Affective Landscapes, Scenes, and Arrangements

Dynamics in the Socio-algorithmic Musical Encounter

Abstract

This article discusses the affective dynamics of two interwoven spheres of musical life: on the one hand, the sphere of local musical engagements, often connected to the notion of scene; on the other, the sphere of digital music promotion and distribution via social media and streaming platforms. The almost omnipresent importance of the latter raises questions about motivational investments in local music-making in digital times. The discussion takes off from three conceptions of affect in the context of digital media and music: first, the idea of ‘affective landscapes’ (Bucher 2018), which designates the experience of media environments as a locus of micropolitical contestation; second, the concept of ‘affective scenes’ (Bennett 2013), which identifies shared feelings and knowledge, and the intensity of being part of something that is alive, as integral to scene participation; third, the notion of ‘affective arrangements’ (Slaby 2019), which concerns the affordance of specific affects by constellations of, for example, commercial and techno-scientific terms. Although affective scenes may be considered a type of affective arrangement, the latter seems especially relevant to contemplating the impact of platform logics on everyday musical engagements. This is done from the perspective of a small group of Brisbane-based record labels. Specifically, it is claimed, intensive dynamics in local involvement are to some extent pressured by digital opportunities and obligations. This amounts to a striating of the affective scene and an adverse affective landscape surrounding the experience of digital platforms, a landscape marked by micropolitical tensions in addition to socio-technological circumstances.