ABSTRACT
This chapter explores transnationally oriented vintage remix groups who excavate the European ‘jazz past’ as a means of developing a compelling, albeit festive, ‘survival technology’ amidst the current global crisis. This chapter focuses upon the recordings and performances of two contemporary crossover groups, Caravan Palace (France) and Caro Emerald (The Netherlands). Both groups are often cited as leaders of the electro swing and vintage remix genre, and both have embraced and incorporated the role of sampling ‘vintage’ jazz as a core facet of their music and performance practice. The analyses uncover strategies designed to aestheticise historical exploration; examples include the hybrid juxtaposition of electronic and acoustic ‘trad’ sections during concerts, swing dance solos during concerts, genre-related improvisation styles, and recording techniques adapted from pre-war studio technologies. Finally, such a connection to a vintage jazz past is explored through the iconicity and soundscapes of promotional videos. Ultimately, the chapter uncovers how the confluence of media and live music performance practice constitute aesthetic forms of historicity for both participants and musicians. These contemporary electro and vintage swing groups (re)generate a version of the past, re-signifying it for the current aesthetic aims and cultural predilections of convergent, participatory culture.
