ABSTRACT

This chapter explores how a device not usually identified with sampling has been used to re-shape practices and sounds within a genre traditionally opposed to the use of electric technologies. With many of its musicians and ideologues continuing to value the authenticity of ‘unmediated’ performances, folk becomes an interesting site of study for understanding contemporary approaches to the use of digital technologies. While this ideology of authenticity became less important as it splintered into sub-genres, musicians who are associated with folk and use digital technologies still have an ambivalent relationship with the genre. This has been evident among members of the Fence Collective in Fife, Scotland, including Kenny Anderson (aka King Creosote) whose music has been labelled both ‘new folk’ and ‘indie folk’. Anderson released albums on its micro-label, Fence Records, with songs including found sounds, lyrics from email conversations, and extracts from voicemail messages. Choral voices from classical recordings can also be detected in the low-fidelity mix along with instruments more traditionally associated with folk (acoustic guitars, accordions). To investigate these incongruities, I met with Anderson and a semi-structured interview was guided by three basic research questions: What digital sampling technologies do you use? How do you use these technologies? Why do you use them? The answers to these questions provide the structure to a case study about the use of a foot pedal as a sampling device. It focuses on a user of sampling technologies who is ambivalent about their use as well as his relationship with folk.