Pacific Standard March-April 2013 Cover

Triumph of the Cyborg Composer

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The office looks like the aftermath of a surrealistic earthquake, as if David Cope’s brain has spewed out decades of memories all over the carpet, the door, the walls, even the ceiling. Books and papers, music scores and magazines are all strewn about in ragged piles. A semi-functional Apple Power Mac 7500 (discontinued April 1, 1996) sits in the corner, its lemon-lime monitor buzzing. Drawings filled with concepts for a never-constructed musical-radio-space telescope dominate half of one wall. Russian dolls and an exercise bike, not to mention random pieces from homemade board games, peek ... Read More

Songs and Ads: Ten Infamous Examples

Related interview: Bethany Klein on pop music and Madison Avenue 1. In January 1984, during the sixth take of an ad that would become infamous, pop superstar Michael Jackson's hair caught fire when a fireworks display malfunctioned, showering him in sparks. Jackson was rushed to a hospital, where he was treated for second degree burns to his head. "He is in discomfort," his plastic surgeon told the press. "It will take a few weeks to determine the hair loss." The ad itself would be remembered for turning the hit song "Billie Jean" into a Pepsi pitch. Watch it here: 2. In 1987, Nike ... Read More