Machine aesthetics in recorded and performed music: An analytical framework

This article explores the intricate relationship between human musicianship and machine music through the lens of ‘machine aesthetics’ – a concept that encompasses both music derived from machines and music that mimics these expressions. Machine aesthetics gains particular relevance in contexts where musicians replicate effects typically achieved with drum machines, samplers and digital audio workstations. By examining live performances that closely mimic the sonic elements of machine music, we aim to provide a nuanced understanding of this aesthetic. Drawing on Barry Brummett’s theoretical framework from Rhetoric of Machine Aesthetics (1999), which categorizes machine aesthetics into ‘mectech’, ‘electrotech’ and ‘chaotech’, we clarify some often-conflated concepts and apply the framework to music analysis. We suggest that integrating these concepts into analyses can enhance our understanding of the causal and imaginative relationships between musical expressions and machines. This exploration underscores the interplay and dynamically perceived boundaries between human creativity and machine-driven elements in music, which continue to enrich and redefine contemporary music practices.