A video interview from 2000 with the BBC’s Jeremy Paxman and David Bowie has emerged that includes Bowie accurately predicting how he thinks the internet will disrupt the relationship between music and society.
Bowie says, “I don’t think we’ve even seen the tip of the iceberg. I think the potential of what the Internet is going to do society – both good and bad – is unimaginable. I think we’re actually on the cusp of something exhilarating and terrifying.”
Bowie also talks about the demystification process between the audience and the artist and predicts that music will become a conveyor of information. He says that music is now more about the audience, that the artist. One needs only to look at the popularity of the television shows such as American Idol, The Voice, X Factor, so see he was right.
Later in the interview, Bowie refers to the internet’s impact on “content,” a term yet to become the buzzword for the media that it is today.
Paxman, looking perplexed asks, “It’s just a tool, though, isn’t it?”
Bowie replies,”No, it’s not. It’s an alien life form. Is there Life on Mars? Yes, it’s just landed here.”
Ironically, this video is now online, 16 years later – exactly as Bowie had predicted.
For the full interview see here:
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