The gangster chic of remix culture

Giles Bowkett ponders remix culture, and writes: There’s an interesting and somewhat alarming correlation between culture based on recycling other culture and organized crime. I don’t think there’s any particular mystery about why this is the case. It’s down to the unfortunate fact that corporations have decided to try and make artistic collage and appropriation into a form of illegal art. If you make music via extensive sampling, sooner or later you’re going to get sued, or at least seriously threatened with a lawsuit.