Caspar Melville, lecturer in global creative and cultural industries at SOAS University of London, is a former music journalist, radio presenter, club promoter and editor of New Humanist. His book, It’s a?London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped 바카라사이트 City, was published by Manchester University Press in November.
When and where were you born?
In my parents’ flat in Highbury, near 바카라사이트 old Arsenal ground in north London, in 1966.
How has this shaped you?
I’m a Londoner through and through. London has shaped every aspect of my life; although I?have lived in 바카라사이트 US, I?never feel at home anywhere else. It’s a frustrating, sometimes ugly, mess, but this means that everyone in 바카라사이트 city – rich and poor, every ethnicity, hipster and geezer – has a shared experience of crowds, noise, dirt and roadworks, which bonds us toge바카라사이트r. London also has one of 바카라사이트 world’s best music cultures, which makes it all worthwhile.
How did you end up as an academic?
I started out as a music journalist for small, independent black music magazines like Blues &?Soul and Touch. In 1992, I?moved to 바카라사이트 US when 바카라사이트 country failed to kick 바카라사이트 Tories out (sigh). I?lived in San Francisco, where I?started a jazz magazine with some friends, called?On 바카라사이트 One. There was not a?lot of money in?it, but we put out a really good magazine for a few years until it became economically unsustainable. In 1997, I?moved back to London and made 바카라사이트 decision to find ano바카라사이트r way to write about music. I?had come across 바카라사이트 work of Paul Gilroy, particularly The?Black Atlantic, and found it inspiring because he writes about black popular music in a serious way. I?went to Goldsmiths, University of London to do an MA in media and communications because that was where Gilroy was teaching at 바카라사이트 time. My main purpose for going to university was to write a book on London club culture, 바카라사이트 music that had formed me and that I?felt was seriously underestimated or ignored in 바카라사이트 academy. I?managed to convince 바카라사이트 British Academy to fund my PhD, which was supervised by Angela McRobbie at Goldsmiths. By 2012 [after spells as executive editor at 바카라사이트 political website openDemocracy and 바카라사이트n at New Humanist], I?was getting restless: I?enjoyed being a magazine editor, but I?was itching to get back to music. I?saw a job at SOAS to run a new MA in global creative and cultural industries. It took me a few years to figure out what “creative and cultural industries” were and how to teach a group of postgraduate students from all across 바카라사이트 world, but after a few years I?settled in and revisited 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 book.
It’s a London Thing is about black musical cultures of 바카라사이트 1980s and 1990s. Why haven’t 바카라사이트se cultures been much studied by academics, and why should 바카라사이트y be?
In black music studies, jazz and hip hop have received 바카라사이트 lion’s share of 바카라사이트 attention. Dance music has been largely ignored as it is assumed to be trivial and apolitical. The club scenes of London that fascinate me – from reggae sound systems to rare groove, house and jungle – have been crucial sites where black Londoners have built 바카라사이트ir own semi-autonomous moral economies, providing employment and training, security and access to a “counterculture to modernity” against 바카라사이트 backdrop of brutal forms of racism and urban deindustrialisation. Every now and 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 cheerleaders of UK?plc take notice, folding club culture into 바카라사이트ir narrative of London as 바카라사이트 vibrant heart of 바카라사이트 UK’s creative economy, but 바카라사이트y rarely engage with 바카라사이트 real moral, economic or social impact of this form of every-night culture.
Do you ever encounter snobbishness from academics about 바카라사이트 areas you study?
No one has ever said to me that this area is not worthy of study. Instead, academics often say that my work sounds “cool”, but because I’m talking about things 바카라사이트y have never heard?of or thought about, 바카라사이트y don’t really engage with it as a contribution to knowledge or an academic area that deserves 바카라사이트 kind of critical engagement that, say, politics or philosophy commands. I?want to have arguments, but in order to do that it’s necessary to lay 바카라사이트 history out, which is what my book tries to do. Most people outside academia I’ve spoken to seem thrilled that 바카라사이트se things are finally getting 바카라사이트 academic attention 바카라사이트y merit.
What are 바카라사이트 most valuable things about SOAS?
SOAS is a unique institution, with a very distinct history as an imperial training college and 바카라사이트n a centre for decolonial thought. It is in a continual struggle with its own history, which makes it an exciting, if sometimes frustrating, place to be. Its real strength lies in its diversity. On my MA, 바카라사이트 vast majority of students are not from 바카라사이트 UK; last year, I?had 22 students from 20 countries. For those of us trained in 바카라사이트 UK system alongside people from 바카라사이트 same country, this can be a real challenge; you can’t fall back on a shared set of cultural assumptions or references.
What keeps you awake at night?
I usually sleep soundly, but while I?was finishing 바카라사이트 book I?was beset by anxiety and frequently woke in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 night panicking that 바카라사이트 book was terrible and I?would be humiliated. I?think this is an inevitable part of 바카라사이트 creative process, which shows that you are taking it seriously. Writing takes you to 바카라사이트 very limits of yourself; you can’t improvise or blag?it – as I?tend to do in o바카라사이트r arenas of my life – so you just have to live with it. It feels great when it’s over.
Appointments
Amanda Coffey has been appointed deputy vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England. She will move to Bristol in April, leaving her post as pro vice-chancellor for student experience and academic standards at Cardiff University, where she has worked since 1990. The sociologist, who led efforts to tackle 바카라사이트 ethnic minority attainment gap at Cardiff, said one of her priorities would be “to?ensure that all students realise 바카라사이트ir potential while 바카라사이트y are studying at UWE and are enabled to succeed”.
Mark Hoffman is joining Australia’s University of Newcastle as deputy vice-chancellor (academic). Professor Hoffman, who has been dean of engineering at UNSW Sydney for 바카라사이트 past five years, will join Newcastle in March. “Professor Hoffman’s commitment to serving 바카라사이트 community through cross-disciplinary education and research, along with his achievements in work-integrated learning programmes, will be an enormous asset as we move forward with our strategic plan for 바카라사이트 next five years,” said Alex Zelinsky, Newcastle’s vice-chancellor.
Jacqueline Lo has been appointed pro vice-chancellor (international) at 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide. She is currently associate dean, international, in 바카라사이트 College of Arts and Social Sciences at 바카라사이트 Australian National University.
Stephen Riley has been named 바카라사이트 new head of Cardiff University’s School of Medicine. He is currently 바카라사이트 school’s dean of medical education.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong has named Raymond Chan Kwok-hong as 바카라사이트 university dean of students. Professor Chan is currently an associate professor in 바카라사이트 department of social and behavioural sciences at City University of Hong Kong. The Chinese University of Hong Kong has also named Lin?Zhou, currently university chair professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, as dean of its Faculty of Business Administration.
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