Sonic Outlaws (1995)

Synopsis: At the beginning of the 1990s, the sampler had become ubiquitous among cutting-edge musicians. Negativland were a small American band signed to the fiercely independent SST label, and had been... At the beginning of the 1990s, the sampler had become ubiquitous among cutting-edge musicians. Negativland were a small American band signed to the fiercely independent SST label, and had been using unauthorized samples in their work for many years. But when they took a portion of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and used it on a single released in 1991, the band suddenly found themselves thrust into the public consciousness. U2's label, Island, took the band and SST to court, resulting in a remarkable case that saw the huge rock band's credibility diminish as every second passed, while Negativland surfaced with an exhaustive document about their experiences entitled "Fair Use." Director Craig Baldwin documents the case in this fascinating film, while also shining a light on Negativland's attitude towards their work, which mirrors his own approach to taking clips from other films and turning them into an entirely new piece of art. Baldwin also expands his focus beyond Negativland, talking to a number of artists working with copyrighted and "found" sounds, highlighting exactly how they are able to exploit the vagaries of the law. A great way to discover the work of some fearless musicians and filmmakers who may work on the margins, but aren't afraid to take on the might of the respective industries they work in, Baldwin's film is an important cultural document of a little-known phenomenon. [More]

Starring: Negativland

Starring: Negativland

Director: Craig Baldwin

Director: Craig Baldwin

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