An Analysis of Weird Music
Life can get a little monotonous sometimes, so why would you want your music selection to follow suit? Weird music has always been around, as humans love to experiment with art and progress the status quo. Even in the classical era, experimentation with serialism created new frontiers in music. In more recent memory, albums like Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys and American Don by Don Cabrello revolutionized the way we look at production and structure respectively. However, because the evolution from the aforementioned has already rippled throughout the industry, it's more interesting to look at the pieces today that are sparking inspiration in the new era.
One example of this new era of experimentation is Injury Reserve’s recent album, By The Time I Get to Phoenix. This dirty industrial hip-hop masterpiece is an insane listening experience filled with poetry from Stepa J. Groggs and Nathaniel Ritchie with destructive production from Parker Corey. Often, in more experimental music, the lyrics take a backseat to the progressive concept formulated through the music. However, sometimes the odd lyrics are the experiment themselves. The self-titled album from The Moldy Peaches is an irony-filled mockery of the typical singer-songwriter scene. This anti-folk essential explores the vulgar thoughts and lives of a typical lighthearted rebellious teenager. The song, “Downloading With Davo” is the perfect encapsulation of their controversial, agenda-pushing sound.
On the other end of the spectrum, one of the darkest and most melodramatic albums in recent years is Sinner Get Ready by Lingua Ignota. While created as a Christian examination of devotion, the creator, Kristin Hayter also expresses the chronic pain she experienced after a back surgery gone wrong. It’s an extremely hard listen that sounds like a bonus soundtrack to Midsommar. It pushes the limit of creepiness and makes the listener feel almost disgusted.
One popular weird artist who has also leaned into the disturbing aesthetic is Bjork. She started out pushing the pop genre away from overproduced hook-baiting into more subtle electronic use with her album, Debut. Her most recent album, however, Fossora, is a completely different listen. It balances naturalistic production and absurd experimental melodies in the instrumentation and vocals. Fossora was not nearly as enjoyable as Debut, but it was definitely successful in pushing on as many musical boundaries as it could.
Weird music puts pressure on the status quo, as it’s a creative process that grants almost complete freedom of expression over audio formatting. However, even with almost limitless freedom, many songs sound the same. Some genres haven’t changed sounds in decades, and artists cloning established concepts is an epidemic in the industry. The injection of interesting music into the mediocre flow of generic recreation which record labels peddle is a refreshing reminder that there’s always more exploring to do, not just in the world of music, but in the world as well.
By Elijah Roth