How can genre theories be utilised to both recognise and describe a market, but also respect and preserve the genre’s cultural framework?

Introduction.

The research will attempt to use genre theory to identify the factors affecting the way genre develops. In doing this, it is hoped the research will show how, buy using genre theory, record labels can better understand a market and so better deal with an emerging opportunity, whilst still respecting the cultural essence of the genre.

“By Summer 1977, punk had become a parody of itself. Many of the movement’s original participants felt that something open-ended and full of possibilities had degenerated into a commercial formula.” Reynolds, S (2005 p.xvii)

In order to prevent a repeat of this travesty brought about by record labels horrific mismanagement of the genre, this research will explore how an emerging genre may be treated based on it’s own terms. This therefore may allow the genre to grow and develop in a natural fashion whilst still producing viable product for the record label to sell. By recognising what the genre is about, rather than how a record label may want it to be, it is hoped that industry may become a force for good in the protection and development of culture, and reverse the apparent trend of counter culture increasingly trying to avoid what can only be termed exploitation.

To investigate this, the emerging genre “8bit” has been used as case-study for the applications of these theories. This is because, whilst the genre is still comparatively quite small, it is significant enough to represent an opportunity to use genre theories to describe the genre, and to try to determine how to best approach the genre from a commercial view point.