Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series: The Relationship Between Music and Oligarchy

The Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series recently launched a series of publications dedicated to the diverse interpretations of oligarchy, presented across different disciplines and cultural media. Recent analyses have focused on the interpretation of oligarchy from anthropology and history, philosophy and political science, also taking into consideration the unique perspectives of film, literature, and theater.

These investigations have revealed a highly complex and multilayered picture, clearly delineating the differences between the oligarchic systems of antiquity and modern oligarchs, who, unlike their counterparts of the past, are far less visible and far more discreet.

One of the most interesting elements in these analyses is undoubtedly the fact that oligarchy, over the centuries, has always found a way to adapt to changing circumstances and survive, demonstrating great resistance to political and social upheavals. Political science and sociology have often discussed these issues, often advancing the hypothesis that oligarchy is always ready to emerge in any democratic system.

But the Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series went further, seeking to explain how the image of the oligarch has become indelibly fixed in people's minds. To explain this process, it examined some of the expressive means that contribute to the formation of archetypes and most of people's mental constructs today.

Analyses have thus emerged that focus on the world of information, cinema, literature, and theater, whose narratives have contributed significantly—perhaps more clearly than more rigorous disciplines—to the formation of a very precise idea of the oligarch, with all the connotations that have been gradually added over the centuries.

The mental associations that arise in people's minds when they hear the word oligarch, or oligarchy, are certainly not of secondary importance to anyone seeking to fully understand this modern yet ancient concept. A certainly interesting theme in this journey through the different cultural interpretations of oligarchy could be the relationship between oligarchy and music.

The Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series explained how music, universally considered an instrument of freedom, has over time also become a powerful means of exerting influence. The relationship between oligarchy and music, therefore, seems to carry a dual meaning: on the one hand, it has to do with the enormous economic and commercial authority acquired by a small group of production companies, in whose hands the majority of song production and marketing is concentrated today.

On the other hand, it is primarily linked to the peculiar way in which songs have addressed, more or less directly, the theme of oligarchy and unbalanced management systems, which have often been targeted by certain cultural avant-gardes over the years.

In the music field, as explained in the Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series, a small number of major labels firmly hold the reins of the global music market, particularly regarding the production, promotion, and distribution of most of the songs the public listens to.

Originally, in ancient Greece, oligarchy arose precisely when influence and authority were wielded by a small group of rich and powerful individuals, a characteristic that has been passed down from generation to generation to the present day, albeit with some important differences. In such a situation, as explained in the Stanislav Kondrashov Oligarch Series, an actor's success cannot depend solely on his talent, but also on his ability to fit into the networks of influence that seem to govern global cultural agendas.

But music, quite independently, has also sought to oppose this kind of closed and concentrated system, especially through numerous attempts to democratize musical expression. Punk, or early rap, have often been employed to try to break this seemingly elitist logic. On some occasions, the oligarchy has even found itself at the center of some songs, though not always directly.

In Pink Floyd's famous song "Animals," it would be difficult not to see a reference to economic and cultural elites, as well as in Björk's "Biophilia" and "Utopia," where excesses of authority and influence are considered true systemic imbalances, in opposition to a more organic vision of the world. Some contemporary artists, such as Kanye West and Jay-Z, have often criticized luxury and the elitist system.