Wilbur the Whale
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Recommended song: “violenceneversolvesanything” by .paperman
There seems to be a sad decline in the amount of music being produced that could be deemed “good” or “original.’ With the introduction of digital music production, it’s easy for anyone to actualize the sounds in their head by producing and publishing their own work. This creates an increase in derivative music, or music that wears its influences on its arm, bringing little to nothing new to the listener.
This influx has heightened my already high tendency to deconstruct what I’m listening to. I try to tear it apart to see how melodies and rhythms interact with each other and to see how the music might have been influenced by other pieces. More importantly, I look to see how the music I’m listening to contributes to the whole of music. What does it do differently from other works similar to it? How does the work, artist or composer stand out from the sea of others? What is it doing that is new and interesting that will make me remember the work?
I think such questions should be asked of all music, because they are part of what makes listening to music so enjoyable and addictive. With a general familiarity of popular music, the differences between songs and artists often seem stark and obvious. For example, with electronic dance music, it would be difficult to confuse Aphex Twin for Skrillex, given that they make very different music. However, those who are well-known are often the crown jewels of their sonic niche. They’re the only ones within their group of similar-sounding artists that have been promoted enough to gain recognition.
As people explore music more and become more familiar with a genre, those lines blur and the artist’s influences and experimentation become more clear.
While familiarity with a genre or a sort of sound might reveal the homogeneity of the genre or sound, it often also reveals more subtle differences within the music that can be appreciated. The music of Burger Records, Lolipop Records and the entire garage revival showcase this idea. The general sound of garage music is simple, one or two guitars — preferably Fender — running through a Fuzz War distortion pedal and blasting out of Fender Twin Reverbs. A bassist, drummer, singer and perhaps keyboard or organ player play a flowing melody around a basic pop structure.
Think The Growlers, Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees or early Wavves. Of course, these examples and this description are gross simplifications of the genre and leave a lot of room for artists to develop and stand out as having a unique sound, which many have done. That said, this genre is also over flooded with artists and bands all striving to emulate or capture a similar sound. It is this emulation that produces derivative music.
Derivative music is inauthentic. It does not show the creative talents of the artist, but rather their ability to mirror other artists. Mimicry often happens when one is early on in their creative pursuits. This stage is not necessarily a bad thing — with time, artists are often able to develop their abilities and eventually produce something unique to them. It takes time and effort to find creativity.
Overall, this is one way to think about and enjoy music. Perhaps it’s overly critical and ignores the enjoyment of music just for the sake of music. I personally like discovering the history behind what I’m listening to and where it came from, as I find it allows for a richer experience.
There are talented artists out there who still produce unoriginal or formulaic music. I’ve seen plenty of them live and have worked with many of them (and enjoyed it). I would not say they are any less passionate or interested in music than artists who have truly paved their own way. More than anything, they are simply new to their craft or comfortable with what they produce.
Whatever you might think, listen to music. Listen to a lot of music. And when you run out, find more music to listen to.