“BAD” Music and Creative Expression
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As engineers and musicians brought up in teacher-student relationships, unfortunately, we are often taught that there are concrete “no’s” in music-making. Whether it’s specific voice leading for harmony, or what kind of scale you play over what chord, we’re taught do’s and don’ts.
While I don’t particularly enjoy the abrasive power that thrash or screamo metal is known for, I cannot deny the craftsmanship and care put into crafting the sound. Not every song has to be pleasing and wonderful to hear because after all, there is beauty in ugliness.
One such “ugly” music term I want to bring attention to is clipping and distortion. Clipping refers to when an audio signal is too loud, that it starts to lower the fidelity of the sound, distorting the original. While for the most part, engineers and music makers want to avoid this to preserve the highest quality sound, clipping can be used for creative effect.
Miss the Rage by Trippie Redd is a perfect example of a song that utilizes these “bad” practices for creative effect. The song boasts an overbearingly loud 808 bass, that on a powerful sound system, can shake the entire room. It’s so loud, that when the bass hits, it drowns out the other elements of the song, the vocals get hard to hear, and the instrumental ducks away. I’ve heard a lot of critiques on this song, on how it’s poorly mixed and the 808’s are too loud to make the song clear. But I believe this song defies these practices, by using the distortion to build more energy and reinforce the “give no fucks” attitude that Trippie Redd’s brand identity is built off of. This isn’t the kind of song that you listen to on a pleasant bike ride or while you’re doing your laundry. There are no crazy meaningful lyrics in here. You’re supposed to fucking rage and go hard.
