Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, Commerce?

The DJ collective Major Lazer is presenting itself as an uncommercial music group, by communicating to their fan base in novel ways. The group has a strong use of narrative and a recognizable aesthetic to familiarize the audience with their brand through the use of promotional vehicles like their (viral) music videos. This April, Major Lazer also premiered a cartoon series on FXX based on the animation figure Major Lazer, a protagonist in their music videos. With the help of the videos and the expanded use of other convergent media channels, Major Lazer’s music is accompanied by a presented discourse. These utterances perform as paratexts: frames one passes through to access and understand Major Lazer’s music. In this paper we will look at Major Lazer's innovative models of distribution and different ways the group makes use of the media to present itself to their audience. Furthermore we will look at how their use of music videos to create revenue relates to developments in the music industry at large.

Major Lazer is becoming increasingly popular within and outside of the trap genre, think for instance of their famous hit ‘Lean On’. At the moment, Major Lazer consists out of three DJ’s (Diplo, Walshy Fire, Jillionaire). Initially they started off with four DJ’s which immediately had success with the song ‘Pon de Floor’. In addition to their music, Major Lazer has also created its own motto called PLURNT (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, Never, Turndown). In relation to this their social media presence, for example on Twitter or Instagram, is characterized by the phrase: Peace is the mission.[1] This illustrates that the DJ’s first and foremost are trying to create a better world with their music and that their products must not be seen in relation to commercialism. Moreover, they emphasize this by releasing free downloads of their singles to the fans. Most of their songs are available on SoundCloud, where fans are able to listen to their music way for free (by way of copyleft). Even though it seem that Major Lazer is not focused on the economic effort of making profit, they are using new methods to do this by use of novel strategies across divergent media channels. For instance in their ongoing effort of brand promotion and the divergent use of transmedia platforms. The DJ’s use of transmedialism and intertextuality communicates the desired meaning to their audience and thus helps in the formation of a strong and loyal subculture. Also, the DJ’s expressions are marked by a novel and recognizable aesthetic, which initially was created for their music videos. The increasing importance of the aesthetic is illustrated by the recent development of Major Lazer’s own animated television show, as we shall see.

          At the beginning of their career the involved DJ’s of Major Lazer created videos. These videos have often gone viral, because of their novel and highly idiosyncratic aesthetic: The video’s were seemingly created in a couple of takes, in a cheap production, with a colourfully animated background and a dorky choreography.[2] Their music was based on a simple rhythm, accompanied by a catchy melody as is the case in ‘Pon de Floor'. It is therefore no wonder that the rhythm was taken over by many other artists as well, like Beyoncé in the music video ‘Run the World (Girls)’. Needless to say the music was both novel and aesthetically innovative, in both the videos as to the music itself.[3] Besides all the music videos explore some kind of strangeness within the video, either because of sexual reference or because of the animation. Besides this song, the group of DJ’s introduced videos which featured a single character, named Major Lazer. A Jamaican veteran and superhero with a laser gun for his right hand, who fights for peace. Thus, the image of Major Lazer represents the group of DJ’s. Through the character of Major Lazer they also make reference to Jamaican subculture in their use of colour and the expressions of the surrounding characters in the music videos. Therefore the use of a single symbolic (action) figure for the group is novel, clever, catchy and virtuosic; these are the key ingredients for a good music video according to Maura Edmond.[4] Edmond is a research fellow at the School of Media, Film and Journalism at Monash University. An example of her theory would be the Bubblebutt music video, since it is both catchy and strange at the same time. In contrast of the statement made by Edmond, there is also made use of a high cost production (because of the high quality of the music video) and logically they made profit from the music video.[5]

          The imaginary world was created around the character of Major Lazer and his actions; his life story is told through an animated television show. The character of Major Lazer is part of a fictional world constructed on several media channels. In the narrative dimension of the brand we see a form of transmedia storytelling, in order to get the groups intended message across. The Jamaican action figure is as used as a narrative portal, in order for the audience to comprehend and engage with the group’s storyline. Therefor the DJ’s used the context of this character and the music to connect the fictional world, which is more elaborately depicted in the television series .[6] This is one of the forms of transmedia convergence for the character and music of Major Lazer. Since the episodes created with simple animations, the low budget shows are produced and directed by the group’s DJ’s.[7] The convergence between the music videos and the television show is compatible within the range of existing cultures of their products, since the Major Lazer is illustrating for the group and it gives their message more power because he is recognisable.[8] In this way they create a new narrative and bypasses the institutional dominance of the music and movie producers. The freely available and recognizable images are therefore part of a bottom-up model of distribution, fan-based and trough use the internet, that diverts power back to the group's members as central and authoritative figures in their own subculture. The show is created for true Major Lazer fans, but the creative display of new ideas in smart and innovative ways of low cost production may be of interest for the music industry.[10] However, unlike the example of comic book company Marvel as posed by Derek Johnson, it does not focus on rebranding of an existing product but instead reinforces a completely new imaginary world and message. Derek Johnson is an associate professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin. In contrast to Johnson, the aim of the show by Major Lazer is to be new and refreshing and change the cultural meaning of the cinematic experience, by combining it with Jamaican influences and relating it to their own musical genre.[11]

          Therefore the using of different media reinforces the image of Major Lazer to build greater brand exposure, and thus to engage a loyal fanbase. Furthermore, the groups use of the subculture build around the Major Lazer aesthetic helps to create novel streams of revenue. Music videos traditionally weren’t seen as money spinners themselves, but in the face of decreasing sales of albums and singles the music industry is looking for new ways to generate income. Major Lazer’s use of music video relates to the newfound importance of music video’s in the youtube era, not just as a promotional vehicle but also to serve additional economic and industry functions.[12] The DJ’s also try to create this feeling by the ‘Mad decent block parties’, this is a festival and it is organized by Mad Decent (the record label of Diplo, one of the DJs in Major Lazer). In this way Major Lazer always has a central role in the performance on these festivals. This reinforces the participatory fan culture, as stated by Edmond, by afterwards making the music available for download and watch movies of the festival.[13] In this festival they make frequent use of the message of Major Lazer, being PLURNT; a message that appeals to their fanbase. The expertise and identity of the Major Lazer brand is thus reinforced, especially through the use of a strong iconography.[14]

          The projects of the festivals and their own television show are created in order for the group to have their own trademark, yet are they based upon commercial value? The use of trademarks and brands are similar to the industry’s use of music videos. However, each initiative is created by and for the subculture of Major Lazer. There is no meddling from any other studios since everything is owned by DJ’s that produce the music. This contrasts to many other productions in the media industry, as stated by Johnson. Therefore Major Lazer is more in line with the ideas of Edmond (“novel, clever, catchy and virtuosic”), however it is aimed at created profit which is more like the idea posed by Johnson (“creative display of new ideas in smart and innovative ways in order to make money”). The main focus point is to reinforce the idea of the Major Lazer subculture, which is indeed successful. The group tries to use as much of transmedia channels as possible to increase the familiarity and popularity of their music and brand, through broadcasting time, Youtube viewings, downloads, etc.

           Major Lazer thus uses convergence in different sectors of the media in order to immerse their audience in the fictional world of ‘Major Lazer’.[15] The imaginary world plays an important role in the convergence and use of transmedia. By using the television show they create a platform for their music and especially to get their message across.[16] The increased brand exposure helps them to capitalize on their brand in different ways, especially in a time when generating profit is increasingly hard and dispersed for the music industry. The brand exposure and brand loyalty can provide a revenue stream, for example for the now famous DJ’s separately, through the sale of merchandise, or by ticket sales at live performances at international venues. Major Lazer makes use of its idiosyncratic style, cheap production, dorky and comedic choreography, in novel and virtuous ways; in doing so it has succeeded at engaging a growing audience. The increased popularity and increased fame eventually makes it possible to generate even more profit. This shows, in accordance with Edmond, the centrality of the music video, and film in general, for the media industries. Therefore the new aesthetic of this group of DJ’s is connected with the economic convergence of the media and cultural industries. Even though their message is PLURNT, it could easily be PLURC (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, Commerce).

Tweet: Even though @MajorLazer's message is #PLURNT, it could easily be PLURC (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, Commerce).

Intials: 
A.D.
E.T.
J.M.D.O.M.
M.v.d.V.
M.v.R.

Bibliography:

Edmond (2014), M., ‘Here We Go Again: Music Videos after YouTube’, in: Television & New Media 15 (4).

Johnson (2012), D., ‘Cinematic Destiny: Marvel Studios and the Trade Stories of Industrial Convergence’, in: Cinema Journal 52 (1).

Smith (2011), A., ‘Beyond the Brick: Narrativizing LEGO in the Digital Age’ (paper presented at the seventh Media in Transition conference in Boston).

[1] Major Lazer Twitter account https://twitter.com/MAJORLAZER

[2] Maura Edmond (2014), ‘Here We Go Again: Music Videos after YouTube’, in: Television & New Media 15 (4), 313-314.

[3] Ibidem, 317.

[4] Ibidem.

[5] Ibidem, 307-308.

[6] Aaron Smith (2011), ‘Beyond the Brick: Narrativizing LEGO in the Digital Age’ (paper presented at the seventh Media in Transition conference in Boston) 17-18.

[7] Derek Johnson (2012), ‘Cinematic Destiny: Marvel Studios and the Trade Stories of Industrial Convergence’, in: Cinema Journal 52 (1), 9-15.

[8] Ibidem.

[9] Ibidem, 23-24.

[10] Ibidem, 23.

[11] Ibidem, 24.

[12] Maura Edmond (2014), ‘Here We Go Again: Music Videos after YouTube’, in: Television & New Media 15 (4), 308.

[12] Ibidem, 317.

[13] Derek Johnson (2012), ‘Cinematic Destiny: Marvel Studios and the Trade Stories of Industrial Convergence’, in: Cinema Journal 52 (1), 16.

[14] Aaron Smith (2011), ‘Beyond the Brick: Narrativizing LEGO in the Digital Age’ (paper presented at the seventh Media in Transition conference in Boston) 1.

[15] Ibidem, 2.