Mark Abel

Mark Abel is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Brighton. He is a Marxist musicologist specializing in the socio-historical and political dimensions of music, particularly focusing on rhythm and groove in 20th-century popular music. His 2014 book Groove: An Aesthetic of Measured Time is a seminal work in this field. Abel holds a PhD from the University of Brighton (2011) and has taught music, global politics, and international relations, emphasizing critiques of corporate globalization and neoliberalism.

Education:

• Bachelor’s in Music, Oxford University
• Jazz Studies, Guildhall School of Music
• MA in Cultural and Critical Theory, University of Brighton
• PhD in Historical Materialist Musicology, University of Brighton (2011)

Research Interests: Abel’s work bridges Marxist theory and musicology, exploring themes like the political implications of musical rhythm, Adorno’s aesthetics, and the relationship between music and social structures. Recent projects include studies on Russian music in the 1920s and the dialectics of improvisation in jazz.

Advising & Teaching: Supervises research on music aesthetics/politics and contemporary world order critiques. Teaches history, global politics, and music education with a focus on jazz and popular music.

Professional Activities:

• Keynote speaker at international conferences (e.g., Université de Lille, 2019)
• Contributions to journals like Historical Materialism and Radical Philosophy
• Radio appearances and public lectures on music and Marxism