with a number of established UK dance music producers. Consideration is given to how sampling practice developed in the UK, the ethical rules that the producers apply to their use of samples, and the extent to which their compositional methods and creative choices have adapted in response to increasingly exacting copyright enforcement. It is argued that copyright and its application is one of a number of affordances and constraints, be they technological, industrial, sociocultural or legal that help to shape the creative practice of these producers.

It has been theorised (e.g. Hennion 1990, Wicke 1990, Zak 2001), and there is mounting empirical evidence (e.g. Davis 2008, McIntyre 2008, Moorefield 2005, Howlett 2008), that record production is a highly collaborative process. When records are made producers, engineers, musicians, programmers and A&R personnel all cooperate in a creative process that can be characterised using a number of models (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997, Paulus and Nijstad, 2003). Songwriters, however, are an ever present but little mentioned presence in the studio, although their work is crucial to studio output. It can be claimed that the development of technological possibilities within the studio has afforded collaborative songwriters an increasing variety of creative methods, and this has led in turn to a range of views concerning the kind of contributions that can be considered to be songwriting among music creators. Calculating the ‘split’ or financial remuneration for the work involved, then, depends upon a set of complex commercial, legal, moral, social, cultural, ideological and discursive factors coupled with certain common sense myths. This paper presents empirical evidence of how current practice compares to some of the older models of creativity that still appear to predominate in the promotion and consumption of recordings.

This collection offers insights into the Queen phenomenon through considering their artistry, influences, sound, singing style, use of instruments and technology, composition, live performance, as well as their impact on other music makers, ...

The Present and Future of Music Law presents thirteen case studies written by experts in their fields, examining a range of key topics at the points where music law and the post-digital music industry intersect, offering a timely ...

Using qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with UK practitioners, this chapter considers both the development and impact of sampling as a creative practice within UK electronic dance music. Firstly, the importance of recorded technical DJ mixes is evaluated in terms of influence on British creators of sample-based electronic dance music. The establishment of distinctive UK sampling practice in the late 1980s and early 1990s is then considered, as are the ways in which the sampling approaches of UK practitioners contributed to a proliferation of UK electronic dance genres in the 1990s. The value of affordances and constraints, particularly in regard to early sampling technology are discussed, and scarcity, in relation to tools, resources and expertise, is argued to have been instrumental in contributing to the diversity of UK sample-based music. The challenges facing contemporary sampling composers are contemplated, as is the future relevance of UK sampling practice.

Rhythms & Reflections is a sound and visual installation by artists Dr Justin Morey and Ruthie Ford, created specifically for Spurn Lighthouse. Sound and visuals are combined to create an immersive impression of Spurn which reflects the ever-changing and multilayered rhythms of the place. Nature, wildlife, people, community, conservation, weather, peace, and wildness are in constant movement and change. Sound Composed by Dr Justin Morey The sound, experienced through a multi-channel speaker array, consists of three overlapping and converging layers of Spurn: people, nature, and the lighthouse. Justin interviewed people with a connection to Spurn to explore what brought them to Spurn, what keeps them here, and how they protect and nurture the environment and its wildlife. Visitors, local residents, conservationists and volunteers all feature. For nature, sounds of the sea, weather and wildlife were recorded at Spurn over three years to capture the change and diversity of this dynamic landscape; from fierce winter storms at the breach to a gently lapping Humber high tide in summer; from the melodious chatter of arriving spring warblers to the plaintive calls of autumn wader flocks. A musical layer was composed from sounds recorded in the lighthouse, including the natural reverberation of the building, sonic responses to external weather and recordings of singing bowls and gongs performed in its circular rooms. Taking its rhythmic pulse from the time the lighthouse lens took to make one full rotation; the lighthouse is embodied as a living entity whose circularities mirror and reflect the natural cycles beyond its walls. Visual artist Ruthie Ford creates an immersive experience in response to Justin's sound work. The visual installation fills the second and fourth floor of the lighthouse with layers of colour, light and imagery which move and change as viewers move around the space. Acrylic panels are overlaid with selected impressionistic images taken from Ruthie’s drawings of Spurn. These elements reflect, layer up and combine to give a kaleidoscopic, multi-faceted effect that reflects the ever changing, dynamic nature of Spurn. Visuals By Ruthie Ford Created in response to the sound recordings and inspired by meeting local people, seeing Spurn through the different seasons and exploring the site, Ruthie’s visual installation embodies the dynamic nature of the environment at Spurn. The visual installation fills the second floor of the lighthouse with layers of colour, light and imagery which move and change as viewers move around the space. Acrylic panels are overlaid with selected images taken from Ruthie’s drawings of water patterns, birds in flight, plant life, clouds, and man-made structures at Spurn. These elements reflect, layer up and combine to give a kaleidoscopic, multifaceted effect that reflects the ever changing dynamic nature of Spurn. 4th Floor Piece: 'Ascent' is inspired by the experiences of the artists in climbing the steps to the lens room, and feeling the sense of wonder and calm on encountering the stunning panorama of Spurn Point, the North Sea and Humber Estuary. All the sounds and instruments used in the piece were recorded either in or around the lighthouse and manipulated via processes including vocoding and granular synthesis.

A site-specific soundscape comprising location recordings of wildlife, nature, musical tones and interviews with conservationists and residents of Spurn, East Yorks, exploring immersion in a location. though multiple perspectives. First performed at the annual wildlife and conservation festival Migfest 23, 8th-10th September 2023.

Recordings of migration birds, located, edited and arranged into 5 habitats and featuring rare and endangered species