Wolf, Juan EduardoOizumi, Holly2019-09-182019-09-182019-09-18https://hdl.handle.net/1794/24888This thesis investigates the branding strategies of DJ-producer Porter Robinson and his side-project Virtual Self. This project situates both brands within their generic, historical, and cultural contexts. After an introductory chapter that explains the structure and methodology of this project, Chapter II explores the Porter Robinson brand. I suggest that Robinson’s branding strategy reflects Mark Samples’ conception of the artist brand, pitting both him and his music against the commercial mainstream. Chapter III then considers Robinson’s shift to suggesting a different branding model under Virtual Self: interstitial branding. The interstitial branding model allows Robinson to maintain the subcultural capital accrued under this artist brand strategy while also interacting more closely with the EDM mainstream. This thesis contributes to the pre-existing scholarly discourse on music-branding by suggesting a continuum of commercial and anti-commercial appeals to consider what happens “in between,” expanding the possibilities for future studies on music-branding.en-USAll Rights Reserved.electronic dance musicmusic-brandingPorter RobinsonVirtual SelfElectronic Thesis or Dissertation