lørdag 21. mai 2011

The Message

So the thought that strikes me as I am sitting here with my iPod, listening to the lyrics of avenged sevenfold - fiction is: All music delivers a message. This statement is one that I find extremely easy. But at the same time it starts a really complex chain of thoughts. When listening to music, as I have mentioned before, you will automatically feel something to some degree. Wether you get a strong reaction because something in a piece of music speaks to you or you hardly feel anything, the reaction is there.

Now, is it the lyrics?
Is it the instrumental lineup and arranging?
Is it perhaps the dynamic or the presentation of the individual instrument?
It might even be the subtle difference in the vocalists voice (from what you would normally hear from that artist) that tells you the mood that he or she is trying to project.

Of course in most cases it is a combination of all theese and more. But what you are focusing on when you feel something from a piece of music, might be the key to your success when it comes to producing something that speaks to people. I often find myself challenged with the task of trying to bring the message across in the best possible way. But I believe an open mind and a constant focus on identifying your own reaction to what you like in music will get you far.

It is of course debatable if all music is supposed to deliver a message, and you can't escape the fact that contemporary music often have a really superficial point of view and lyrics that would make the great poets cry in shame over this generation. A great example would be the point that were made in "get him to the greek" - where the boss of the label showed his employees what he called a "gamechanger" - a completely obscene rap-song called "f*** your sh**". The lyrics are as degrading and offensive as they could get away with even in a parody.

But lets examine some of the female artists. Like ke$ha...
allow me to quote the chorus of her song "your love is my drug"

"Because your love, your love, your love is my drug.
Your love, your love, your love.
I said your love, your love, your love is my drug.
Your love, your love,your love"

Now you might say that the message in contemporary music is shallow and shows a complete lack of effort. But it is still a message. I am shooting myself in the leg a little for saying this seing as I am a part of this generation as well. The shallow and quick solution- lyrics and musical tracks that we see on MTV reflects our general mentality. We are in my opinion more or less a generation of semi existent cyborgs. Each of us spending more time investigating other people's lives on facebook or twitter than actually living our own. Our personal computer is more an extention of our body than a useful household accessory.
But there are certainly those who with great persistence demands content in music, and their calls are being heard. Some artists and bands, producers and musicians are reinventing music over and over again with masterpieces that speak to the soul of the listener. More than what you can say about "your love is my drug"

This brings me to the subject of how the image supports the message. In order to know what kind of musician you want to be and how you want to reach an audience with your message, you need to be clear on what that message is. And as our previous example kesha proves, image is everything. She has a ass-kicking personality that says "who cares, it's only life" and her controversial moral standing is appealing to those who are missing a constant in their lives. So much, that she can get away with prepostorous lies about what the only drug in her life is, because basicly noone listens to the lyrics when there is a cool video that accompanies the repetative hook.

But in my personal opinion the need of a flashy and "screaming" image goes down as the effort in writing meaningful musical pieces is increased. There are of course some exeptions. Especially in the rock and metal genere, the bands have a very specific and out of the ordinary appearance on stage. My chemical romance delivered a musical journey in their 2010 album "danger days" that practically blew the critics away. But they still have a rather 'strange' image. This, however supports their position and the message that they are trying to get across.

So the challenge is finding yourself as an artist by knowing what you want the world to remember you by. What kind of message do you want to leave behind. One of mayhem and sticking it to the man, one of compassion and love, or perhaps just that 'bitches be acting crazy'. The choises are unlimited, and only you can tell what the answer to the question is.

But i find the same philosophy to be true when it comes to releasing music, that goes for getting a tattoo. This is something that will stick to you for the rest of your life, make sure that the message is something you can stand for. Always