(NOTE: I am uploading all of my posts at once because I have been crafting and editing each one)
Modern music is notorious for its volume and glass-shattering bass that can shake a person to the core. You really don’t think that music can be amped up much more at this point without causing ears to bleed. But is louder really better?
When audio editing became commonplace in the music industry, there was a full out “Loudness War” to try and attract more attention. The BBC published an article titled “Why is modern music so loud?” where the outcome of the war is analyzed. Since the 80’s music has been increasing its volume, obviously, but it’s also becoming flatter. The volume difference between voice, instruments, and other sound effects all but vanishes. Michael Jackson’s Thriller is used as an example, the video shows how each remastering of the song has increased the volume of the background music dramatically to match Michael’s voice- which is also amplified.
So, louder is better right? Nope. Many diehard fans of music noticed the change in the way their favorite band’s music was edited. Metallica fans in particular were up in arms about the changes that flattened out the music on the CD album, Death Magnetic. In order to make music louder, recording companies need to compress it and flatten out the sound waves until just about every note is the same volume. This compression has been proven to distort many instrument’s natural sound and make the edited song sound warped. The diehard fans of Metallica searched far and wide for the old style the knew and loved, which unexpectedly showed up in the game Guitar Hero. Upon hearing the drastic difference in sound, the Metalheads rallied together to have the unedited versions of the songs released instead.
Some people can argue that louder music makes people notice you more in a positive way, but a lot of music fans point out how much the natural sound is being distorted through the aggressive editing process. Personally, I agree with the Metallica fans. I find that I’m attracted to music with a more dynamic range of sounds, I’ll leave a few examples below (they might not be too dynamic but better than most). Of course I still fall victim to the allure of pop culture, but I recognize that I can’t always resist it. It’s not bad to like music that’s been compressed and flattened. The music industry is essentially shoving it down our throats so sooner or later we’ll just accept it as a part of our modern culture. I’ve accepted, but I will always be seeking that depth in amplitude to experience the thrill of natural sound that keeps you on your toes with its ever changing volume.
Le Bien Qui Fait Mal (French)
(I have a very dynamic range of music tastes)