*CFP* EXPERIMENTAL WRITTING ON POPULAR MUSIC, RIFFS JOURNAL

The editorial team of “Riffs: Experimental Writing on Popular Music” and guest editor Simon Jones (author of “Scientists of Sound: Portraits of a UK Reggae Sound”) invite 300-word proposals for the Volume 2 Issue 2 of “Riffs” from ECRs, PhD, MA and BA students, and anyone else with an interest in experimental writing on popular music.

“Playing music, for me right, it gets some heads together.... get a little tribal thing going on, you know. Get the frequency up.... Everybody’s on that frequency. It’s always been about that…and exciting people and changing their frequency.” - Robbo Dread, Birmingham 2017.

Submissions should in some way engage with the quote provided above. These engagements could explore (but are in no way limited to):

• The performance practices and aesthetics of “live” deejaying, mcing, selecting and operating in “music scene cultures” (including, but not exclusive to, reggae sound system). 
• The legacies of “reggae sound system culture” in current genres. 
• The transformative potential of the “sound system” experience, with reference to the above quote about changing frequencies. 
• The cultural politics of “sound system” spaces, both internally and externally.

As the journal title suggests, we are interested in pieces that take an experimental approach to the consideration of popular music. In relation to this prompt, we are keen to receive written/visual/audio submissions that attempt to represent/document “sound system culture” and “music scenes” more generally in ways that are true to the experiences of its practitioners and participants. For examples of pieces based on previous prompts, please visit our journal website.

 

We encourage audio, visual, and additional written contributions (from musical performances to poetry). Up to eight (experimental) written contributions and two visual contributions (up to 6 pages of A4) will be published in print, but additional contributions may be selected for inclusion within the journal website only.

Deadline for 300-word proposals: 15th June 2018

Please include your name, institution, contact email, and current level of qualification.

Full submissions (of 2,000-4,000 words/ visual content to not exceed 6 A4 pages / or an audio/video file suitable for hosting on WordPress) will be invited by the 22nd of June and expected by the 10th of September. All contributions published by “Riffs” will be considered by the whole editorial panel and edited by two specialist editors before publication.

Please email proposals to one of the Co-Managing Editors:

Craig Hamilton Craig.Hamilton@bcu.ac.uk

Sarah Raine Sarah.Raine2@mail.bcu.ac.uk

Or to info@riffsjournal.org 

Please note: “Riffs” shall be entitled to first use of the contribution in all the journal’s different forms, but the author remains the copyright owner and can re-publish their contribution without seeking the journal’s permission. “Riffs” reserve the right to decline to publish contributions if they are submitted after the agreed deadline and without the assigned editor being informed (and agreeing to) a new submission date.