News Archive

We look forward to welcoming David Stark and Giovanni Formilan to present a talk on Moments of identity: Artists and their aliases in electronic music on 23rd January at 15.30-17.30 in R0.03.

In many creative fields, distinctive identities are shaped around named personas – pen names in literature, stage names in the performing arts, aliases in music. More than just responding to the need for artistic recognition, these personas also serve as test devices to navigate the complexity and unpredictability of one’s presence in the creative journey. Drawing evidence from the underground electronic music scene, a field where both genres and aliases proliferate, we outline dynamics of anonymity, visibility, and engagement that surround the use of aliases. We identify nine ideal moments in which the relation among person, persona, and audience gives temporary shape to the creative identity of the artist. Representing a part of the artist, the alias is projected apart from the artist and, through this curious distance that anticipates expectations and demands feedback, creative identity develops as a process of ongoing curation.