With the boom of Electronic Dance Music, also known as EDM, and its overall effort to familiarize itself with general audience since the late 2000s and the early 2010s, many listeners who have previously distanced themselves from electronic music now even have their favorite DJs and occasionally go to EDM festivals and clubs to see DJs perform. Electronic music DJs and producers such as David Guetta, Skrillex, and Swedish House Mafia (among many popular DJs that now flood the market) have become world-famous stars. And of course, top class DJ/Producers make a lot of money — Calvin Harris, a Scottish DJ who made the most money as a DJ/Producer in 2015, made $66 million in that year alone.

The Chainsmokers, an American DJ duo, reached #1 in Billboard Hot 100 Chart on September 3, 2016 with their song “Closer.”

Among many relatively unique features to the commercial EDM scene, from the very frequent collaboration among DJ/Producers to club scenes and festivals, is the position of a DJ. In comparison to Pop music, where the line between artist/performer and producer is generally clear (Justin Bieber does not fully produce his own music and we know that), in EDM, since its boom, the trending notion is that a DJ (equivalent to a performer in pop) is also the producer of music under his name. When one listens to a song by David Guetta, that person usually expects the song to be produced by David Guetta. The DJs who work closely with the commercial EDM business are like celebrities, and the fact that they are not merely the performers but also the creators and producers of their music excite people. In other words, one needs to produce and play, to be more famous and to meet the expectations of its general audience in the commercial EDM world.

With this expectation comes the dilemma of ghost-producing. The crucial question is: are DJs who also produce music under their name really capable of producing such trendy songs in a highly limited amount of time? DJs go on tours around the world, a lot. DJs need to play at their residency clubs, need to meet people for business, and do interviews along with other things that leave them no time. Given this, though it may not always be the case, many DJs are literally out of time, or, incapable of producing songs in a short time. Then, is it okay to hire ghost-producers and sell their songs under a famous DJ’s name?

There have been many accusations of using ghost-producers, even with the world famous DJ/Producers like Tiesto, David Guetta, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. Regarding the controversy, one aspect views that it is not cheating audiences. Brian Scully, an artist manager with New York’s Moodsing Management, in his interview with billboard, said that ghostwriters were hired to save the artists time by assisting them with final touches, rather than to trick audiences. In addition, Hanlon, a 31-year-old ghost producer from Pasadena, even said “Andy Warhol made that famous. He didn’t do shit. He had a factory,” in an interview with LA weekly. He sees this tradition as well-known and understood in arts, and therefore is fine. But do people all think that? SiriusXM music director Geronimo in his interview billboard stated, “I do have a problem with experienced artists taking advantage of young producers. A talented kid who looks up to you isn’t going to say no or negotiate higher rates.” In addition to this, most importantly, many people feel “being lied to” about DJs and songs they like.

I have no problem with ghost-producers themselves. An anonymous ghostwriter in an interview with UKF said, “I’m just a big dance music fan and I love tech and synths and writing. My love is in the studio and that’s what I get paid to do. My work – as a mix engineer, sound designer and ghost producer – has paid for a very nice studio, a lot of beautiful synthesizer and a nice life. I don’t think that’s selling out at all.” He is just doing what he loves; he wants to make music but is satisfied to be behind-the-scenes and I think that should be respected. However, it is with the faked experience that I am concerned about.

The feeling of “being lied to” can be immensely problematic. There are many people, including myself, who appreciate different aspects of music through feeling the relationship between music and its creator. Knowing about the author, especially in art, is crucial in experiencing the artwork to a much higher level, whether the experience is of an emotion or of an admiration for the artist’s technique and sensibility. In music, it is not just lyrics and composition but also the interaction between author and its creation that complete the experience of a musical work. Adele and Kurt Cobain are both great musicians; but if they sing each other’s song, it is different not just musically, but also emotionally. The identity of a creator can alter the experience of an already produced work.

I am fine with DJs, ghostwriters, and commercial EDM business that some say is pushing too hard. They are all generally satisfied, and it’s a win-win game that rapidly produces quality music. I listen to music without doubting every time whether a song was mostly done by another producer; however, I do feel somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that emotion and feeling of admiration I experienced from the connection between an art and its creator may have been fake. It is sad to know that a part of my reflection and reaction actually had no roots.

If one does not care about ghost-producing, then it may not be a problem for that person. However, this phenomenon should be noted by the general audience because it can, especially if one is a fan of electronic music, bring completely different musical experience. Not only lyrics, but rhythm, melody, pitch, and tone all tell a story in relation to its creator. I read somewhere that an artificial intelligence nowadays can compose music that cannot be distinguished as being artificial, even by professional ears. The algorithm compiles the data from man-made musical pieces, analyzes patterns and techniques, and produces a totally new music based on its learning. The question is: Would that be the same?

 

Reference

1. http://www.laweekly.com/music/why-edm-is-thriving-while-other-genres-are-sinking-4166450 by Katie Bain (LA weekly)

2. http://www.laweekly.com/music/ghost-producing-is-edms-dirty-little-secret-4170623 by Jemayel Khawaja (LA weekly)

3. https://ukf.com/words/an-interview-with-a-ghost-producer/14404 by UKF

4. http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/6605600/edm-ghost-producers-writers-electronic-dance-music by Megan Buerger (Billboard)

5. http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2015/08/24/the-worlds-highest-paid-djs-electronic-cash-kings-2015/#12d929053bc9 by Zack O’Malley Greenburg (Forbes)