Matt Sainsbury

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Matt Sainsbury is a multidisciplinary journalist, critic and author. His work has appeared in The Australian, The Daily Review and The Shot, among many others. His website, DigitallyDownloaded.net, explores the role of video games as an art form and contextualises them in the broader world of the arts. His book, Game Art, was published by No Starch Press in 2017.

Articles

Less than human

Non-fictionWhat elevates Miku and makes her significant in our cultural landscape is her accessibility. Unlike traditional celebrities, who, even if they want to be accessible to their fans, only have so much time and can’t be perpetually available, Miku is software that anyone can buy and use. It only costs $200 and doesn’t require particularly advanced technical skills. Most of the people who produce Miku music are self-taught. One of the enduringly popular things about the concerts is that everything you see essentially comes from fans – the music, costuming and dance routines are all drawn from the expansive ‘Miku community’, where the lines between amateur and professional are deliberately blurred by everyone involved. You’re as likely to hear a song produced through a record label as you are one that was popularised by YouTube.

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