Autotuning
I’m sure many of our readers are already aware of the phenomenon, but if not, I thought I’d just bring to your attention a craze that has fascinated Ori and me lately.
I’m referring to autotuning, which, though it has been used by professional musicians for years as both a crutch and a special effect, has recently been appropriated by amateurs who are using it for far more creative purposes. Take, for instance, the Gregory Brothers, who have found a surefire way of taking something stupid…
…and turning it into something really, really clever…
But that’s not where it ends! People are now making covers of the autotuned Gregory Brothers videos, and the cycle of creative derivative-making is never-ending. In particular, a Swedish band called “Roomie” tends to issue professional-sounding covers of most of the Gregory Brothers’ creations:
I don’t know if there’s ever been a phenomenon like this before. Once upon a time, one band might release a cover of another band’s work several years after the original. Or, more recently, teenagers might film themselves lip-syncing to pop songs and post the inevitably terrible results on Youtube.
But now, musicians – who might never have otherwise had a significant audience beyond a school coffee house or talent show – can receive the recognition they deserve (especially because the Gregory Brothers link to their favourite covers at the end of each video, a practice that encourages competition and results in higher-quality spinoffs).
Check out some other examples (watch these in order from left-to-right):
The bad news is that, if you like these as much as Ori and I do, and you watch them a couple of times, these melodies will be in your head forever! During the past fortnight, I’ve woken up almost every morning with one or another of these tunes running through my brain.
But that’s a small price to pay for living in an era when more musicians than ever can have their works heard by a global audience, without any need to deal with profit-stealing record companies.
I’m referring to autotuning, which, though it has been used by professional musicians for years as both a crutch and a special effect, has recently been appropriated by amateurs who are using it for far more creative purposes. Take, for instance, the Gregory Brothers, who have found a surefire way of taking something stupid…
…and turning it into something really, really clever…
But that’s not where it ends! People are now making covers of the autotuned Gregory Brothers videos, and the cycle of creative derivative-making is never-ending. In particular, a Swedish band called “Roomie” tends to issue professional-sounding covers of most of the Gregory Brothers’ creations:
I don’t know if there’s ever been a phenomenon like this before. Once upon a time, one band might release a cover of another band’s work several years after the original. Or, more recently, teenagers might film themselves lip-syncing to pop songs and post the inevitably terrible results on Youtube.
But now, musicians – who might never have otherwise had a significant audience beyond a school coffee house or talent show – can receive the recognition they deserve (especially because the Gregory Brothers link to their favourite covers at the end of each video, a practice that encourages competition and results in higher-quality spinoffs).
Check out some other examples (watch these in order from left-to-right):
The bad news is that, if you like these as much as Ori and I do, and you watch them a couple of times, these melodies will be in your head forever! During the past fortnight, I’ve woken up almost every morning with one or another of these tunes running through my brain.
But that’s a small price to pay for living in an era when more musicians than ever can have their works heard by a global audience, without any need to deal with profit-stealing record companies.
