Toby Fountain
Postgraduate student at Goldsmiths University of London, music undergraduate from the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance and former editor and commentator for award winning current affairs blog Backbench. I would describe my political leaning as libertarian socialist, with a flexible marxist outlook on culture and historical development.
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Papers by Toby Fountain
I begin by attempting to define the intricate intellectual character of postmodernism, defining its historical origin and initial artistic emergence in the late 20th Century. Using this definition as an initial framework for my investigation, I then begin my analysis of Radiohead’s third album, Ok Computer. Having defined the distinct differences between ‘postmodernism’ and ‘postmodernity’, I first explore the album’s narrative and consider whether Yorke portrays a postmodernist ideological standpoint on its themes. I proceed by exploring the album’s aesthetic presentation, identifying the utilisation of a bricolage approach to aesthetics and the use of intertextuality in the construction of narrative and composition. I then begin an exploration of Ok Computer’s successor, Kid A. Investigating its embrace of poststructuralist thinking, bricolage aesthetics and anti-aesthetics, I explain that while Postmodernist, Kid A is an extremely contrasting interpretation of the style to its predecessor. In the face of its obscure intellectual, artistic and musical character, I attempt to identify the existence of a decipherable underlying narrative and to classify it stylistically with more precision. In the final phase of the investigation, I construct a critical analysis of the successes and failures of Radiohead’s embrace of postmodernism. Applying an array of critiques of the style, I consider whether and the extent to which Ok Computer and Kid A embody or defy these critiques, and whether postmodernism had a positive impact upon the artistic development of Radiohead.
Drafts by Toby Fountain
I begin by attempting to define the intricate intellectual character of postmodernism, defining its historical origin and initial artistic emergence in the late 20th Century. Using this definition as an initial framework for my investigation, I then begin my analysis of Radiohead’s third album, Ok Computer. Having defined the distinct differences between ‘postmodernism’ and ‘postmodernity’, I first explore the album’s narrative and consider whether Yorke portrays a postmodernist ideological standpoint on its themes. I proceed by exploring the album’s aesthetic presentation, identifying the utilisation of a bricolage approach to aesthetics and the use of intertextuality in the construction of narrative and composition. I then begin an exploration of Ok Computer’s successor, Kid A. Investigating its embrace of poststructuralist thinking, bricolage aesthetics and anti-aesthetics, I explain that while Postmodernist, Kid A is an extremely contrasting interpretation of the style to its predecessor. In the face of its obscure intellectual, artistic and musical character, I attempt to identify the existence of a decipherable underlying narrative and to classify it stylistically with more precision. In the final phase of the investigation, I construct a critical analysis of the successes and failures of Radiohead’s embrace of postmodernism. Applying an array of critiques of the style, I consider whether and the extent to which Ok Computer and Kid A embody or defy these critiques, and whether postmodernism had a positive impact upon the artistic development of Radiohead.