SXSW Music 2014
The Art of the Crossfade
On a DJ mixer, the crossfader allows for seamless transition between two separate pieces of music. "The Art of the Crossfade" is a multimedia exploration of this master control for merging sound: its technical history, its role in shaping hip-hop, and its potential as a new metaphor for the "mixing" we all do in our increasingly diverse world. Combining an academic lecture with a live DJ performance, "The Art of the Crossfade" creates a unique and groundbreaking educational and entertainment experience: While USC Professor of Music & Culture Josh Kun lectures on the story and symbolism of the crossfader, award-winning DJ/Producer J.Period provides a potent musical backdrop - juggling songs, samples and scratches to illustrate the full potential of the crossfader. As technology shrinks our planet but expands our worldview, we are all exposed to a wider spectrum of influences: music styles blur, cultures intersect, ethnicities merge. In the age of the crossfade, we all live in the mix.
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Takeaways
- How can music be a model of social change?
- What can the DJ crossfader teach us about how to “blend” and “mix” in our lives?
- How can music provide bridges between, and meeting points among, different cultures?
- How did Hip-Hop production change contemporary aesthetics?
- How can the history of the DJ crossfader help us understand the challenges of the global 21st century?
Speakers
- J. Period, DJ/Producer/Remixer/Music Supervisor, Truelements Music
- Josh Kun, Professor & Writer, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
Organizer
Jeff Beckham, Writer, Jeff Beckham
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