Multivocality and the vocaloid fan canon

Rafal Zaborowski, "Multivocality and the vocaloid fan canon". 

Panel 9 – The agentivity of subjects listening to and producing sound 

In this paper I explore audience interactions and engagement with an emphasis on vocaloid idol fandom in Japan and the ways fans’ reflective media practices create new meanings and renegotiate old ones. Virtual performers, once considered a novelty, now firmly a well-established part of the global entertainment industry, have invited popular and professional debates on cultural value, corporality, and the future of music. Audiences and fans often remain overlooked in such discussions. To address this gap, I draw on empirical research conducted in Japan to navigate through the multifaceted landscape of vocaloid cultures. Theoretically, the paper confronts the concepts of canon and fanon (fan canon) from fandom studies with audience reception framework and theories of parasocial interaction – offering the concept of multivocality binding these threads together. Empirically, the paper stems from a decade of original research on listening in Japan, including surveys, textual analysis, interviews, and focus groups with Japanese audiences, producers, musicians and managers, but also field ethnography in music venues, at street performances, and during instances of everyday listening. Through my analysis of the data, I argue that the existence of canon and fan expectations shape the nature of social relationships formed between audiences and virtual artists, thereby opening (or closing) interpretive and creative opportunities for the audience to explore. I posit that fan interactions with virtual performers are multivocal: the lack of a dominant canonical voice combined with the virtuality of the artist and the possibility of participation in fanon aid media practices which foreground audiences’ voices and self-reflection. As technology continues to shape the boundaries between virtual and non-virtual entertainment, the paper emphasizes the importance of unravelling the complexities of multivocal virtual engagements for a comprehensive understanding of digital media audiences. 

Colloque "Le Japon sonore : modernité, constructions sociales, rapports de force / Japan and sound: modernity, social constructs and power relations" 14-16 novembre 2024, organisé par Jeremy Corral (UMRU 24140 D2IA, Université Bordeaux Montaigne) et par Chiharu Chûjô (EA 4186-IETT, Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3).

More informations: https://mshbordeaux.hypotheses.org/10930