Editing John Oswald (composer)

{{More footnotes|date=March 2020}}
{{short description|Canadian composer}}
[[File:JOswald.JPG|thumb|250px|John Oswald in San Francisco, 2016]]
'''John Oswald''' (born May 30, 1953 in [[Kitchener, Ontario]]) is a Canadian [[composer]], saxophonist, media artist and dancer. His best known project is ''[[Plunderphonics]]'', the practice of making new music out of previously existing recordings (see [[sound collage]] and [[musical montage]]).

==Early life==
Oswald was introduced to sampling from a young age having been gifted a [[Reel-to-reel audio tape recording|reel-to-reel player]] from his parents at age 9. He then attended [[Simon Fraser University]] in the 1970s, becoming part of [[World Soundscape Project]] while on campus. It was there that Oswald became familiar with recorded sounds from different environments and applying them to new work created. <ref name="Rancic 2016">{{cite web | last=Rancic | first=Michael | title=Why a Canadian Composer's Controversial 80s Work is Still Ahead of Today's Copyright Laws | website=VICE | date=2016-07-13 | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/john-oswald-copyright-interview/ | access-date=2022-11-21}}</ref>

==Philosophy==
Oswald coined the term "[[plunderphonics]]" to describe his craft in a paper called [http://www.plunderphonics.com/xhtml/xplunder.html "Plunderphonics, or Audio Piracy as a Compositional Prerogative"] which he presented at the Wired Society Electro-Acoustic Conference in Toronto in 1985. Inspired by [[William S. Burroughs]]' cut-up technique, Oswald had been devising plunderphonic-style compositions since the late 1960s. In an interview with Norman Igma following the release of the Plunderphonics EP in 1988, he described the concept as follows:

<blockquote>
''A plunderphone is a recognizable sonic quote, using the actual sound of something familiar which has already been recorded. Whistling a bar of "[[Density 21.5]]" is a traditional musical quote. Taking Madonna singing "Like a Virgin" and rerecording it backwards or slower is plunderphonics, as long as you can reasonably recognize the source. The plundering has to be blatant though. There's a lot of samplepocketing, parroting, plagiarism and tune thievery going on these days which is not what we're doing.''
</blockquote>

Plunderphonics is related to but distinct from sampling used in genres such as [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-25 |title=Plunderphonics, or; Shit, They Can Make Music Out of Anything – Bryan Sutherland |url=https://bryanjcsutherland.com/plunderphonics-or-shit-they-can-make-music-out-of-anything/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Works==
His 1975 track "Power" married frenetic [[Led Zeppelin]] guitars to the impassioned exhortations of a Southern US evangelist years before [[hip hop music|hip hop]] discovered the potency of the same (and related) ingredients. Similarly, his 1990 track "Vane", which pitted two different versions of the song "[[You're So Vain]]" (the [[Carly Simon]] original and a cover by [[Faster Pussycat]]) against each other, was a blueprint for the contemporary pop subgenre, 'glitch pop' or '[[mashup (music)|mashup]]'.

In 1980, Oswald founded the Mystery Tapes Laboratory, which created unnamed, unattributed works on cassette, described on the [http://www.plunderphonics.com plunderphonics website] as ''"little boxes of sonifericity specifically formulated for the curious listener. Available in your choice of aural flavors: subliminal, blasted, excerpted, repeatpeateatattttttedly, these cinemaphonically-concocted aggregates of très different but exquisitely manifest, unprecedentedly varied festerings of audio quality fine magnetic cassette tapes are the best of whatever you've been listening for"''. Oswald continues to be Director of Research at Mystery Tapes.

His greatest source of controversy was the 1988 release of the Plunderphonics EP, which he distributed to the press and to radio stations. It contained four plundered tracks: "Don't" by [[Elvis Presley]] which included piano accompaniment by [[Bob Wiseman]], "Pocket" by [[Count Basie]], a version of [[Dolly Parton]] singing "The Great Pretender" in which "she gets to sing a duet with himself(sic)", and "Spring", a version of [[Igor Stravinsky]]'s [[The Rite of Spring]]. In 1989, Oswald released an expanded version of the Plunderphonics album on compact disc containing twenty-five tracks, each using material from a different artist. In 1990, notice was given to Oswald by the Canadian Recording Industry Association on behalf of several of their clients (notably [[Michael Jackson]], whose song "Bad" had been cut up, layered, and rearranged as "Dab") that all undistributed copies of Plunderphonics be destroyed under threat of legal action.

<blockquote>
''"I wasn't selling the disc in the stores, so I let listeners tape it off the radio for free," explains Oswald, who paid for the production and manufacture of the CD out of his own pocket. He receives no royalties or financial compensation for airplay. Brian Robertson, president of CRIA says, ``What this demonstrates is the vulnerability of the recording industry to new technology...All we see is just another example of theft."''

''Oswald received notice from CRIA's lawyers demanding that he cease distributing Plunderphonic as of Xmas eve '89. "They insisted I quit playing Santa Claus," Oswald observes.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plunderphonics - Negation |url=http://www.plunderphonics.com/xhtml/xnegation.html |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=www.plunderphonics.com}}</ref>
</blockquote>

In 1993 Oswald released ''Plexure''. Arguably his most ambitious composition to date, it attempted to microsample the history of CD music up to that point (1982–1992) in a 20 minute collage of bewildering complexity. The ambition of this piece would later be recalled by the British bootlegger [[Osymyso]], whose "[[Intro-Inspection]]" emulates the pop-junkie feel of ''Plexure''.

From 1993 to 1996, Oswald worked on and released ''[[Grayfolded]]'', a 2-Disc set commissioned by the [[Grateful Dead]] consisting of pieces created from over 100 performances of the song "Dark Star". Oswald initially created and released disc 1, "Transitive Axis", which contains a 59 minute 59 second work in 9 movements. Feeling that there was more territory to explore, Oswald worked on disc 2, Mirror Ashes, which is a composition in "6*" movements. Once both discs were complete they were packaged together with extensive liner notes and a "visual time map" of the sources used in the compositions. ''[[Grayfolded]]'' was selected the #1 international recording of the decade by the ''[[Toronto Sun]]''.

In addition to his extensive work in "plunderphonics", Oswald is also involved with [[wiktionary:acoustic|acoustic]] music, as a composer and improviser. His compositions for orchestra often do include electronic elements, such as ''Concerto for Wired Conductor and Orchestra'' (?), but has also composed for acoustic ensembles, such as ''Acupuncture'' (1991). Oswald improvises with the [[saxophone]], and is a member of free improvisation group [[CCMC (band)|CCMC]]. 

===Other projects===
Oswald is also actively involved in [[dance]], as a composer for dance works, as a collaborator with [[choreographer]]s, and as an active [[Contact Improvisation|Contact Improviser]].

Oswald founded the record label ''fony'', which produced the retrospective box set ''[[Plunderphonics 69/96|69 plunderphonics 96]]'' (a.k.a. Plunderphonics 69/96) and reissued ''[[Grayfolded]]''. The label also rereleased ''Plexure'' and released ''Aparanthesi'', a work which uses the single note A in an experiment with [[timbre]], dynamics, and layering, on CD in 2003.

Since 2000 Oswald has been as active in exhibiting his visual art as in continuing his musical activities.

===Legacy===
In 2004, Oswald was one of six artists to win the annual [[Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts]], as awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts, for lifetime achievement.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2004/qb127235918565781250.htm |title=The Canada Council for the Arts - Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts: Announcement of laureates |access-date=2008-06-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809190437/http://www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2004/qb127235918565781250.htm |archive-date=2007-08-09}}</ref>

==Discography==
*''Burrows'' (1974–75)
*''Power'' (1975)
*''Improvised'' (1978)
*''Moose and Salmon'' (Music Gallery, 1979)
*''Alto Sax'' (Metalanguage, 1981)
*''Plunderphonics EP'' (1988)
*''Plunderphonic CD'' (1989)
*''Electrax'' (1991)
*''Discophere'' (1991)
*''Rubiyat Plunderphonics'' (1991) - promo-CD made from [[Elektra Records]]' ''[[Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary]]'' collection
*''Acoustics'' (1993) - with [[Henry Kaiser (musician)|Henry Kaiser]], [[Jim O'Rourke (musician)|Jim O'Rourke]], and [[Mari Kimura]]
*''Plexure'' (1993)
*''[[Grayfolded]]'' (1994) - a two cd mix of over 100 versions of the [[Grateful Dead]] song "[[Dark Star (song)|Dark Star]]"
*''Parcours scénographique'' (1997)
*''aCCoMpliCes'' with CCMC ([[Victo]], VICTO 063, 1998)
*''[[Plunderphonics 69/96|69plunderphonics96]]'' (a.k.a. ''Plunderphonics 69/96'') ([[Box set]]) (2000)
*''[[Complicité (album)|Complicité]]'' (2001) - with [[Paul Plimley]], [[Marilyn Crispell]] and [[Cecil Taylor]]
*''Bloor'' (2001) - with [[David Prentice]] and [[Dominic Duval]]
*''Dearness'' (2002) - with [[Anne Bourne]] and [[Fred Frith]]
*''Aparanthesi'' (empreintes DIGITALes, IMED 0368, 2003)
*''Arc d'apparition'' ([[DVD]]) and ''Whisperfield'' ([[CD]]) (2004)
*''Number Nine'' with [[Michael Keith (musician)|Michael Keith]] and [[Roger Turner (musician)|Roger Turner]] ([[Emanem]] 4129, 2005)

==List of works==

* ''Acupuncture'' (1991), for clarinet, trumpet, piano, 2 percussion and double bass
* ''Aparanthesi'' (2003)
* ''Ariature (from The Idea of This)'' (1999), for chamber orchestra and tape or tenor
* ''b9'' (2011), for chamber ensemble
* ''b9'' (2012), for the nine symphonies of Beethoven
* ''Bell Speeds'' (1983, 90)
* ''Blur (Bolton Chili Overdire); 1 Moment, 2 Wow, 3 Nest''
* ''Burrows'' (1974–75)
* ''Compact (R.E.M.T.V. Hammercamp); 1 Phase, 2 Snap''
* ''Cyfer (Depeche Mould)''
* ''from Burrows: silence to say'' (1974)
* ''Fee Fie Foe Fum'' (2017)
* ''Grayfolded'' (1995)
* ''Homonymy'' (1998), for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trombone, percussion, violin, cello, doublebass and video tape
* ''Mad Mod (Jello Bellafonte)''
* ''Manifold (Bing Stingspreen); 1 Philosophy, 2 Phase''
* ''Massive (Ozzie Osmond); 1 Hazzard, 2 Warning, 3 Treacherous''
* ''Ohmigone'' (2001)
* ''Open (Bo No Ma); 1 Suck, 2 Rip''
* ''Ridge'' (2001)
* ''Skindling Shadés'' (1987)
* "Spectre" (1990), on ''[[Short Stories (Kronos Quartet album)|Short Stories]]''
* ''Temperature (Beastie Shop Beach); 1 Tempus Amoré (Hyper Love Time), 2 Tempo Pact''
* ''Un paysage (Ouverture)'' (1996)
* ''Urge (Marianne Faith No Morrisey); 1 Slow, 2 Slice, 3 Blink''
* ''Velocity (Aretha Vanilli); 1 Tremendous, 2 Tremulous''
* ''Worse (Anthrax Squeeze Factory)''
* ''Zoom (Sinead O'Connick Jr); 1 Alone, 2 Gogh''

==See also==
* [[Anti-copyright]]
* [[Plunderphonics]]
*[[Cut-up technique|Cut-Up Technique]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

;Sources
*[http://www.plunderphonics.com plunderphonics.com]
*[http://www.electrocd.com/en/bio/oswald_jo/ electrocd.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121030/http://www.edwarddaygallery.com/artist_John_Oswald.htm edDayGallery.com] - commercial art gallery representing Oswald
*[http://www.ubu.com/sound/oswald.html ubuweb.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040531000431/http://www.musiccentre.ca/apps/index.cfm?fuseaction=composer.FA_dsp_biography&authpeopleid=10734&by=O The Canadian Music Centre]

==Further reading==
*Oswald, John. "[http://cec.sonus.ca/econtact/14_3/oswald_desertisland.html &#91;Commentary&#93; Mystery Tapes — My Desert Island Vinyl Collection]." ''eContact! 14.3&nbsp;— Turntablism'' (January 2013). Montréal: [[Canadian Electroacoustic Community|CEC]].
*Steenhuisen, Paul. "Interview with John Oswald." In ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20141015151345/http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=687 Sonic Mosaics: Conversations with Composers]''. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-88864-474-9}}.
*Gans, David. "The Man Who Stole Michael Jackson's Face" in WIRED 3.02 1995 [https://www.wired.com/1995/02/oswald/].

==External links==
*[http://www.pfony.com pfony.com], Oswald's record label FONY
* [http://www.plunderphonics.com/xhtml/xoswaldbio.html Biography], on the plunderphonics site
* [http://www.some-assembly-required.net/blog/2008/04/episode-16-some-assembly-required.html "Some Assembly Required"], 2001 interview with John Oswald
* [http://rwm.macba.cat/uploads/songs/sonia99_18032010_96.mp3 Interview with John Oswald] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622214142/http://rwm.macba.cat/uploads/songs/sonia99_18032010_96.mp3 |date=2010-06-22 }} (2010), for Ràdio Web MACBA

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oswald, John}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian classical composers]]
[[Category:Canadian classical musicians]]
[[Category:Electroacoustic music composers]]
[[Category:Canadian sound artists]]
[[Category:Musicians from Kitchener, Ontario]]
[[Category:Canadian male classical composers]]
[[Category:Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts winners]]
[[Category:Emanem Records artists]]
[[Category:Incus Records artists]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian male musicians]]
[[Category:Sound collage artists]]