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holyprincenerd · 2 years ago

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A Few Thoughts Regarding Why the ESC Jury is SO Dysfunctional

I’m going to cut right to the chase: The judgement criteria for the jury make literally no sense once you stop and think about them. They quite literally cause trolley problem after trolley problem. As a reminder, these are the criteria the jury was supposed to use to judge the performances this year:

composition and originality of the song,

quality of the performance on stage,

vocal capacity of the performer(s),

overall impression of the act.

Let’s start simple - vocal capacity of the performer(s):

As everyone’s aware, this year, we had many talented vocalists participating in the competition: A few examples are Sweden, Norway, France, Cyprus, Spain, Estonia, Albania and Portugal. They all came swinging with their vocalists. Notice something funny about this list of countries?

It’s based entirely upon the assumption that the ability to belt or the usage of one’s head voice is what defines someone’s vocal capacity. Here’s why this is a problem: Assuming that belting as an example is the peak performance of singing means to ignore other, arguably harder and more demanding techniques that are more unconventional sounding to the mainstream ear. A hilariously good example of this would be growling. It require a lot, and I mean a lot of technical prowess and control over your voice, and is thus arguably harder than say belting, as an example. Seriously. Try to growl. Right now. I bet most of you have noticed that you literally can’t growl without sounding hilariously pathetic. If you did manage to let out a decent growl, now try to sing while growling. Pick any song you like, and go for it. Pretty hard, right? And guess what! We had someone doing that this year, and being phenomenal at it.

Too bad they came last in the competition.

That’s right, if we’re going to start judging vocal abilities here, arguably the most vocally capable singer was Chris Harms. There are multiple parts in Blood and Glitter where he uses the growling technique. Not only that, but du-du-dum! He also belts during the song, and does so wonderfully. So, based on this, clearly, he was the most vocally talented artist out of the bunch, right? (Obviously, I am 100% simplifying things here, but bear with me for a bit.) He does everything that the previously mentioned group did, and more. Arguably we could also say that alongside him Alessandra is carrying the torch of the most vocally capable performer, as she does have that one whistle tone in her song (if you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, don’t worry, we’ll get to that later).

However, this gets even more complicated than singing techniques, how hard they are to master, and how many of them you use in your song.

You see, we can’t really judge someone’s vocal capacity and compare them with the other contestants, when many of these artists were performing songs in different genres. Here are some of the genres represented during the Eurovision finale of 2023:

Metal

Industrial metal

Progressive metal

Rock

Alternative rock

Progressive rock

Pop rock

Pop

Dance-pop

House-pop

Latin-pop

Hyperpop

Chanson

Flamenco

Disco-house

Electronic

R&B

Rap

Schlager

Tractor (lol)

With this many genres, different singing techniques are more appropriate for some songs than others. So this is no longer even a question about comparing each contestant’s vocal abilities with one another (which is a problem, since you know, this is a competition), but rather who performs well within their own genre. Suddenly, we can add almost every contestant to the list of competent vocal performances. For those of you who are wondering, yes, even Käärijä came through with his vocal performance, especially in the first half of the song.

While we’re on the topic of Käärijä (and we won’t leave him for a bit), how are the juries supposed to judge the vocals of rap performances that are more heavily reliant on the enunciation of words than the vocals themselves, if the song’s not in English? Part of the reason Cha Cha Cha works so well is because of the way Käärijä raps certain lines or even words. How is any other jury, except the Finnish one, (who’re not allowed to vote for him,) supposed to catch something like how good the ”Ja mä jatkan kunnes en enää pysy tuolissa niinku” part sounds to a Finnish ear? Specifically the words kunnes, en and enää, are doing a lot of heavy lifting in that one singular line due to the rhythm and enunciation. Can a jury member who doesn’t understand Finnish catch onto the way he allows the first two words to almost melt into each other while pronouncing the last word ridiculously fast to create a very specific rhythm? I’m sure some jury members would notice that, but it’s just as likely to go completely unnoticed unless you’re familiar with the language.

Next, composition and originality of the song:

Again, we have a clear victor here: Cha Cha Cha is by far the most ”original” out of these songs (despite the Electric Cowboy plagiarism accusations, and it’s all thanks to the fact that the song does a genre based one-eighty by the end). I mean, hello? Blending industrial metal, rap, hyperpop and Finnish schlager? This is such a strange combination of genres, it becomes its own entity. And somehow it works. Personally, I’d say this is at least in part due to the melodic hook that repeats literally throughout the song. Those beeps and boops you hear after the first line of the song? They keep repeating themselves, in the chorus in the ”Cha, cha cha, cha cha cha cha” portion, and in the schlager part of the song, though there, the melody is cut in half and only the last three keys are present in the ”Niinku cha cha cha” parts and in the lines that end with an ”aa-aa-haa.” (So, ”Niinku cha cha cha, enkä pelkääkään tätä maailmaa-aa-haa” etc.) Obviously, we get to hear the melody in its entirety once again in the final cha chas. Brilliant! Douze point. Sometimes less is more, and I can’t believe I am saying that about fucking Cha Cha Cha but here we are. Simplicity is king.

Now, on the other hand, we could say that most of the pop entries are not original in the slightest. We could argue that there is literally nothing original about repeating the same pop formula and the same chord progressions which can be found in most pop songs. This is why Tattoo, Solo, Unicorn, I Wrote a Song, Break a Broken Heart, etc, are getting compared to other pop songs and accused of plagiarism: Pop music just is that generic in its building blocks. It’s also why we could argue that they’re not particularly noteworthy in their compositions.

And while we’re still on the topic of originality, songs that are tied to a specific genre are practically screwed. No one’s going to reinvent genres like cha-cha-chá, waltz or mambo here, unless they step away from what identifies these genres, the rhythm. If the rhythm isn’t there, it’s not a cha-cha-chá, waltz or mambo song. You wanna blend salsa and reggaeton? Too bad, salsaton is already a thing! Should everyone start doing what Käärijä and his team did, and mix a minimum of four genres with a somewhat unusual structure in order to be ”original”? What even is originality in the context of composition, really? There are only so many chords and chord progressions to use, there’s practically no way to actually be original, which is also why the topic of plagiarism is so fucking complicated when it comes to music in specific.

Anyway, let’s move on to the quality of the performance on stage:

To avoid making a lengthy repetition of the previous point, let’s keep this short: Depending on the genre of the song, a certain type of performance is going to be more appropriate than another. Imagine Alika having a performance like Let 3, or Teya and Salena performing like La Zarra. What’s that? It’s the taste of good ol’ thematic and tonal dissonance. Each song is elevated by a performance that matches that song in specific, and the artists can either perform well or fuck up. Again, this becomes a trolley problem, where the juries have to ask themselves: ”Do we value a performance like Joker Out’s above a performance like Luke Black’s?” When both perform well, it’s hard to compare them because they’re playing in two completely different ballparks.

Finally, the overall impression of the act:

Literally what the fuck does that even mean? This is actually just a preference question. Unless someone fucks up tremendously, everyone should be getting points for this. And that’s the core issue here. Because we’re dealing with such a large variety of different artists, different genres, different languages, it becomes impossible to judge them fairly against each other. Do we value belting above growling? Trolley problem. Do we value pop above metal or rock? Trolley problem. You get the point.

”Okay, but obviously the juries are basing their votes upon objectivity and looking at the whole package,” someone might say, and if they do, they’ve missed the point: There is no objectivity here, and because of that, there is no comparing whole packages either. Literally the only way to be objective about this is if everyone has an identical performance; same song, same staging, same camerawork, same choreography. And that’s not the point of the ESC. We’re supposed to be celebrating our individual cultures and our differences. Variety is quite literally required for this contest to work the way it’s intended to. At the end of the day, music is art, and art can be many things. You can’t argue that EAEA is more artistic than Mama ŚČ! (or vice versa) without opening a philosophical can of worms that is way too big for this silly competition. You can’t say Tattoo is objectively better than Cha Cha Cha (or vice versa), because, again, the songs shine in different criteria and are playing in two completely different ballparks. As a matter of fact, their ballparks exist on completely different planets. There are too many variables at play here for anyone to logically be able to be objective. And that’s when this becomes a question of voting based on opinion and personal taste (you know, if the concept of jury darlings hasn’t made this obvious enough). And personal taste is what the audience is supposed to base their votes upon.

Oh, and before I forget to touch upon that, Alessandra: According to some tabloids, her vocals were struggling during the jury show, and that’s why she in specific didn’t receive as many points from the jury as she probably should and could have otherwise. And that’s ridiculously unfair. Why should the jury and the audience base their judgements of an act on two completely different performances? As Käärijä has said in many interviews, each performance is unique and its own entity. Shit happens. Sometimes your vocals are struggling, other times a wire tries to murder you, etcetera. It’s actually bizarre that we don’t give our votes based on the same performance.

So yeah, shitty system, does not work, 0/10. Zéro point in French.

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thebiasrekkers · 5 years ago

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No Words - Interlude

Pairing: Taehyung x OC

Type: Interlude [Flashback]

Genre: Idol, Poly, Interracial, Tall Female, Smut, Angst, Fluff [if you squint]

Warning: None.

A/N - Felt the need to roll back before moving forward. So, you’ll get two releases this weekend! This is the first two of 5, Thank you for reading this mess of a story!

Words: 3712

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2 Years Ago.

Lucky.

You couldn’t have asked for a situation to be luckier. Her heartbeat could have doubled as a production drum track. One of her classmates, another girl from the inner city, looked bored as they sat in the auditorium. They both wanted to make music, good music - exciting music. They wanted to be at the forefront of technology and techniques for producing. They wanted the keys to the kingdom of hit songs.

The college decided that they could only get that experience - by working with the best of the best. They had invited a range of performers to come and discuss their methodology. Each had a formula that worked for them. Each performer had a story to connect to their songs. It wasn’t about the number one hit, it was about making honest music. About being true to themselves in the best way they can. Especially in an industry, and a country, that didn’t always accept differences.

Japanese animation spurred her love for J-Rock and J-Pop. X-Japan dragged her into the world, Dir en Grey kept her attention. She was in love with Visual Kei. Old rock, alternative rock, a smidge of country, and anything with a beat that caused her to lean her head toward it. She was an audiophile, plain, and simple.

Lead by a thin thread of melody until she had to devour the whole discography of an artist. She wanted to know all the ins and outs of the industry. Granted, there were other worthwhile fields to explore, so she was told. There was almost an expectation of finding easy money in business or even medical fields. She wrote poetry and song lyrics as long as she could remember. Music had been apart of the highs and lows of her life. She could associate a song for every pivotal moment of her life. The playlist spanned generations and the globe. It started when someone introduced her to Super Junior. Then it spiraled into 2NE1, Shinhwa, and the list went on and on.

She was so thankful her family didn’t try to limit her. Her parents expected her to be open-minded to the world around her. It was something instilled in her upbringing. That open-minded was the bane of her existence during her high school years, unfortunately. In a place where anything different made you strange or weird. She didn’t care for the urban selections that most of her friends were into.

There were times when her father put on his old school albums that she felt a connection. She wanted the story of music. She wanted the lyrics to strike her heart. That’s what she wanted in her music. She tried to write music, make music like that. All the artists she admired took chances, grew, and came back with something new.

And now?

She was sitting in an auditorium waiting for the most significant thing in music to come speak to their group.

She had a plethora of questions, worries, and fears. Everyone on the planet had heard about BTS at this point. There were a few of them who had managed to jump on the train early. Especially finding that they were working with legends in the rap community. Some watched expecting a spectacle - and to a degree? It was a spectacle.

Some wanted to see the thinking process of pinnacles of music that filled many a block party or high school dance. Let’s not forget backyard BBQs and family gatherings. Songs that whether you cared for the genre or not? Still managed to cause your body to move.

An elbow dug into her side as her friend stared wide-eyed at the line of men entering the auditorium. They were all seated semi-circle on the stage. BTS stood in front as the students clapped.

The boys had soft, quiet, smiles waving as RM straightened with a smooth phrase. It was almost military in precision as they saluted, bowed, and introduced themselves. They each took a moment to say hello in English at that. She tilted her head as they spoke.

It’s always a treat to hear a singer’s speaking voice. Some sharply contrasted their sounds. Others were no different from one to the other. She enjoyed the vocal textures, rich, or light tones as they spoke. Her friend saw her grinning like an idiot as her eyes rolled.

“Girl, get yourself together!” Tasha finally whispered to her. There was a thick swallow as she realized what she’d been doing. The boys were provided seats and microphones. They were treated to an acoustic version of one of their songs. To see the look of shock on the other student’s faces was an absolute treat.

She could only smile as time seemed to zip by. Filled with questions and curiosities. She asked all the questions she could. Always sure to ask for clarification, examples, and advice. RM was ready with a smooth, dimpled smile as he translated.

They all had solos under their belts at this time. So it was interesting to hear their thought processes. They all had one thing in common, though. The need to tell a story and convey emotion. To make sure that those who heard their music heard a message. It had been the most successful tactic thus far.

“So that ends our time. Everyone lets give BTS a round of applause!” The professor stood, the students followed. The boys bowed again and joined in the applause. They all gathered to shake hands, thanking them for taking time out of their grueling schedule.

RM raises his hands, spreading them wide. “Thank you for your time! We’ll see you tonight!” Everyone stared blankly at him, then their professor, who smiled widely. “Oh, I forgot to mention. We have permission to go backstage and watch operations for a tour.” To say that the sound that rose from the sudden silence was almost choral? It echoed off the walls as hands shook vigorously, shoulders were clapped - and the excitement caused tears.

“Alright, let’s get a picture!” The professor tried to get them all to find a spot. She managed to shake hands with most of the boys. Before she got a chance to shake Taehyung’s hand, they were being herded for a photo. She wound up, almost stepping on his foot as she tried to find a comfortable position. She wanted to shrink into nothingness. There was a bit of jostling before they used the bleachers to get them higher. She remembered one of the first words of Korean she’d learned. An apologetic smile as she mumbled an apology. Tae gave that infamous boxy smile with a wave of his hand. Tasha pulled her close as they sat on the bleachers smiling as the picture was taken. “Alright, you guys, meet back here in an hour - we’ll get shuttled to the stadium. Make sure you have your IDs..” The professor went on about etiquette, decorum, and rules. Nobody was listening - there was too much of a buzz about the show. They dispersed, waving the band members off. She bit into the bottom of her lip as they disappeared.

“Oh. My. God!” Tasha grabbed her and spun around. They laughed as she eyed her friend.

“Wait a minute, you were unimpressed just about an hour ago.” Tasha’s brow shot up with a devious grin.

“Girl, we get to go behind the scenes of the hottest tour yet! I may not understand anything - but I’m happy for the opportunity.” Tasha laughed as she tapped the base of a high ponytail. She pursed her lips, swinging its length. “Honey, that RM, though?” Ah, how many times had she heard that?

“Come on, I have to make sure you don’t embarrass me,” Tasha smirked, yanking her by the arm.

“W-what? That’s mean, Tasha!” She frowned slightly as the other woman rolled her eyes.

“It’s the truth.” She quipped as they hurried across the campus to her dorm.

“We’re going backstage, there’s nothing to dress for.” She kept the frown on her face Tasha bouldered into her apartment and pulled her in.

“Hush! Shower, now!” Tasha was taking no excuses as she pointed to the bathroom.

She grunted, rolling her eyes trudging to the bathroom.

Tasha respected her need to stay ‘practical’ about everything. She preferred oversized shirts, nearly formless skirts, and pants. Her friend wasn’t about that tonight. Tasha stuck her in a pair of jeans, a button-down shirt slightly tucked. She wore a pair of ankle boots accented with a silver chain. And by the time Tasha finished with her makeup? She hardly recognized herself.

“T-Tasha, I think you went a little overboard?” Her friend had just finished her own face. The subtle smokey eye with lower-liner really made her eyes pop! Tasha smirked as she grabbed their bags and pushed her out of the door.

“You’re not used to wearing makeup. Of course, you’d think it was too much.” The other woman rolled her eyes as they sprinted back to the meetup spot with minutes to spare. They all clambered on the shuttle.

All of a sudden, they were there. This was real.

They were walked through the various crew hiding spots. The makeshift dressing spaces underneath the stage. Everything was centrally located for the ease of the members. The head PD was showing the group the setups, the chasers, and they finally arrived in ‘Monitor World.’ The place that was basically production HQ.

Some took notes, some lingered in the back looking around. Not her, no. She wanted to know what buttons did what. She wanted to know how they were sure that the upper-level fans could hear appropriately.

There were a few people with her curious about various other things. They could hear the crowd until they queued the chase pattern for the opening song. The boys rose from a floor lift. The group went wild as they started in on Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Walkie talkies were going off left and right. Every time something could possibly go wrong? It was pointed out, corrected, and communicated. It was a tight run ship. They moved along to the area under the stage, just as the boys were lowered for a set and costume change.

They were breathing heavy, sweating, and peeling their costumes off. There were people on the sides taking them, ushering them into the makeshift spaces. The students stayed back out of the way. The transition was so fast the students couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed. They made it back to the control hub.

As if to make sure they were paying attention? The Head PD asked them to point out what they remembered. Tasha nudged her with a thumbs up. You got this, she mouthed. Everyone shifted on their feet as they fought to not being first.

She straightened her posture as she stepped forward. “I’d like to give it a try.” The Head PD double-blinked as stood next to him. Ah, it was probably her height. She offered a gentle smile and nod, “If that’s ok?”

“Please do. The routine is the same as before.” He smiled with his walkie talkie in hand. She took a deep breath, stepping closer to the operators at the panel. A headset sat on her head as the plethora of voices filled her ear.

The Head PD let them know that a student was making the calls, but he was overseeing. Two more students joined the panel board, the techs looking over their shoulders and pointing out controls.

She counted them down for each new element.

The lights went dark as the chase pattern activated. They could do this - she could do this.

45 very long minutes later?

“Holy fuck, you did it?!” Tasha grabbed her in a frantic hug. “Y-you really fucking did it! I was scared shitless, man!” Her mind was still hazy over what just occurred. Tasha looped their arms together as the concert sailed to a close. They stood in the back eyes trained to the fireworks display above them.

“I thought I was going to vomit.” She admitted quietly. Tasha moved rainbow-colored braids from her face.

“You should be proud of yourself.” They shared a smile as the professor rounded them up again. They followed the road crew as the stage was broken down. The last fans had long gone, and they were all alone again. The trucks, vans, and equipment checked and secured. She had followed the equipment with a few other students. They watched the breakdown and helped to carry pieces to be stored. There were, of course, a few quips of concern as she hauled a miniature subwoofer to the van.

She politely reinforced her ability to contribute and promptly turned with the item in hand. She rolled up her sleeves, forearms contracting as she moved along the corridor. Ah, why did she let Tasha try to doll her up? The familiar burn in her muscles ebbed away as she handed the equipment to the technical director. She was at home when she could tomboy her way through situations.

She offered a bow turning to make her way back to the main group. A moment too long of watching everything around her left her in an area she didn’t recognize. A frown as she spun in a circle taking the next left turn under the created passageways - and she slammed into something.

“Ah!” A voice, male exclaimed as she staggered backward.

She stumbled, and that someone, thankfully, pulled her arm hard to keep her from landing on her rump. She sucked in a breath as her gaze lifted. “Shit! I’m sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was-” A grunt rumbled through the air as her eyes went wide. “Oh.”

Kim Taehyung was plucking the final buttons from his shirt. His gaze lowered to the floor as he fought off exhaustion. They had to get changed to meet up on the stage again. It took him a little longer to get the cramps out of his legs. He barely made out a shadow before his body collided with it.

He saw her bounce from foot to foot before he pulled her arm. He heard the remorse in her voice as she rambled. His brow furrowed as she spoke too quick for him to pick out words. He still had his fingers wrapped around her forearm as she looked up at him.

She smelled … magnificent. His lashes lowered, nostrils flaring, on an inhale. She watched the perfect heart shape of his mouth part softly. She lowered her gaze to the expanse of flesh in her face. He was one button away from a cheesy romance novel cover.

They stood in silence, trading body heat before she glanced at the long fingers burning into her skin. Their gazes locked again, “You should be more careful.” He rumbled softly. Her lip caught between her teeth as she nodded rapidly.

“R-right. I’m sorry. Thank you.” She coughed softly, stepping away from him. His fingers still lingered until they loosened. Her eyes were wide as she turned on her heel, trying to get back out to the main walkway without that hint of desperation in her steps.

Tasha came rounding the corner at that very moment. “Hey! They’re waiting on us on stage for a final picture. Come on! I’m not missing this because of you.” Her friend yanked her along with a stupid grin on her face.

“Tae, Hyung, come on!” Jeongguk showed up as Tae went in the opposite direction. The maknae let him in their makeshift space. He helped Tae peel out of a sweaty costume. “I can’t wait to get some food and a beer.” Tae shrugged on a turtle neck, an oversized sweatshirt, and black slacks.

“That makes two of us.” The visual croaked tiredly. “Come on, then.” Jeongguk gave that bunny-like smile as he dragged Tae toward the stage. Tae sulked, “What are you doing?”

Jeongguk’s brow shot up as they walked into the wings. “We have to take a picture with the class from earlier!” Tae rolled his eyes as he was dragged out. They made it in time for Namjoon to address everyone.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet you all. Good luck in the future. Please wish us well - and maybe? We’ll see you backstage with us someday!” There was a round of applause as everybody tried to find a spot to fit in the picture. Tasha winked as she made her way over to squeeze near Namjoon.

The betrayal of it all! She laughed as Tasha found a sweet spot to brag about later. She, on the other hand, wanted to just kneel down the front. The professor frowned with a wave of her hand, “Come on, you know you’re too tall up here! Stand back there.” There was a grimace on her face as she moved to the back. They were staged in layers again.

“Everybody in!” She felt jostled as arms pulled against her shoulders. Before she had a moment to register anything? Jeongguk squeezed on one side of her, his arm around Taehyung, who squeezed on the other.

Students, Staff, and Band were connected in the joy of a show well done. The camera flashed, and she smiled on autopilot. A few flashes, more applause, and she was quick to escape the trap she found herself in.

Jeongguk had caught a whiff of something pleasant, tilting his head curiously at the tall female. Both he and Tae seemed to find each other’s gaze as they flitted looks at the woman between them.

She turned to shake their hands with a quiet thank you. Both of them seemed to take TOO LONG to let her hand go. She beat feet in Tasha’s direction as soon as she could. Tasha had this dreamy look on her face after speaking to Namjoon for a few minutes.

“Is this what heaven is like?” Tasha’s eyes were glassy and hooded. You’d think the girl finished smoking an exquisite bouquet of the studded sticks.

“It could be, Tash. It could be.” She smiled, turning to look at the empty stadium. The students have all huddled together once again. The professor was talking with the TDs and PDs, even Namjoon was there. There was a look of stern concentration on various faces. A cellphone in the middle of the group seemed to be the main focus.

The chill in the air didn’t phase them as they spoke of their experience. They lamented their mistakes. They reveled in techniques to apply later. They were buzzing with excitement and a renewed appreciation for following their current educational path.

“Ok, everyone, listen up!” Their professor walked back over with a massive smile on her face. Tasha was rambling with her arms wrapped around her frame. She could see the heat of breath wavering in the air. The professor’s excitement was palpable with a gesture back to the team behind her. Suddenly, she could feel her heart thundering against her rib cage. Maybe the others could hear it too? They all got quiet.

They were all staring at each other, then at her. Her mouth was half-open as white noise filled her head. Her brow furrowed deeply as others around her wore looks of shock and disbelief. Then there was more applause.

Tasha grabbed her, jumping up and down, her voice pitched to shrieking. She felt her body shake as she turned the dazed look to her friend.

W-wait, what?

Tasha cupped her face and looked ready to cry. She blinked down into her friend’s face, prepared to be violently sick.

She turned back to the professor, catching the end of her statement as her hearing filtered back in.

“…you passed…” Her eyes went wide. “…intense work-study opportunity…” She was surely going to be sick. “…traveling with the tour…” More applause. “You’ll still need to complete courses, you’ll be provided with online links.” She staggered into Tasha, who laughed even louder.

“We wanted to see how this first run would work, and you surpassed all expectations. Congratulations, you’ll set the tone for the future students of the program.”

You blinked back tears as you engulfed Tasha in a hug. Not only were you all going to be able to get the first-hand experience? You’ll get it with BTS. It all made sense as to why they required a passport as an admission qualification. The professor stepped away to join the technical team while you all rejoiced. Namjoon and the rest of BTS gathered to shake your hands, and offer their congratulations.

Comments expecting good things ahead were traded. She was happy. This was unbelievable - a stroke of luck.

Tasha managed to steal a hug from Namjoon, crying almost harder when she turned around. A firm hand landed on her own, leaving her with a beaming Jeongguk. A half bow, a smile, a nod of thanks as he lingered. Taehyung all but moved the maknae aside to get her hand in his again.

He had that arrogant tilt to his head. The tip of his tongue caught between his teeth as he lifted her hand. The light caught the dark chocolate of his gaze as he let his breath ghost across her knuckles.

He eased up, flashing a boxy smile before grabbing Tasha, doing the same. She shook off the strangeness of it all, turning to her friend with open arms.

“We did it!”

Their arms looped as they finally made their way off stage. The shuttle was waiting to get them to a small celebration. She still couldn’t help looking over her shoulder. For just a moment, she felt something staring a hole into her shoulder from the shadows.

Her brow furrowed as Tasha pulled her attention forward.

…just missing the two silhouettes lingering in the wings.

#bangtanarmynet #smutcentralnet #bts imagine #v imagine #taehyung smut #double trouble #in the beginning #v smut #taehyung x female

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darknytemare · 5 years ago

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No Words -Interlude-

[A/N - felt the need to roll back before moving forward. So, you’ll get two releases this weekend! This is the first of two, maybe 3? Then we’ll get back to the present next week! Thank you for reading this mess of a story!]

BTS - V Imagine - Tall Girl - Interracial - Interlude [Flashback]

2 Years Ago.

Lucky.

You couldn’t have asked for a situation to be luckier. Her heartbeat could have doubled as a production drum track. One of her classmates, another girl from the inner city, looked bored as they sat in the auditorium. They both wanted to make music, good music - interesting music. They wanted to be at the forefront of technology and techniques for producing. They wanted the keys to the kingdom of hit songs.

She had been listening to various music styles, genres, and languages from a young age. It started in Jr. High, taking Spanish in 7th grade. She followed that throughout her High School time. She’s not embarrassed to say that Ricky Martin was apart of her foray into the Latin sounds. She listened to older songs, love songs, the music, and the story enthralled her. Japanese animation spurred her love for J-Rock and J-Pop. X-Japan dragged her into the world, Dir en Grey kept her attention. She was in love with Visual Kei. Old rock, alternative rock, a smidge of country, and anything with a beat that caused her to lean her head toward it. She was an audiophile, plain, and simple.

And now?

She was sitting in an auditorium waiting for the most significant thing in music to come speak to their group.

An elbow dug into her side as her friend stared wide-eyed at the line of men entering the auditorium. They were all seated semi-circle on the stage. BTS stood in front as the students clapped.

The boys had soft, quiet, smiles waving as RM straightened with a soft phrase. It was almost military in precision as they saluted, bowed, and introduced themselves. They each took a moment to say hello in English at that. She tilted her head as they spoke.

“Oh. My. God!” Tasha grabbed her and spun around. They laughed as she eyed her friend.

“Wait a minute, you were unimpressed just about an hour ago.” Tasha’s brow shot up with a devious grin.

“Come on, I have to make sure you don’t embarrass me,” Tasha smirked, yanking her by the arm.

“W-what? That’s mean, Tasha!” She frowned slightly as the other woman rolled her eyes.

“It’s the truth.” She quipped as they hurried across the campus to her dorm.

“We’re going backstage, there’s nothing to dress for.” She kept the frown on her face Tasha bouldered into her apartment and pulled her in.

“Hush! Shower, now!” Tasha was taking no excuses as she pointed to the bathroom.

She grunted, rolling her eyes trudging to the bathroom.

All of a sudden, they were there. This was real.

The Head PD let them know that a student was making the calls, but he was overseeing. Two more students joined the panel board, the techs looking over their shoulders and pointing out controls.

She counted them down for each new element.

The lights went dark as the chase pattern activated. They could do this - she could do this.

45 very long minutes later?

“I thought I was going to vomit.” She admitted quietly. Tasha moved rainbow-colored braids from her face.

“Ah!” A voice, male exclaimed as she staggered backward.

She smelled ... magnificent. His lashes lowered, nostrils flaring, on an inhale. She watched the perfect heart shape of his mouth part softly. She lowered her gaze to the expanse of flesh in her face. He was one button away from a cheesy romance novel cover.

“That makes two of us.” The visual croaked tiredly. “Come on, then.” Jeongguk gave that bunny-like smile as he dragged Tae toward the stage. Tae sulked, “What are you doing?”

Students, Staff, and Band, were connected in the joy of a show well done. The camera flashed, and she smiled on autopilot. A few flashes, more applause, and she was quick to escape the trap she found herself in.

Jeongguk had caught a whiff of something pleasant, tilting his head curiously at the tall female. Both he and Tae seemed to find each other’s gaze as they flitted looks at the woman between them.

“Is this what heaven is like?” Tasha’s eyes were glassy and hooded. You’d think the girl finished smoking an exquisite bouquet of thc studded sticks.

Tasha grabbed her, jumping up and down, her voice pitched to shrieking. She felt her body shake as she turned the dazed look to her friend.

W-wait, what?

Tasha cupped her face and looked ready to cry. She blinked down into her friend’s face, prepared to be violently sick.

She turned back to the professor, catching the end of her statement as her hearing filtered back in.

“...you passed…” Her eyes went wide. “...intense work-study opportunity…” She was surely going to be sick. “...traveling with the tour…” More applause. “You’ll still need to complete courses, you'll be provided with online links.” She staggered into Tasha, who laughed even louder.

“We wanted to see how this first run would work, and you surpassed all expectations. Congratulations, you’ll set the tone for the future students of the program.”

Comments expecting good things ahead were traded. She was happy. This was unbelievable - a stroke of luck.

He eased up, flashing a boxy smile before grabbing Tasha, doing the same. She shook off the strangeness of it all, turning to her friend with open arms.

“We did it!”

Her brow furrowed as Tasha pulled her attention forward.

...just missing the two silhouettes lingering in the wings.

#bts imagines #bts smut #taehyung smut #taehyung imagine #double trouble #gotta start somewhere #taehyung x female #in the beginning #i guess jungkook too #maknae better go sit down somewhere

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callumjones345096-blog · 5 years ago

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Development Blog:

This blog contains my entries I wrote down in Pages along the 6 weeks of planning and performing this project, I hope you enjoy the process!

Week 1: Concept/History

For this week, I am looking into inspiration and history behind my project, so that when I get to the construction and development of my sonic performance, I will be comfortable with the elements & effects I will use.

“Music in this genre consists predominantly of instrumental remixes of existing recordings and is achieved by significantly manipulating and reshaping the recordings, usually by removing the vocals from an existing music piece, emphasizing the drum and bass parts (this stripped down track is sometimes referred to as a ‘riddim’)”. (https://www.dubwisefestival.com/history-of-dub/)

https://wordsbywatts.com.au/2017/07/24/musicology-the-history-of-dub-mixing-techniques-part-1/ : This article by user ‘BIGGALEXWATTS’ talks about the techniques behind a standard Dub Mix, which is very useful for me as it gives me multiple elements to work on when preparing my dub mix.

The idea for my project is that I plan on creating a dub mix/remix of one of my own songs, however without using the expensive equipment that I can’t reach out towards during this time. To turn this project into a performance, I want to take inspiration from the techniques used in a standard dub mix and implement the techniques to a MIDI Controller. This could benefit my live performance skills in the future if I wanted to go down that path.

Week 2: MIDI

For this week, I am going to look at the controller I will be using to perform my dub mix on. Unfortunately due to lockdown, I cannot use equipment that I would have wanted, however this gives me a better challenge to create something with limitations. I will be using the Akai MPK Mini controller, which includes 8 pads and 8 knobs as you can see below:

If I was going to do a standard dub mix, I would have a control for volumes of tracks, an FX knob for reverb and an FX Knob for Delays & maybe one for delay time/speed. However I will have to be clever with how I approach this with the limitations I have with this controller.

I am going to use the bottom row of drum pads as my reverbs on 4 bus tracks, which means that how hard I press the pad will determine how much reverb gets put into the mix, this will also be the same for the delay mix on the top row of drum pads. The bottom row will be used for volume amount and then the top row for the delay time/speed of the 4 tracks.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Roh_J2EsQ): I like this performance here uploaded on Youtube by Steppas Records. In this video, the performer is using Ableton as his chosen DAW to put FX into, then using an Akai Midi Mix as his chosen controller to perform the mix on. I won’t be able to copy this performance because I use Logic Pro X as my DAW and have the Akai MPK Midi, however I will be able to take inspiration with some of the techniques used here in this performance.

Week 3: Track Development

I want to approach the track to where I’m constantly thinking about my 4 tracks I want to modulate for my performance, the Bass, Drums, Synths & any other SFX. The track is a smooth Dubstep tune that is dominated by the bass and softened out by its synths. When I get to perform this, I want to modulate the drums and Synths with some cool delays and reverbs to get that dub mix style. I will probably leave out my kick in the fx chain so it doesn’t disrupt the rest of the mix.

Week 4: Preparation

Now that I am happy with how the track sounds without the dub mix, as if it was a standard tune, I am ready to start preparation with my mix. I am going roughly mix down my track first so I don’t clip anything during my performance, which then I can tweak after the performance for viewing. My 4 chosen buses that I will automate will now be made and the tracks will be sent over to its appropriate bus.

For the delays, I will be using the Stock Tape Delay Plug-In that’s available on Logic Pro X. The reason behind this is because I am most comfortable with understanding how this plug-in affects a signal because of the amount of times I have used it in previous works. The reverbs I will be using the Convology XT plug-in by Impulse Record (https://impulserecord.com/convology-xt/) as it contains some really nice spring reverbs that would be suitable for this style dub mix.

I am also going to hook the FX up to its appropriate MIDI Control so that its all ready for Week 5 and 6 when the track is ready to be performed.

Week 5&6: Practice & Record

Now I am all set up and ready to practice my composition, this would be a great time to start finding certain points where I want to use my delays and reverbs, so that I am comfortable with the whole performance and that It would be consistent if I was in a situation where this would be performed in front of a crowd. I noticed that there were some elements that made the track too muddy and overkill when the FX were added on top so along the way I took out those tracks in the FX chain and left them as they were

Once I am all comfortable with the track and performing it several times. I am now ready to record the dub mix. The track will then be recorded by Quicktime Player, with assistance from Loopback Player to capture the sounds coming from my DAW. This may take multiple attempts, then I can look back on the certain mixes and see which track I like most.

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doomedandstoned · 5 years ago

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Berlin’s REDSCALE Brave the Colosseum in ‘Feed Them To The Lions’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

Album Cover by Sepsyz Art

It's unclear whether REDSCALE takes its name from the lo-fi photographic technique of exposing film from the "wrong side" or if the California Redscale, an armored insect that has a particular weakness for oranges, is the inspiration. The origin of their name isn't particularly important, of course. What is: this is a band you need to get to know urgently.

Hailing from Berlin, Redscale have been doing their thing since 2015, with their debut EP emerging in 2016 and their first LP arriving just one year later. Now the band readies for their most ambitious effort to date: 'Feed Them To The Lions' (2019). It's an album that takes on some pretty deep subject matter, from the current state of world politics to the grim prospect leaving our rotting planet to future generations. You'd think this would be ideal nihilistic fodder for a traditional doom approach, but Redscale have opted instead to take an upbeat direction.

Let it crumble and fall sinking into the fire every castle and wall every crime every fraud an appropriate fate turned to cinder and thrown on the pyre and you call for the rain down from above let it all wash away

The hefty vocals remind me of that classic heavy metal style most recently embodied by Screaming Mad Dee Calhoun and even Neil Fallon. In other words, there's a lot of oomph to the songs. You can imagine Redscale's vox having mutant powers to lift up rocks and tear down walls. At least that's the crazy place my mind goes as I audit the record.

Imagine this embodied in a contemporary stoner rock framework and you've got Redscale's style in a nutshell. Instrumentally, the songs are well-developed and aren't in a rush to get you right into the verses and chorus, more intent to appreciate the scenery along the way to the gradual reveal. I'm certain that fans of Elder, Clutch, and Baroness will find much to dig here. If nothing else, this is a great summer record to turn up loud and salute, with beer or toke in hand.

Look for Feed Them To The Lions on July 19th, releasing via Karma Conspiracy Records (pre-order here). And now, Doomed & Stoned is pleased to bring you the worldwide debut of Redscale's formidable new sophomore spin.

Give ear...

KCR 011 Feed Them To The Lions by Redscale

Some Buzz

Hailing from the riff-capitol of Germany, Berlin, heavy stoner rockers Redscale are set to release their sophomore album, 'Feed Them To The Lions,' on July 19th 2019 with Karma Conspiracy Records.

"We are super excited to release our sophomore album 'Feed Them To The Lions' via Karma Conspiracy Records," the band comments. "We worked with Roland “Role” Wiegner at Tonmeisterei for the drum recordings, mixing and mastering, while Jan Oberg at Hidden Planet Studio/Earth Ship was responsible for recording the guitars, bass and vocals. The recording process was really satisfying. Several months of preparation and pre-production led up to the actual recording sessions.. The result: 8 massive, melodic and heavy songs that we can‘t wait to unleash!"

'Feed Them To The Lions' consists of eight well-rounded, melodic and atmospheric tunes with bite. The band spans multiple genres, primarily heavy rock, stoner rock and metal, with dashes of the blues and psych for a versatile sound that leaves a powerful impression. Lyrically, the themes range from the political to the personal, covering tyranny, empire, war and impending doom as well as the struggles, fears and coping mechanisms exhibited by the individual that finds itself increasingly at odds with a modern world slowly regressing into fascism and authoritarian cruelty.

"The enemy is at the gates, the wolves are at the door." Redscale continues. "The many-headed beast looms on the horizon, our freedom and prosperity under constant threat. To fight, to bring freedom and justice to the world our righteous duty. Or so we are made to believe. Every action taken seems to only make it worse, for every head cut off another grows in its stead. And so we are being kept in a perpetual state of war and strife, almost as if that was the idea all along..."

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

#D&S Debuts #Redscale #Berlin #German #Stoner Rock #Heavy Metal #Karma Conspiracy Records #D&S Reviews #Doomed & Stoned

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mykingdommusic · 3 years ago

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FRAGMENTS OF EXISTENCE

MINDIVIDE is a talented and ambitious Melodic and Progressive Metal project formed three years ago thanks to the meeting of five eclectic musicians from Italy and Germany with Rosanna as excellent point of union with her amazing voice. "Fragments", their debut album will show a band ready to paint complex musical landscapes in a way that can bring to mind bands like WITHIN TEMPTATION, DELAIN, OCEANS OF SLUMBER, VUUR and Rock architectures a la RUSH, OPETH. So, no more to say here, just keep your eyes well open. In the meantime you can pre-order the CD at: http://smarturl.it/MINDIV-CD Hi and welcome to our blog. Give us a short presentation of your project MINDIVIDE and let me know more about the choice of this name. ALL: Hi everyone, we’re very happy to be here! VITO: We are MINDIVIDE and, to give a very short presentation of our project, we are a group of friends who share a great passion for rock music in its every declination. After our paths have crossed in previous musical projects, roughly three years ago we have decided to start something new, and to put all ourselves into it, resulting is our debut work: “Fragments”. STEFANO: Picking a name has been quite the endeavour. Everything we came up with was either not original or not representative enough. In the end we found the perfect synthesis in MINDIVIDE, the combination of two words which very well represent some of the recurring themes of our songs. The album titled "Fragments" you are going to release on next September via My Kingdom Music, is your discographic debut. Would you tell me more about this release and what does it mean to you personally? STEFANO: This album represents for us the coronation of a passionate work. We have put all ourselves into it, trying to synthesize all our past musical experiences into something new, and hopefully original. Some of us have had (and have) other discographic experiences, but this work is definitely something unique and represents a “fresh start” for everyone involved. We are very proud of the result and we sincerely hope the audience will appreciate it as well. I have described your music like a mix of Progressive Rock, Melodic Metal e Symphonic elements. Is it easy for you to put together all these influences and how does it born a MINDIVIDE song? ROSANNA: Our songwriting works pretty much like this: Vito and/or Stefano write and record drafts of their song ideas (and they have many, believe me!). Most of the times it all starts with arpeggios, sometimes even just acoustic, Melodies and lyrics come afterwords. I listen to the drafts and I select the ones that hit me (sometimes they really do) and impress me, to begin my journey. Some songs need no longer than a day or two to come out from my mind, but sometimes I need to try harder to find the right dimension. Listening to your music you have the impression that everything is conceived to the creation of a mood inside the song. Also, the great technical qualities of the band's members never go beyond that level that would lead to technique as an end in itself. Could I consider this impression of mine appropriate and right? ROSANNA: Yes, you absolutely could. It could be difficult if you aimed for a specific musical genre, with its specific rules or canons. But we do nothing like that. I find it hard to even name a specific reference band or style to define our music. It’s just the three of us and I think it all fits together: a combination of technique, inspiration, influences and a little talent, to find a way to transfer our visions into music.

I really liked Rosanna's vocal performance who characterizes each piece with a very personal style but above all always trying to be part of the atmosphere of the song with a really effective timbre never overdoing it as often happens in this scene. Which are your musical reference as singers and what was your approach to the band's compositions since the beginning? ROSANNA: Atmosphere and feelings are the first elements (things) that make me decide which draft can be developed and can produce an interesting result. I listen to them and something in me immediately clicks: this is it. I get a sort of visual inspiration and I find myself in a very specific place and/or situation. It’s like a movie, there are images and atmospheres all around me, and I really feel the need to describe them. It’s very visual, for instance: - a cold, empty room after someone left for good on a windy night; a wasted love (At Your Whim) - a foggy, dark, humid path in an urban park at night, wandered by young people who lost the substance of their childhood (Children Of Nonsense) - burning ashes and the smell of molten minerals (like on the Etna volcano) after an explosion, (Fragment 28). I am really happy that you perceived my efforts: “never overdoing”, “the song first” is actually my credo. I mean, melodies need to be exactly the way they come out, fitting to the music and the scene I intend to describe. I don’t mind if my voice could sound better by changing some parts of the melody, I decide what will work best, for the song’s sake only, challenging myself out of my comfort zone, in order to create something fascinating, immersive, deeply emotional, though enjoyable. Finally, regarding my references, there are many vocalists I like (I worship, actually), but I cannot say they influenced my songwriting. Which bands can be considered musically close to you in terms of sonorities and attitude and which are your main influences? STEFANO: This is very hard to tell. We all come from different backgrounds and have been playing different kinds of music in our past musical lives. Here and there you can hear some of these influences, but we like to think we could combine them into something original. Rosanna, you are the mastermind behind all the lyrics on the album. Are the songs linked by a common concept and in any case what are the themes you deal with in these songs? ROSANNA: There is a common thread among the songs, and it is the observation of ordinary though pathological aspects of human behavior. How humans react to social determination from their birth, how they adapt themselves to survive and which transformations they need to undergo, to go further, consciously or not. The denial or the acceptance of what people have to face every day, can give strength or annihilate. Social constructs create monsters and victims, or just “minds divided” between the two phenomena. Besides music, which are your other influences? ROSANNA: I find the work of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and his Theory of Habitus very inspiring. I often play the psychologist-sociologist without any competence, of course, but I find this kind of subject very fascinating. Nothing more interesting than a “divided mind”, and the reason for that duality.

Can you describe in a few words each single song in "Fragments" as lyrically as musically (a sort of track by track)? ROSANNA: “Fragment 28” is about reconstruction, recognizing failures, abandoning lethal religious habits and starting over. “Skull” deals with the blameless role of soldiers in wars, in general. Their obligation to become assassins and deserve the damnation of their souls. Facing death powerless and hopeless. Waiting for peace, after having paid for their guiltless sins. These two songs are dramatically actual these days. “At Your Whim” is a love song, in its own way. A perfect love destroyed by its own perfection. People don’t always understand the blessing of sharing their lives with brilliant, talented partners. They need to stand out and prevail, even though they don’t have any talent. Just a complex of inferiority that leads to a definitive break. “Poor little man” (or woman). “D.I.D.” is based on a minor character in an almost famous Story/Movie/Serie, that I won’t mention. It’s the story of a cruelly abused woman soldier who developed a dissociative identity disorder, to survive and take back control of her life, and more than this, to be a winner. She became a professional killer, but sometimes “her other self” comes out trying to interfere with the killings and save her soul. “Reign of Mediocrity” is the manifesto of wasted talents, of brilliant, fucking genial artists, of their frustration and their need to abandon the ruling mediocrity, to feel alive. They don’t belong down here in this reign of white collars. “Children of Nonsense” poses the problem of the adaptation strategy of young people to a world of nonsense. A world of empty, meaningless prosperity. “Timeless Spaces”, in contrast with “Reign of Mediocrity” is about accepting compromises and, more than this, embracing the dirty path of fulfilling ambitions. The dangerous attempt to run after some giants of an obscure, criminal world. “Beauty Insane” is the natural evolution of DID: mental insanity that finds its way out. Out of pharmacological control, out of cells, back into the world. I was thinking about how easily women in the 19th/20th century used to be locked in asylums, just at the will of bored husbands. “Home” depicts the “abused souls” scenario of the album. It deals with domestic violence, all sorts of it. Physical or verbal, violence disfigures the mind of a growing child as well as that of an adult, letting them believe that pain is part of life, something to accept because of love. I mentioned Jobe from the Bible and his love for a God who challenges him with any kind of disease and pain. Nevertheless, each song ends well! My characters are all winners, in their own way, or I let them find peace, in the end. Maybe in a killing, but I don’t mind judging a distorted mind and its own choices, I don’t even know who actually can be defined as distorted. Maybe I could... Would you like to leave a message? Thanks for your time... ALL: Thanks to you! We are very thankful for the opportunity to work with My Kingdom Music and we hope the audience will appreciate our work as much as we had fun doing it!

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foreignquarry · 4 years ago

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VOICE OVERS

DISCLAIMER:

unfortunately, due to storage limitations and glitches with my computer during the editing process, I lost a lot of the drafts and practice cuts that featured some experimentation. I’ll try to instead describe the different things I tried.

-- voice over --

third person narration -----

the sections of the film that involve third person narrative prose describing scenes at odds with what the viewer sees. initially, i used my own voice for this, in a sort of rough cut just to help with pacing. using this rough cut made me think that using my voice was not the right way forward, just because i wasnt personally happy with the performance i managed.

last year, i did a lot of experimentation with my voice and vocal performance. i developed different techniques to explore the unhuman aspects of communication, especially through a lens of technology. i used a piece of software called Lyrebird to generate a synthetic vocal avatar - an artificial intelligence trained to mimic my own voice. at the time, i used this to distance my physical self and parody my inability to express myself.

SADLY, this software was bought out by some company and is no longer accessible as it was, and no longer for free. it’s hidden behind the facade of this other, new software that im not familiar with and dont care to learn. there are other methods of vocal avatar generation that i may investigate, but this ruled out this option at this stage.

instead, i tried to use some generic text-to-speech programs to generate synthetic voices. i hoped that this would help add to the eeriness of the film, and the feeling of it being abandoned and devoid of humanity. i used a white-sounding male-sounding British-accented posh-sounding voice, to parody this sort of David Attenborough nature/museum documentary. of course, this sort of voice being a voice of God in film, through tradition, speaks to bigotries and patriarchal authoritarianism. like, we need white men to tell us what the things we are seeing are. this was something i was back-of-the-mind-conscious of at the time, but hadn’t fully questioned it. although it’s maybe a conceptually sound idea, it didn’t at all sound good, or right. with this automated voice in particular, the film was lacking a human quality, i felt. there are no humans visually present in the film, and there is a stark absence of humanity in the way the stories are reanimated from the stone. my human arm has been digitally removed, and the traces are all that remain.

the next thing i tried was a more intentional and intimate style of performance, modelled after the recent trend of ASMR videos.

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), sometimes auto sensory meridian response,[2][3][4] is a tingling sensation that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. A pleasant form of paresthesia,[5] it has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia[6][7] and may overlap with frisson.

ASMR signifies the subjective experience of "low-grade euphoria" characterized by "a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin". It is most commonly triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli, and less commonly by intentional attention control.[1][8] A genre of videos which intend to stimulate ASMR has emerged, of which over 13 million are published on YouTube.[9]

I’m interested in this form of vocal performance in the way it attempts to target and illicit a specific physical reaction. Ed Atkins has spoken about the way technology develops, seeks to conquer various physical senses, ie, IMAX cameras making screens too large for one person’s eyesight, or sound systems rattling bones. ASMR attempts to create euphoric physical feelings, comparable to orgasm. as such, there is a sort of unspoken sexual quality to a lot of these videos and to a lot of these vocal stylings. often, and indeed usually, the speakers or performers in these videos are attractive women.

in this episode of the podcast Reasonably Sound, Mike Rugnetta makes the comparison between this sort of work, and the sexist history of the female voice assistant, in early telecoms and switchboard operators, up to the present, female Siri or Google Home. there are, maybe unsuitable or offensive, connections to be made between this sort of outsourced female labour, the sexual qualities of ASMR, and sex work. but, i dont think it’s really my place to touch on it. there’s just some interesting dynamics around service and power in this form.

the episode can be found here:

http://reasonablysound.com/2014/10/02/whisper-quiet/

anyway, technically, this phenomena doesn’t really exist, scientifically. it does exist in the minds of people who watch this stuff. so, there’s a fun pseudo-science sort of thing here, that compels me too. like a sort of witchcraft to do with audio frequencies.

in this vocal performance, then, i tried to allow my voice to take on these ASMR qualities. i whispered the words into my microphone from a very close distance, to encourage uncomfortable mouth sounds, saliva pops, and microphone peaks. these sounds are ASMR triggers, but also betray the audio recording in a few ways. it’s uncomfortable for the viewer to hear mouth and body sounds so loudly. it reveals the work as an unprofessional one, working with what would be considered to be bad recording practices. it also brings qualities of a human body, and particularly gross qualities at that, to the film, lending it a subjective human presence.

i feel mixed about how this has worked overall. i think it totally creates the correct responses in a viewer, but there’s no denying that in being the Voice of God for this film, i am painting myself to be the God of this world. my narration, although at odds with what the viewer sees, speaks to my authorial power, and im not sure this is a power i want to be spoken about!! as a middle class, white man, i think i need to question more thoroughly what it means for me to give myself authority in this context...

this was something Dave Beech mentioned in our crits with him, recently.

this is all in my head as i continue to experiment with the narration and voice over in this film. i dont anticipate i will have brought this any further by the end of the project, but that’s ok. here is a video showing the current way my voice is sounding in this passages:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzgbVBFhvRc

first person stories ---

now, this is also complicated.

at the beginning of the project it felt very important to me that the stories would only appear visually, as text, and not as audio. in the writing i have gone to lengths to recreate, phonetically and visually, regional accents and period grammar. understanding my limited ability as a voice performer, i felt it would be gross and inappropriate for me to perform these texts myself. that it would be sort of equivalent to cultural appropriation, especially as im not actually from the South West (unless u go some ways back down the tree).

however, this being said, i ended up opting for a sort of version of a performance. i experimented with different styles of delivery, attempting accents and different styles of voice. i also experimented with isolating select frequencies. the OM frequency of the tuning fork is the one i chose to isolate, producing a distant-sounding voice that is hard to identify as mine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hQDgEWFRIM&t=41s

for a necessarily female voice, however, this proved to be tricky. immediately in the crit, it seemed people could identify the recording as a poor attempt at an impression on my part, even though i thought i had done quite well with my shakespearean old woman impression. i ended up taking this audio and distorting it even further. the vocal inflections and sentence patterns are still identifiable, and when watching the text it is easy to follow along with the sound, but it is so distorted and modified i dont feel it can be traced back to me anymore. the femininity and the quality of the accent and the age of the caracter are all identifiable as well, i feel. over the course of this video the clip becomes more distorted, as if the stone tape is losing its fidelity on playback:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2A6jY-C1UA

i find this absolutely successful, especially on the speakers with which i listen to it. although as i continue working i might go back on this idea.

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ericwollersberger · 5 years ago

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Topics to write about in Report

My original outline for the report looked like this:

I’ve already written about quite a few of these things, and have condensed some of the others together, and had other ideas for movements/production techniques to write about. Here I’ll talk about what has changed and what I plan to do in the future.

The intro is mostly the same as what I wrote here, except that I talk about how “rock” music broke off from the tradition of “pop” music in the late sixties and what I think the ramifications of that are. I set the inception of “art pop” music as being Roxy Music. I guess it could be arguable that The Beatles did it on Sgt. Pepper’s, and surely they were instrumental in bringing post-modern ideas into pop music, but I don’t think the band was consistently in that lane enough for me to start with them. I mentioned a few notable recent examples of genre-fluid artists, including Billie Eilish, Tyler, The Creator, and Kanye West, but I haven’t written about them in the report beyond that point yet. I’ll probably a section on hip-hop eventually, and if not, I’ll put other artists or movements there instead, since I didn’t write anything particularly extensive. The Vaporwave/Internet genres topic I have covered in the Key Movements section.

The movements I’ve written about so far are Post-modern Pop, Vaporwave, PC Music, and Trip-Hop. For Post-modern Pop I wrote about The Jesus and Mary Chain, Spacemen 3, Sonic Youth, and Stereolab. I will probably write a “hypnagogic pop” section where I’ll talk about Ariel Pink and artists in that genre, since I’ve got a couple of good resources that talk about it. I’m still planning on writing about Avant-Garde pop and Hip hop, but haven’t found appropriate resources yet.

As for production techniques, I’ve written sections about Granular synthesis, Analog and Digital Distortion, Reverb and Delay, and Digital Sampling (which might end up being a few thousand words in itself, there’s so much good literature out there about it). Next I plan to write about vocal production techniques, including Auto-tune. I’ve written about this before, both as part of the Cutting Edge assignment and the Research and Enquiry assignment, so I’ll definitely have somewhere to start. I wrote about the digital/glitch elements in drums a little in the Digital Distortion section, but I may research that a little more and write a little about the history of glitch music. I’ve written about that a little in the Research and Enquiry module as well, so again, I’ll have somewhere to start. I’m undecided on whether or not I’ll have an “ambiences” section, although I have a couple of good resources talking about it.

As for the Composition/Arrangement topics I chose here, I have already written about “musical quoting,” “lyricism,” and “genre appropriation” a bit in the Key Movements section of the report, and have written quite extensively about sampling in my production techniques section, and I don’t think I’ll need a separate section to elaborate on any of those. I do want to write about the interplay of avant-garde and pop song structures, but I feel like that would quite easily fit into the “Avant-garde pop” section when I get around to writing that.

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strangledeggs · 7 years ago

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Fables Of The Deconstruction: Post-punk, Hip-hop And The Avant-Garde

Nowadays, it’s old hat to refute the claims of older generations that modern pop music “just sounds like noise”. In some circles, it’s even old hat to bolster such refutations with arguments as to why those older generations aren’t entirely wrong, and that’s not a bad thing. Culturally, it would appear that noise, dissonance, abrasiveness are frequently accepted as a fact of the modern musical landscape to some degree. What might still be interesting to some is a historical explanation as to how pop music got to this point, tracing a path back to shared sensibilities between early hip-hop and post-punk. In some ways, one might be able to argue that Beyonce, Kanye and Young Thug are the heirs to the legacy of more avant-garde groups like Joy Division and the Talking Heads.

Maybe this sounds far-fetched, but bear with me for a moment: punk, in its initial form, was more of a reaction than a real set of ideals, and its reaction was primarily musical in response to a musical phenomenon. Punk was effectively the antithesis of the grandiose, semi-classical, technically-masterful stylings of progressive rock in the late 60s and 70s. This reaction at first manifested itself in what you might call a kind of primitivism: if prog-rockers wanted to play complicated music in the hopes of establishing themselves as the “high art” crowd, punk rockers ignored both any need for technical skill and any distinctions between “high” and “low” art, writing simple songs about deliberately stupid topics and often playing them badly.

Of course, primitivism can only take you so far, and by the end of the 70s many groups associated with the movement began to branch out, finding new ways to distinguish themselves not only from prog, but from the sudden indistinguishable wave of punk bands. This meant finding new approaches to music not often considered commercially viable or important, the underappreciated elements of music overlooked by the mainstream. Johnny Rotten (or John Lydon, as he went by then) may not have been any more of a talented singer for his post-Sex Pistols band Public Image Ltd., but his rhythm section developed a uniquely-warped sounding disco beat, and his guitarists used unconventional materials for eerie timbre and tone.

Though comparable to the former sworn-enemy-of-punk, disco this was not (or at least not yet – groups like New Order and ABC would later make this distinction trickier, but that’s a topic for another essay); this new “post-punk” rarely had the lush arrangements and melodic/harmonic fullness commonly heard on the dancefloor. A kind of minimalism became popular, while bands began making use of the same kinds of short, choppy polyrhythmic fragments James Brown’s bands played while they were inventing funk. Joy Division and the Talking Heads featured singers who brought technically-questionable but distinctly memorable vocal performances to the table. Texture became important, as bands began to experiment with synthesizer tones as well as exploring the full range of noises an instrument could make beyond the commonly-accepted 12 tones.

From this movement emerged a stark, harsh, challenging genre that was at times only barely pop music in its adherence to structure. Songs were constructed less for coherency or “beauty” and more for freedom of personal expression regardless of ability. But post-punk was not the only genre to embrace these sensibilities; at the very same moment in history, another new genre was finding its feet through live shows at which a new kind of performer would “rap” over loops of old funk records…

In many ways, the early days of hip-hop sounded a lot like post-punk: the music was minimalistic and repetitive, the harmonic sense was often dissonant and unsettling and the vocal performances were simultaneously abrasive and spontaneously creative. The genre seemed to function on a similar ethic to post-punk, that of a “cleaning-out” of old sensibilities, a violent destruction of an old sound (represented by appropriately harsh techniques) in order to shift the focus to a different set of musical elements that would inform the new sound. In this light, it should be no surprise that the genres actually experienced a fair amount of crossover. The Clash’s excellent “Magnificent Seven” and “Lightning Strikes” were both inspired by hip-hop, as was Blondie’s less-excellent “Rapture”. John Lydon even “rapped” on a collaboration with hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa on Time Zone’s “World Destruction”.

Though both genres have been through a lot in the decades since and have seen returns to more conventional notions of talent and skill, these underlying avant-garde tendencies have remained and surface every now and then in mainstream pop music production. One of my favourite examples of this might be Pusha T’s unrelenting “Numbers On The Boards”, a demonstration of the sublime power of minimalist aesthetics in hip-hop. Kanye’s production on the track practically suffocates listeners with its lack of discernible melody. Starved for some kind of melodic/harmonic sense, we are drawn to the set of three, maybe four tones from a percussion sample anchored by a single rumbling bass note that together create an oppressive atmosphere for Pusha T’s virtuosic articulations. His first words alone seem to carry so much power in their forcefully ejaculated consonants (as opposed to consonance) so as to temporarily silence the beat. Partway through the song, a sample of a Jay Z song plays for a single bar; it feels like the first breath of fresh air drawn by the lungs of a drowning victim as the comparatively lush production throws into contrast the abstract noise you realize you’ve been listening to. But it’s only a brief moment, as the next measure plunges the listener’s head back into the murky depths of the original beat’s hollow, almost-skeletal groove.

Young Thug’s beats may not always feel quite as powerful as that behind “Numbers On The Boards”, but his vocal delivery more than makes up for it in strangeness. There’s been enough commentary on his vocal technique and innovation that I don’t feel the need to do much explanation here, but I thought it might be interesting to compare him to another odd and innovative vocalist from the realm of post-punk: David Byrne. Both build their reputations on a unique, “quirky” style rather than technical competence and both are surprisingly expressive in their tendencies to come completely unhinged at points. Even on the Talking Heads’ debut on which the music and melodies stayed, for the most part, relatively conventional, Byrne’s delivery made something sound decidedly “off” – the easiest example is his famous wordless wail during the chorus of “Psycho Killer”, but the album is full of similar moments. What’s so interesting about Byrne is how he forgoes the sort of emoting characteristic of “raw” soul vocals that tried to express an intense emotion by pushing voices to their limits (interestingly enough, something that even most punk singers couldn’t resist); he’s still set on exploring limits, but does so by stretching his voice into strange tones, making “ugly” sonic shapes that wouldn’t normally be considered “good” singing. Young Thug mirrors this; inevitably, hip-hop’s strong ties to R&B mean his vocals draw a little more influence from “soulful” styles, but tracks like “Harambe” also showcase a desire to drop the singing pretenses and outright howl as his already-barely-discernible lyrics become completely subservient to his delivery. As the old cliché goes, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.

“Sure,” you might be saying, “I see the parallels. But Kanye and Young Thug already make ‘weird’ music that is barely-mainstream and fully outside of it, respectively. You still haven’t shown me a connection between post-punk and modern-day radio pop!” Perhaps the final and most prominent example will help clarify: Beyoncé’s own “Formation”. Despite being known primarily as a conventionally-talented singer, Beyoncé opts to “not sing” much of this song, instead reciting lyrics in a chillingly raspy drone. While this does eventually give way to a melody (and a strong one at that), the track begins with this disquieting, unmelodic delivery, with only a creeping chromatic synth line for a beat to back it. The result is jarringly tense, keeping listeners on edge in a way not dissimilar to that of “Numbers On The Boards”. Of course, “Formation” is a slow build to exuberance rather than an outright aural assault; this is a pop song, after all. But just what it builds to is intriguing. Instead of breaking into a lush, bombastic chorus typical of radio-ready pop, Beyoncé’s voice is doubled on the refrain by a horn line of unconventional harmonic composition. It matches her vocal tones, but seems to clash with the beat heard during the verse. And somehow the whole thing works; it’s dissonant, but colossal-sounding and remarkably catchy. Note, finally, that the song ends just as it began, with the receding of its pop elements giving way once more to bare chromaticism and breathy vocals. Truly, avant-pop.

Maybe you think it’s dubious of me to define a largely-black musical style in terms of a largely-white one. Indeed, it must be admitted that post-punk is vastly a “white” genre while hip-hop is undisputedly a “black” one. To this I can only respond that I don’t view the two this way and see them more in dialogue with each other rather than one exerting more influence over the other (after all, I have mentioned that James Brown’s funk was a huge influence on post-punk, and this is not the only thing the genre borrowed from black musicians). I framed this piece the way I did mainly because it’s the way I personally experienced the discovery I made, having taken a strong interest in post-punk before I started listening more carefully to hip-hop. Seeing as such, the comparison could probably have gone the other way as well – though I still think it’s more interesting to position modern pop and hip-hop in terms of its avant-garde inheritance (including that of early hip-hop), as the genealogy, if not the characteristics, seems often to be forgotten in a torrent of backlash against an older generation that misses the music’s subtleties.

All of this aside, I want to end this by proposing a possible theory that is likely incorrect, but interesting to consider all the same: this movement and interaction between post-punk and hip-hop leading up to present-day pop music could potentially be stretched into a longer historical narrative to explain the driving force that shapes pop music over time. Both genres involved a process of scrapping a previous musical method in favour of a new set of musical tools, so to speak. We might see this approach as a kind of “deconstructive” one, and thus extend it back further into pop music history. In theory, pop music is always becoming more formal as it gains in reputation, but moments of deconstruction are necessary to keep it from becoming too formulaic. Chuck Berry’s rock guitar could be seen a deconstruction of blues-based pop music (or “rhythm and blues”), something ragged and harsh-sounding built around a simple scale from which elaborate (even “elegant”) pop songs had previously been constructed. Deconstruction involves an initial simplification, but it almost always builds that simplification into a new skill previously unrecognized in pop music; hence why Berry’s guitar sounds primitive in the wake of Hendrix’s later innovations with the instrument, and why early rapping sounds like nursery rhymes compared to, say, Kendrick Lamar.

As these innovations become formalized, new ones have to take their place to prevent over-familiarization and automatization [for a more in-depth discussion of this process in art in general, see Shklovsky on formalism]. These are the points of deconstruction. Post-punk and hip-hop were each a form of this and it seems likely that they will be replaced one day by further deconstructions in pop music, possibly resulting in the formation (ha) of new genres we can’t possibly imagine yet. Such is at least one theory of how pop music could progress and develop in a sort of cyclical manner.

#Music #Pop music #Post-punk #Hip-hop #Music criticism

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reeses-picks · 6 years ago

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EXO’s Don’t Mess Up My Tempo is polished to a fault

EXO is back on familiar ground: their fifth album proper Don’t Mess Up My Tempo is a polished yet middling mishmash of brawny electropop and mid-tempo R&B, accompanied by vocal performances so polished they sometimes border on insentient. The best moments of the album reveal brief glimpses of a human touch, but they are few and far between.

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

As sad as it is to say, EXO and their fans are no stranger to drama, especially surrounding the makeup of their group. A turbulent 2014 (ironically, the year after their breakthrough) saw two of their four Chinese members sue their management -- megacorporation SM Entertainment -- and their resultant exits from the group; the following year, a third one would leave as well. Coupled with the fandom’s growing distrust with the agency, it is no wonder that EXO-Ls smelled blood in the water when it was announced that Lay -- the only Chinese member left -- would not be participating in the production of and promotion for their fourth album, The War. Also unsurprising is their relief once rumors started swirling that he would return for their 2018 comeback, Don’t Mess Up My Tempo.

What eventually materialized is probably the biggest let-down in recent K-pop history. Lay’s part in the comeback amounted to a split-second cameo in the music video for “Tempo” (he fares better in the Chinese version, but not by much) and a total of five lines on the entire album. Unlike EXO’s previous release, which saw the group embrace the spirit of grand experimentation to varying success, Don’t Mess Up My Tempo bears more resemblance, musically and aesthetically, to their last release with Lay, their third studio album Ex’Act. But while that album saw the boy group settling into their newly mature sound, this attempt feels a lot safer, not to mention a bit dated (which makes sense considering the majority of the songs here were formulated in a writing camp two years ago, right around the time Ex’Act was released).

As standard practice for SM Entertainment artists since the turn of the decade, Don’t Mess Up My Tempo is the product of a collaboration between the Korean artists and a diverse team of international musicians (the agency arguably pioneered this practice). As a result, the influences present on the record are predictably omnivorous. “Ooh La La La,” probably the most obviously trend-chasing track here, takes cues from Latin pop, while “Gravity” gets its futuristic feel from Daft Punk’s soundtrack to Tron: Legacy, although it sounds more like what the past thinks the future would sound like than the future itself. This extends to the three additional tracks on the repackaged edition, the best of which, “Trauma,” is inspired by the sound of Maroon 5’s inoffensively sounding yet unfortunately named Red Pill Blues. Aside from external influences, some tracks also draw from EXO’s own collection: “Gravity” includes some of the sound effects on the crowd-pleasing, Olympic stadium-filling “Power,” and “Sign” and “Damage” recall a similarly aggressive cut on Ex’Act, “Can’t Bring Me Down.”

Sonically, Don’t Mess Up My Tempo is split between the kind of brawny electropop that EXO is known for and mid-tempo R&B with a few surprising touches that do not quite land, the former of which is evidently stronger. Title track “Tempo” follows in the genre-blending spirit of post-2013, combining elements of R&B, funk, and house; despite this, the end result sounds far more cohesive than its radically disjointed predecessor. Meanwhile, “Ooh La La La” deftly navigates Latin pop over an understated flamenco guitar but does not stray too far from EXO’s musical wheelhouse, which is more than their juniors NCT 127 can say with “Regular” (also their most conspicuous trend-chaser) -- both songs raise questions about cultural appropriation and ownership, on which K-pop does not have a particularly great record. This forceful approach has its limits, however. “Damage” turns up the aggressiveness dial to a 10, and it is here that EXO’s usually superb vocalists falter: Baekhyun particularly struggles to match the energy of the production, but pretty much all of the singing members fail to catch up with the song’s pace.

On the other hand, the R&B half of the album contains some of its weakest songs. On “With You,” the vocals move leisurely on a garage beat that goes at least twice as fast, but the two never reconcile; ironically, when the rappers finally pick up the pace to match the beat in the bridge, the beat disappears. “24/7” reaches for an effortless mood not unlike “Ooh La La La,” but without an effective low end like the flamenco guitar, the track just floats without a discernible climax and might find a place among the 148 indistinguishable songs on Spotify’s Chill Vibes playlist. Still, none of this quite prepares you for the snoozefest that is “Smile on My Face,” the token ballad of the album, whose thesis statement -- “I did it all with a smile on my face” -- feels akin to equally empty attempts at authenticity, like Charlie Puth’s “Through It All,” and whose soft-touch production sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the LP.

As usual, the vocal performances on this record are near-perfect. Main vocalists Baekhyun, Chen, and D.O. remain the ones to beat when it comes to vocal technique and continue to be at the forefront of these tracks, but other members are getting their moment in the spotlight too, especially Kai, who has always been more appreciated for his dancing than his singing, but whose unmistakable timbre is now prominent on virtually every cut. All of the voices on EXO are very individual, but they also work incredibly well in harmony, and they are almost peerless in this respect; it is precisely what made the hook of “Call Me Baby” such a delightful listen, and what now makes the acapella section of “Tempo” virtually inimitable. However exceptional their vocals, there is still no getting around the utter lack of personality that looms over the record. On many occasions, the songs sound like extremely polished demos, their voices merely a stand-in or a guide for others; at worst, they amount to little more than disembodied voices. EXO’s stunning vocals, among other factors, have always served as a sort of personal stamp, ensuring that EXO songs are instantly recognizable as EXO, but that is less certain for the lesser cuts on this album: Monsta X would have been a far better choice for “Damage,” and “With You”’s garage beat could similarly find a more fitting companion. It certainly does not help that the songwriting here feels particularly uninspired: the guy-gets-girl, guy-leaves-girl (or vice versa) motifs start to get exhausting three tracks in, let alone three albums in, yet that is what almost all of EXO’s songs have been about since Ex’Act, and the trend continues here to increasingly dull effect.

The few, brief glimpses of a human touch coincidentally (or not) appear on the strongest tracks of the LP. “Oasis,” the album’s closing track, features the members essentially singing to one another about moving forward no matter the difficulties (something they obviously have experience with): “And we go even further / On this road with a long way to go / Runnin', I'm runnin', chasing the sun.” Here we can actually feel the members reach further down than surface level, and they sound noticeably more earnest than they will ever do on the record, especially Baekhyun, who presents a career-best performance in the bridge. But the only truly memorable track on Don’t Mess Up My Tempo is “Bad Dream,” which begins and ends with a soft guitar riff, but whose main musical character is ordinarily horrendous Chainsmokers-esque synthesizers that work surprisingly well here. Rounding out the middle section, the song possesses the richest imagery of the album, evoking a sense of helplessness and even claustrophobia -- “I’m trapped in you as you rage around me” -- and its swooshing synths help depict the raging hurricane in the main character’s mind.

In an interview with Billboard breaking down the songs on Don’t Mess Up My Tempo (and its repackage Love Shot), Patrick “J.Que” Smith, who composed and arranged “Sign,” compared EXO to Clark Kent and Superman -- polite and mild-mannered young men who become titanic performers on stage -- and felt compelled to write songs for the latter. I might not be very well-versed in superhero canons, but it has long been common knowledge that things are a lot more complex than that; from the quintessential superhero story of Clark Kent and Superman to the recently critically acclaimed Logan, the best superhero stories have always been informed, at least in part, by their personhood, and its struggle with their powers. There would be no Iron Man without Tony Stark, no Captain America without Steve Rogers. It is a lesson that EXO and SM Entertainment would do well to absorb.

#exo #don't mess up my tempo #power #call me baby #the war #ex'act #exodus #tempo #music reccs #music review #album review #can't bring me down

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jessicakmatt · 5 years ago

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Trap Hats: 4 Hi-Hat Techniques Every Trap Producer Uses

Trap Hats: 4 Hi-Hat Techniques Every Trap Producer Uses: via LANDR Blog

Trap hats are instantly recognizable.

Just walk down a busy street and you’ll hear them clicking away in someone’s car.

They’re fast and they’re rhythmically complex, so it takes a bit of practice to get them right.

But finding a unique trap hat sound can be creatively inspiring– entire trap subgenres like Drill and Footwork have been spawned by variations in trap hat rhythms, speed, and tone.

In this article, we’ll unpack the rhythmic qualities commonly heard in trap hats, how to create them in your DAW, and how to get creative with trap hats in your own beats.

Trap hat basics– triplets, rolls, pitch and swing

The dividing line that separates trap hi-hats from hip hop hi-hats, is their level of complexity.

Specifically, it’s their use of four rhythmic ideas you won’t find very much in old school hip hop– triplets, rolls, pitch and swing.

Trap hats use four rhythmic ideas you won’t find very much in old school hip hop– triplets, rolls, pitch and swing.

Triplets upend the beat by adding an extra note to create rhythmic phrases that are felt in threes instead of twos.

It’s what gives trap hats those interesting off-kilter rhythmic qualities.

Rolls take the triplet idea but increase their speed by doubling or tripling their note value.

Putting a roll in the right place can help to accentuate the beat and create interesting and complex rhythms.

Swing is used in trap hats to take those parts of a beat that are written in duples (ONE-two feel) and make them fit within the context of a triplet feel.

Pitch automation is used to shift the tone of a track’s hi-hats up or down, they’re most often used to accentuate rolls.

When you master the four basic concepts of trap hats– triplets, rolls, pitch and swing you’ll have the ingredients you need to make hard-hitting and unique trap hats for your beats.

Triplets applied to trap

To learn how trap hats work it helps to have a basic foundation in rhythmic music theory.

But as a very basic crash course, triplets are groups of notes that are felt in threes instead of twos.

As a very basic crash course, triplets are groups of notes that are felt in threes instead of twos.

Most hip hop music in the ’90s and early 2000s, with a few exceptions, focus on that one-two duplet feel.

It makes sense since a lot of hip hop samples came from genres which mainly focussed on duple feel and syncopation in sixteenth notes.

Today’s trap music takes that duple feel and upends it by adding triplets into the rhythm.

Here’s what that duple feel sounds and looks like in a DAW editor.

Notice how in the bottom grid I’m using a sixteenth note view, in Ableton this is denoted by the 1/16 note value marker in the bottom right.

Each rectangle in the grid represents a single sixteenth note, so because im only using notes on every other rectangle these notes are called eighth notes.

I added a kick and snare part to the hi-hat rhythm to help frame the beat. Here’s what it sounds like so far.

https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Straight-Quarters.wav

Pretty simple right?

Trap hats take that ONE-and, TWO-and, THREE-and, FOUR-and feel and adds extra notes to some of the duplets.

A trap hat beat might add two notes to make two triplets in a bar. For example– ONE-and, TWO-and-a, THREE-and-a, FOUR-and.

Here’s what that looks like in a DAW.

Notice those shorter groups of three? Those are triplets!

To make triplets in your DAW editor make sure you’ve entered the triplet grid.

In this case, I am using a sixteenth note triplet grid, denoted by 1/16T marker in the bottom right.

With the new triplets, here’s what my beat sounds like now:

https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Eight-Note-Triples.wav

Rolling up to the pulse

Cool, we have a sweet little triplet pattern. Now it’s time to add some flare.

One of the most innovative aspects of trap music today is the rolling hi-hats you hear in trap sub-genres like drill and footwork.

The key to getting rolls right is putting them in rhythmically appropriate places where they complement the pulse of the beat.

To some, trap hi-hats may sound random and sporadic. But if you listen carefully you can hear what beats the producer is trying to accentuate with a roll.

Of course, there are many ways to use rolls to accentuate different beats!

In this beat, I’ll use a roll to emphasize the starting note (beat one) of my drum loop by adding a roll at the very end.

Making sure that my DAW editor’s grid is now in an even shorter 32nd triplet note grid let’s add a roll line and fill in the last full quarter note section of my beat.

Here’s what it looks like in my DAW.

To make the beat more rhythmic and less of an assault on my ears I added a small crescendo in volume over the roll.

To make the beat more rhythmic and less of an assault on my ears I added a small crescendo over the roll.

This crescendo does a nice job of ramping up my roll towards beat one of my loop which should be emphasized to drive the pulse along.

You can visualize my crescendo with the red volume markers that control the level of each beat.

Here’s what my beat sounds like with a roll.

https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Roll-Example.wav

Add a little DAW swing

I have some triplets and a tasty roll at the end of my beat, that’s great but there’s something missing.

Personally, I don’t like how straight and robotic this beat sounds.

I think adding some DAW swing to my trap hats makes sense since it will help the duple groups fit into and complement the triplet based sections.

But we’re getting into the personal taste zone here. Some producers love using really straight beats with no swing at all.

Here’s what my track sounds like with a little bit of DAW swing.

https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Add-Swing.wav

Getting creative with pitch, samples, and vocals

With triplets, rolls, and swing you have the basic tools to make trap hats for a trap beat.

But that’s just the start.

You can alter your trap hats in an infinite number of ways.

A lot of trap producers like to play with pitched hi-hats, especially on rolls.

For example you can hear pitch-shifting high hats in Migos’ Motorsport which was produced by Murda Beatz.

There’s a few different ways to play with pitches on your hi-hats in your DAW.

Producers use automation, a secondary hi-hat sound, or they’ll “play” hi-hats on a pitched keyboard in their own MIDI track.

Playing with roll placement is also really fun, especially when working with a sample or rap vocal.

You’ll discover that listening to the other rhythmic elements in your track will tell you where to put rolls and triplets.

For this track, I’ll use automation to pitch-shift my hi-hats.

I’ll put a cool sample I found in this Trap Top 50 pack over my drum track and I’ll move around the rolls a little bit to add some extra rhythmic character.

Here’s the final product in my DAW.

This is the final version of my track, so I’ll master it too.

Here’s what it sounds like now.

https://blog.landr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/LANDR-Trap-Beat-Final-High-Open.wav

Advanced techniques and inspiration

So far we’ve looked at trap hi-hats in the 4/4 time signature.

But what about trap hats in other time signatures?

For example, you could add another dimension to the triplet concept by using a triple meter time signature like 6/8 or 12/8.

That’s where the inspiration for footwork style trap comes from, this trap subgenre really plays with triplets within the context of triple meter.

Try counting to Rashad’s track Drank, Kush, Barz– it’s constantly changing between a pulse felt in three and a pulse felt in four.

Another inspiring producer to look at also comes from Chicago. Young Chop is a legend for creating the drill sound.

In drill, hi-hat rolls are creatively used in abundance. Almost every element of a drill beat involves a rolled hi-hat.

Just listen to how hard-hitting the rolls are in Chief Keef’s I Don’t Like.

Now it’s your turn to make trap hats that slap

Now you have some simple concepts that you can apply in your DAW to add trap hats your next track.

Remember, these are concepts that are used by all the producers in the game.

The pros are so good because they know to take these concepts and turn them into something special and unique to their own sound.

Getting good at making trap hat beats that really stick out and complement the accompanying samples and vocals your track uses will take practice and creativity.

Take time to learn how automation and audio effects can change your sound.

Listen to and watch how other producers use trap hi-hats to accentuate parts of a track.

But most of all, sit down in your studio, start making beats and stay inspired!

The post Trap Hats: 4 Hi-Hat Techniques Every Trap Producer Uses appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/trap-hats/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/190879904814

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dustedmagazine · 6 years ago

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Dancehall Crossover 2018: Popcaan, Miss Red, Santigold

Kingston, Jamaica is the Jerusalem of pop music: home to less than a million people yet generating spiritual claims that extend to a billion across the globe. While the dancehall scene has never produced a superstar on the scale of Marley, it has been the premier mode of the country's music since his death, governing the continued spread of Jamaican ingenuity. It seeps into hip hop, dance and experimental music less overtly than reggae in the 1970s, when every rock and funk band hit some upstrokes or tried dropping the first beat, but it's there. The halt-and-surge rhythms of dancehall are more recognizable than the voice of any one artist. Ultra rapid-fire rhymes, cracked electronic rhythms, ridiculous sexual frankness, even mashups — all are common contemporary techniques traceable back to the style. Innovations from the 1980s and 1990s seep through both the worldwide underground and the tops of charts.

Dancehall ideals work against notions of authenticity and street-level realness that govern most other English-language scenes. The approach freely appropriates, sneaking past the border guards who police trends and argue over genre definitions and guilty pleasures. Jamaica is hardly a rich place, and it doesn't have to worry about punching down. Dancehall is a determinedly singles-based music, so it's rare that albums are assembled in a way that lend themselves to the kind of extended discussion that gets sparked by Kendrick's latest or the reappearance of Radiohead. This summer, however, three long-players popped up that are both specifically dancehall and drastically different. Popcaan goes for the widest possible audience, Santigold tosses off a mixtape that's less labored than her last few electrorock offerings, and Miss Red addresses the UK bass approach from the outside of both the UK and Caribbean.

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Let's start with Santigold. She's a persistently interesting artist who's career has never come into focus. Her work lacks the provocative volleys of M.I.A. or Karen O, who have been natural collaborators sound-wise. Like them, she's got an art-school taste for messing around with slogans, and like them, she has fashion runway polish. But there's something inherently affable about her presence, even when posturing in her earliest bands. She's made jumps from rock to hip-hop to balladry that would seem to demonstrate great range but feel more like someone game for anything. Her mixtape I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions commits to dancehall. Created with Mixpack Records honcho Dre Skull, it has the cohesion her albums have been lacking. The backing hangs close to keyboard presets, like old raggamuffin tunes. Some dubby reverb opens them up a just a bit, not so much that they become cosmic. The limited palette disentangles Santigold-the-vocalist from Santigold-the-conceptualist. Without the distraction of genre-hopping and layers of players, she carries songs solely through her presence. She is a resourceful singer, cool on emotion. On some tracks, she draws spare and pleasant melodies, making tidy pop songs. On a track like "Wha' You Feel Like", she toasts in monotone, riding the dancehall bump without simulating patois, still sounding like someone from Philly. In other words, she sounds like herself, an American who's long steeped herself in Jamaican music, getting the feel right without mimicry. There’s a squeak to the upper end of her voice that slots into frequencies reserved keyboard hooks. It's like 1980s numbers where the singer would fill in for octaves that escaped the range of a Casio. On "Gold Fire", she phrases the refrain just like Lee Perry's "Soul Fire"; the dancehall artist knows you don't reach greatness by merely borrowing. If there isn't a track here as career-making as "Maps" or "Paper Planes", it energizes Santigold's story. She's still got something brewing.

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Miss Red has developed her style over years of working with The Bug, adding taunts to his war zone mixes. K.O. is her debut album, following from a wicked 2015 mixtape and appearances in The Bug's touring unit. As expected, the beats are bulldozers. She is particularly adept at darting through the destruction, putting the blunt rhythms into double-time with her lyrics, lacing through the heavy distortion with her yelps. Red is based in Europe, born in Israel, and her delivery hangs closer to Jamaican patois than standard English. Given that both are second languages to her, this muddies some of the issues that are inevitable with dancehall's increasing internationalism. I'm not sure any native English speaker, Caribbean or otherwise, would rhyme "dream" and "scream" with "sea bream." Her syllables are unforced, relying on the bends and lilt of patois to swoop across the wasteland. A refrain of "war, war, war" depends of on the word wheezed out like "wah" to hang in that haze. Deeper analysis is a no-win situation, the sort of situation familiar with anyone raised in the vicinity of the actual Jerusalem. The human nastiness cataloged in K.O. comes down to money. There's shootings, there's battles, there's holidays for the dead, all repeating and reconfiguring ideas from the third track, "Money Machine". That track is a meat grinder of sounds, made of intricate disco rhythms without anything so bright as a high hat in earshot. Red's voice yelps and bounces off bass throb. On tracks like "Clouds" where the percussion is calm in comparison, echo renders her chants nearly out of reach. Yet for all the darkness and noise, she has a reggae artist's lack of nihilism. She sidesteps the biblical imagery but shares the disdain for the worldly. Endurance is the virtue, a stronger weapon the fighting back.

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Which brings us to Popcaan, reaching in the opposite direction of Santigold and Miss Red. He's an established Jamaican star aiming for the broadest acclaim. He pulled some verses with Drake on the hit "Controller" and sees the open street cleared by Major Lazer (who started their career last decade with a Sanitgold vocal.) He also works with Dre Skull, and as with his debut full-length in 2014, Forever is crafted as a start-to-finish record, more like a hip-hop statement than the jumble of riddims that typify recent dancehall albums. This is a restrained album. The beats are complex, but never hyper. While there's lots of sexytalk, it's never as wound up and twerking as you'd get from a bad boy crew like RDX where bedsprings creak quite literally. Popcaan isn't here to party so much as he's here to be with you, gal. And when it's not here with you, he's thinking about you, hard. So, makes sense that he's a protege of Drake these days, rather than his original, incarcerated mentor Vybz Kartel. "Deserve it All" launches with synth arpeggios that could blend with a lot of genres present on the charts. He confesses "Some say me smoke too much, some say me drink too much" before any beats comes in. When they start, they're bashment, but he keeps those first few measures sonically universal, expressing a universal regret before confirming that he loves to keep the universal party going. This is a musical strategy he and Dre Skull employ through the record — dancehall but not right away. "Wine For Me" is thick with patois but hangs the lyrics on four-on-the-floor dance and dreamy keyboard chords. "Through the Storm" is just his voice and a rock guitar strumming, ready for a talk show appearance or Tiny Desk. But does this play as pandering? Not at all. Popcaan stands out because he thinks so big. The most powerful song on Future, "Firm and Strong" is built on a roots reggae rhythm. Starting with personal complaints, it grows into an anthem. It blends power ballad dynamics with dub, and completely earns the bass drop and the gospel chorus at the climax. He ain't corny, though he surely courts it. His reach is strongest when he goes for the grandest possible emotion. All of these records are more interesting for their risks than they are top-to-bottom engrossing. Yet this a form that celebrates one party after another, another voice stepping up to the mic for the same riddim. These three explore what dancehall can offer as medium for reflection, stepping away from the party, engaging with the troubles of our times. In a form that prefers multitudes, they are making their marks as individuals. Ben Donnelly

#dancehall #popcaan #santigold #miss red #jamaica #feature #dusted magazine #ben donnelly #bashment #reggae #electronic #the bug #dre skull

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jessicakmatt · 5 years ago

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Type Beats: What They Are and Where to Start

Type Beats: What They Are and Where to Start: via LANDR Blog

Type beats are an exciting trend in beat making right now.

Major rappers have even discovered up-and-coming producers just by searching for their own names.

You might be wondering how type beat producers approach their craft. It’s not as simple as you think.

Copying the greats is nothing new. But type beats are much more than just tributes—they’re part of a hidden economy all beatmakers need to understand.

In this article, I’ll go over everything you need to know about type beats.

By the end, you’ll understand the driving forces behind what gets your type beat heard and some helpful tips on making them.

What are type beats?

Type beats are instrumentals made to emulate the style of a famous artist or producer. Beatmakers typically sell them to artists who want beats in a familiar style to rap over. By putting a well-known artist’s name in the title, aspiring producers can make their beats more easily found in Google and Youtube searches.

These days they’re part of a beatmaking economy with multiple marketplaces specializing in connecting producers to artists to sell their beats.

Type beats came from the informal practice of artists communicating the sound they wanted by referring to a style that would fit for a specific artist.

But, when producers started making beats in the same style as a well-known rapper or producer, they discovered this tactic could get their track more attention.

How type beats can help you get heard

The economy around modern music production is extremely competitive.

Web searches can be a powerful channel for putting your beats in front of up and coming artists.

But getting your tracks to come up on the front page of a search is hard. If people aren’t searching for your name specifically, they’ll probably never find you.

Creating type beats is one way to put yourself in the conversation.

Enterprising producers discovered that using specific search terms in their titles could land them on the same results pages as artists with tons of traffic—and lots of their followers looking to get the same sound.

That’s the basic mechanic behind promoting your brand with type beats.

Where to find type beats

On the other hand, If you’re an artist looking for beats to rap over, you might be wondering where you can find type beats.

There are plenty of producers looking to sell their beats,

Here are the top 3 places to find type beats:

Youtube

Beat marketplaces

Individual producers

The first one may seem obvious, but don’t underestimate it. YouTube is steadily becoming a serious force in hip-hop production.

And since it’s built on the same search engine technology as Google, the titles and keywords around type beats will always bring relevant material to the top.

Beat marketplaces are another obvious source for type beats. These services host beats and profiles to help artists and producers connect.

But in most cases, these are paid services that may take a cut of any transactions on the platform.

How to make type beats

Let’s get one thing out the way first—the market for paid beats is saturated. As a beginner, it’s better not to charge for type beats until you’ve developed your skills enough to create a quality product.

Even so, analyzing the sounds in your favourite tracks and figuring out how to reproduce them is a good production exercise.

Analyzing the sounds in your favourite tracks and figuring out how to reproduce them is a good production exercise.

By learning how other producers made their sounds you can practice the techniques the pros are using and learn how to use them in your own work.

You won’t be able to get a perfect clone of every sound in the track, but capturing the mood and feel is just as important.

Here are a few tips to help you understand what goes into a beat:

1. Find the appropriate producer or rapper to emulate

You might want to rip into a Travis Scott type beat right away, that’s great! There’s no wrong place to get started.

But if you’re looking to get noticed, choosing to create type beats for only the biggest artists is a gamble.

There’s a lot of producers out there making Drake and Future type beats, so it might be hard to stand out from the crowd.

If you’re getting good at making type beats and want to make something serious, consider making a beat for an up and coming rapper or beat producer.

Someone who could be on their way to superstar status, but maybe isn’t quite yet there yet.

Chances are good that someone like this might not have too many people making type beats in their style.

2. Learn how the rhythm and tempo work

Many genres are defined by specific rhythmic patterns and tempos, trap music included.

You’ll never capture the same feel and vibe if your song is too fast and uses the wrong pattern.

Use your DAW or an online BPM analyzer to find the tempo of the beat you are trying to emulate.

Then get familiar with the rhythms they are known for using.

For example, does the rapper gravitate towards half tempo R&B style jams, or should you go with faster trap hi-hats?

3. Get familiar with classic sounds

There are some basic sounds that a lot of beats have in common. I’m talking about staples like the 808 drums and bass.

Sure you could use the 808s that came stock in your DAW, but consider putting some time into tweaking them to get the sound you want.

Most producers (including the ones you might be making a type beat for) use a ton of sound design techniques to get interesting, punchy, and booming 808s.

If spending hours playing with 808 kicks doesn’t appeal to you, there many producer-built 808 samples online that are sure to get the speaker punishing sound you want.

Speaking of samples…

3. ID the sample

A well-placed sample can give a beat an entirely new character.

To make an authentic type beat you may need to find a cool sample on your track.

Just remember that any sample you used has to be cleared.

Luckily you can find cleared and royalty-free sample packs online that were curated by some of the best producers in the game.

All you have to do is find a sick cleared sample made by a pro producer and turn it into something that suits your type beat.

Listen to the kind of samples used in the beat you’re trying to reproduce and search for similar artists, producers, or sounds.

4. Figure out any synth tricks

Programming synths is tough, but there are certain types of patches that pop up often in certain genres.

A lot of producers gravitate towards software synths like Massive and FM8 from Native Instruments.

Try to find a video of your favorite producer working in the studio and observe what synths they use.

If you can’t afford the gear they use, try to find a synth VST clone that gets you as close as possible to your producer of choice.

It’s amazing what you can do with a DAW, a few plugins, and an inexpensive MIDI keyboard.

5. Use the same effects

Signature effects can do a lot to establish the mood as well. Listen hard for any distinctive effects—especially on the vocals or samples—and make sure to include them.

Listen to whether the type beat should use slowed or sped up vocal samples, autotune on the verses, or chopped and screwed samples.

There are many effects that beatmakers use so keep your ears open, and get in touch with how different audio effects work.

6. Learn the types of chords and chord progressions used

The chord progression gives a song a lot of its identity. Understanding the types of chords and progressions used in a beat gives you the raw materials to create similar patterns.

Understanding the types of chords and progressions used in a beat gives you the raw materials to create similar patterns.

Here’s a hot tip, most big trap tracks are written in minor keys. Chances are the producer you’re inspired by uses minor themes too.

So, consider getting in touch with your minor scales and chords.

There’s nothing like an emotional and sad chord progression to give your track a real vibe.

From there you’ll have to do your best to capture the specific feel and mood of the beat with trial and error.

But the more you practice, the better you’ll get.

Stereo types

Beatmaking is fun, especially because you get to put your name on the track and say I made that!

Sometimes, you want your tracks to find their place within a musical genre and that means getting inspired by the greats.

Type beat making is especially appealing because there’s the added excitement of potentially getting noticed by your favorite rapper or producer.

But don’t worry too much about the economy of making beats for other artists.

Just exercising your personal creativity and trying to making something cool is always so satisfying, it’s the reason why you do this in the first place!

The post Type Beats: What They Are and Where to Start appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/type-beats/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/190520516854

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