Postmodern cultural production is characterized by profound anachronism and the associated phenomenon of blending the past with the present. In the field of music in particular, the emergence of digital technologies has led to the establishment of a new temporal order, which, according to numerous pessimistic predictions (Fukuyama, 1992; Reynolds, 2011; Fisher, 2014; Lison, 2021) is said to bring about the disintegration of history and a decline in innovation in the present. Rock is considered particularly vulnerable to the reproduction of elements from its own past because its fascination with sonic authenticity in the production of new music leads it to continually draw upon the legacy of the genre’s pioneers. However, as Grossberg (1992) points out, rock must be understood beyond its musical framework and examined in the context of the broader social dynamics that influenced its formation. This master’s thesis thus examines
the production of retro elements in contemporary rock music. Based on a qualitative analysis of secondary journalistic interviews with three foreign musicians and music groups and an analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with three domestic musicians and bands, it explores 1.) the main characteristics and approaches to retro-production in the context of contemporary psychedelic, blues, and surf rock music; 2.) examples of the recycling of elements from the past; 3.) the social dynamics influencing retro-production, and 4.) the relationship between nostalgic reproduction and the cynical reconfiguration of retro elements in contemporary rock music.
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