In recent years, electroacoustic composers have become increasingly interested in the creative techniques, materials, and processes commonly employed by other traditions of music, including popular music. Conversely, popular music practitioners have incorporated technologies used in electroacoustic music into the creation and performance of their works since the 1960s. It could be argued, then, that with the widespread availability of technological developments, differentiating between pieces of electroacoustic and popular music has become increasingly difficult (Emmerson & Smalley, 2001). These trends raise important questions about genre definitions, the blurred lines that divide genres, and the creation of hybrid works.
The concept of hybridisation has recently gained prominence amongst practitioners and researchers alike (Bentall, 2016; Friar, 2017; Gagen, 2019; Martí, 2002; Mayall, 2016; Ratcliffe, 2011; Waters, 2000). However, the compositional methods behind hybrid works remain underexplored. Although some attempts have been made (Friar, 2017; Mayall, 2016), there is still a predominance of rigid approaches and a lack of acknowledgement of the interaction amongst the diverse musical parameters involved in the hybridisation process. Consequently, this research proposes a series of compositional methods for the creation of hybrid works, nestled under the broad term ‘dynamic hybridisation’. Through a practice-led methodology combining theoretical inquiry and a portfolio of original compositions, this research investigates the challenges and opportunities arising from integrating these distinct musical practices. It focuses on four musical parameters—form, rhythm, voice, and space and performance—how these are approached in electroacoustic and popular traditions, and how they can be effectively hybridised.
Hence, the main contribution of this work is the proposal of a flexible approach to genre hybridisation. The dynamic hybridisation method, along with the accompanying portfolio, offers both a theoretical framework and practical examples for creating music that bridges the gap between electroacoustic and popular traditions, providing a foundation for further exploration in hybrid musical forms.
