GLOBULE of NON-STANDARD: an attempted clarification of globular identity politics in Japanese electronic ‘sightseeing music’

Abstract

This article attempts to identify trends in non-academic Japanese electronic music related to the representation of identity issues including gender, sexuality, ethnicity and race. Simultaneously, it attempts to point out limitations in Western identity politics which complicate the identification and clarification of such themes. In particular, the Western desire to define cultural diversity through a multiplication of distinct identity constructs is contrasted with Japanese aversions to images of factionalism or political affiliation. It is postulated that the ‘Globular’ identity politics found in Japanese electronic music suggest ways of thinking around Western ideological conundrums such as the tendency to use terms of ‘equality’ (a notion of similarity) when negotiating for communal ‘diversity’ (a notion of dissimilarity). This extends to current attempts at diversification among academic and commercial digital audio producers.