I’m going to put and end to the whole originality debate right now: There is no such thing as originality in music anymore. Everything in music copies, mimics, satires, and tributes music from long past. Sure there are innovations, but for the most part, music has been rehashing the same concepts over and over again for centuries. To make music that is 100% original, you would have to use a scale other than the 12 note chromatic scale, nonstandard instruments, and you’d need to quite possibly invent some sort of basic musical concepts other than rhythm and melody… oh wait, it still wouldn’t be original because you’d be making sound, and that’s been done before. Tough luck!
That being said… Artistic integrity is a different topic entirely. The argument that artistic integrity should solely be judged on originality is laughable at best, and explains why we have so many suicidal artists in the world. There is only so much ground that can be broken in process before one actually has to start creating from the heart.
I got into a discussion with a certain IRCer earlier today where the topic of breakcore came up. He argued that breakcore artists simply use “easily learnable tricks” to “impress” their audience. I disagreed… I think this is such a broad statement that it could apply to any genre. And really, it is true for most genres: There is a LARGE amount of really soulless music being made. There are a TON of artists that focus only on their technique, and don’t really bother composing a song with feeling that reflects their views, their struggle, or their feelings. However… This does not apply for every artist in ANY genre. In fact, it’s pretty hard to distinguish which artists are making their music more to show off technique, and which are making music with their souls and their unique artistic vision put into it. I guess the more you enjoy a specific genre, the more you can identify with which artists are truly telling a story, and which are doing nothing more than wanking off on their listeners.
So how do we rate artistic integrity? Is it something that anyone but the artist themselves can truly judge? Quite possibly, the answer is “no”… but there are certain things that truly seem to weigh on the morals of the audience and the fellow producer. I, for instance, think that artists like Timbaland don’t deserve to be looked at as skilled producers because of their “lets just loop the stolen sample with an added beat” methods. But that’s a personal value of mine… not of the producers. So, for me, who doesn’t believe in calling others’ art my own, Timbaland gets no respect. However, this is not a strictly defined value. I personally see no issue in using short samples, or even the occasional loop, in a song that doesn’t center around that sample. I also don’t see an issue with making a sample the center of a song if it’s sufficiently mangled, so as to parody or even tribute the original, as long as it doesn’t just sound like the track is playing note for note. I have these skewed values because I see the latter as a creative process. I see it as self expression. I’m not expressing myself by playing a jazz riff from a song straight, by itself (and claiming it’s mine). I am, however, expressing myself if I turn it into something unique that only I would have come up with. If I had a bass guitar, I may have indeed played it. My original point in this paragraph, however, is that Timbaland obviously has different morals. He sees sample ripping as fair game. Unless someone does it to him. Thus is the capitalist value system. But perhaps he’s justified, because he’s telling a (valid?) story with those ripped samples?
My point in all this is to illustrate that we all have different value systems. Artistic integrity isn’t a black and white issue. (Though some would disagree COUGH) It’s something that everyone has their own views on. Which ones should we decide to hold on to? Our own. Should we impose them on others? No. This was the point of my other thread. Every time someone tries to convince me Timbaland is an amazing producer, I have a right to disagree… and I can defend my view if they’re attacking it, but I won’t try to force it on them. I realize full well that they have a right to their opinion. Just like when people try to tell me that Trent Reznor is a corporate pig, I can kindly disagree and be on my way.
Even moreso, if someone claims that music I listen to has no soul, I can be assured that it may not for them, but it does for me, and it almost certainly does for the artist that made it. I can also be humble enough to admit when I enjoy music that has no soul. (but that is only for me to decide)