Technological Mediation and Musical Creativity: Contemporary Chinese Music in Social Movements and Political Discourse

Abstract

This article examines how technological mediation reshapes musical creativity in contemporary China and its role in cultural identity, social movements, and political discourse under globalization and state regulation. Drawing on ethnomusicology, cultural studies, and political sociology, it analyzes how digital production, circulation, and performance negotiate tensions between tradition and innovation, expression and censorship, and local identity and global flows. Attention is given to Chinese hip-hop and artists such as Higher Brothers, whose multilingual styles exemplify mediated cultural revival and transnational exchange. The author argues that technologically mediated music becomes a space for indirect political expression and identity formation, alongside broader artistic interventions by figures like Ai Weiwei.