Seqüencing

Words in a musical or artistic sequence can have many non-obvious effects. While a line of song contains words, the sounds and effect of each word can vary based on the words around it.

For instance, the word 'quagga' might seem slightly eccentric, but repeated twice it covertly produces the more respectable word 'aqua.' This is particularly pertinent in music, where such sounds mediate the effect of the line. Words in music are immediately 'musical' phenomena, that are considered in terms of the interaction of their sound and meaning. In this sense, music is a fairly limiting endeavour once words become involved, although this enables it to become more directly expressive of ideas or controversial things. It also means that the artist can take a stand rather than leaving possibly opposed listeners with only vague sounds which they can use as they please and without explicit limitation. This is accompanied by less resistant music, which attempts to dilute the form and make it 'acceptable.' As the field of music without vocals is less notably conflicted, vocal music has become a  main focus and setting of this conflict.

As a result, in a musical context a word like quagga repeated can draw on and unite distinct sounds. It hence becomes complex, in a way emphasised in the musical context. 'Quaggaquagga,' containing a sound near 'aqua,' hence can already evoke a few distinct images - on the one hand the zebra, on the other hand water and the more refined connotations of 'aqua.' It hence becomes almost 'zebra-like.' However, due to this series of sounds, it can also come to highlight the 'qua' sound, representing the term roughly suggesting 'insofar as.' This suggestion of submergence can be useful in relation to 'aqua,' and also perhaps suggest the duality evoked by the words. The delivery hence to interact with not only 'quagga,' but also 'aqua' and perhaps 'qua,' as significant sounds thrown up by this pattern. Repetition of words is, of course, possible in music as to a lesser extent with poetry, but it is useful here as an example. This tendency functions generally, if words are rendered musically, but is here usefully illustrated.

As a result, music can draw on several, more 'subtle' vocal effects. This can sometimes take the form of clear sound associations, as with the Shamen's lyrics: 'Keep searching, seeking / You've got to find the reason / Something sacred to believe in.' Combined with the later repetition of 'Shamen can fly,' this repetition of sounds - leading up to 'something' - draws on sounds resembling the band's name to give them an important place in the song. The band's name is hence without fanfare given additional, mostly positive connotations by these 'waves of noise' in the song. Another song starts with the slightly complex sound, 'Heyawunahoen-ergy,' where the sound which opens renders the more familiar words following instead unfamiliar. They are placed in a sound pattern which alters how they can come across, albeit quietly. Due to the line starting off with such a sound instead of a familiar word, the rest hence also becomes part of a 'sound' which is more complex than they might seem.

Adramelch use it effectively in 'Fearful Visions,' with the line, 'whirls of shadow spheres of light.' Due to the recent emphasis on 'fear,' as well as 'fearful visions of man without God,' the word 'sphere' here hence forms a part of this pattern and can easily also suggest the form, 'shadows, fears of light.' The pluralisation might not seem to change much, and due to the recent uses of 'fear' listeners are accustomed to this sound and hearing it. It hence stands out, suggesting the 'fear' variant alongside 'spheres' here. 'Whirls of shadow' also goes some way towards helping this interchangeability of 's' seem more notable, and hence the light more mystical and 'fearsome.' This under-pins what follows, with the chant of 'light' perhaps seeming to come out of nowhere otherwise. Given the recent mention of 'fearful visions,' the chant hence draws in part on themes of Lucifer as light-bringer and sinister religious figure, and partly of course on the sense of the Enlightenment as a force feared by religious organisations. It hence can unite these in some manner, and hence the song builds up towards this repetition of 'light' in an efficient manner. 

This is a more conventional section from a track which begins with the already uncanny:

"Ecstasy has caught my soul away - I see
Peasants of the feudal system die..."

This culminates in the unexpectedly positive conclusion, 'No more cry, no more pain, / Peasants will die but life will carry on,' after a run-through of problems with feudalism and peasants. This slightly uncanny positivity and perspective helps render the strange, slightly distorted and mysterious opening to the track more effective and frightening. 

Deadsoul Tribe have a few noteworthy examples as well. The track 'Feed, Part 1,' notes politicians bleating a 'relentless serenade,' with the continual 'a' sound both furthering the theme and suggesting with 'sss' or a hissing noise the betrayal they note in politicians. It hence also recognises the dishonesty of these words said due to circumstances rather than conviction, that they do not aim for something as hallowed as a 'serenade.' Sounds like chants or choirs in bands where this isn't characteristic can also have this effect, acting as a modification of the track rather than an independent musical aspect. It can easily alloy with other words, which can render these ambiguous and free up other connotations. They open the track 'Wings of Faith' with chanting, meaning that the first line, 'We're flying on the wings of faith,' can actually come across in sound as 'aw, ere/ear flying on the wings of faith,' directly connecting to the listener. They draw on this with lines like 'Don't let me down' evoking a tenuous and problematic situation. The lines are hence blurred there. This hence allows the listener to be absorbed in the sound, allowing the band to be very minimal in what they mention about the 'Wings of Faith.' In a song with a strange, repeating sound and continual patterns along the song, this is effective as the listener encounters a foreign or strange terrain. The song 'Time,' from the 'A Murder of Crows' album, notes that time is 'ever-drifting,' evoking the 'murder' sound of the title. It then furthers this by noting that they can't keep it 'safe and locked away,' like the album itself. The portrayal of their life as a 'cigarette burning down the side' matches this song being a bonus track, and the theme of the track is appropriate to its usually taking its place at the end of the album as a result. Hence, the song tends to reflect the album and its place on it.

To look at a non-metal example, the band On have a nice line in the song 'Revolution,' which goes, 'I look back and breathe disintegration.' The line opens with a sound near 'ill,' and hence is effective. It also comes close to evoking 'debris.' The following line, 'Hear the sound,' draws on the obvious connection with 'heart' in a cynical manner, contrasting it and the accompanying hope with the slightly bitter cynicism that the song conveys. It invites listeners to get this connotation, despite its depressing contrast with the pessimistic tone of the song. It otherwise leaves listeners alone with whatever sounds occur in this passage. This all strengthens the later, 'I cannot believe in revolution.' Although following the one with the other is a slightly strange progression from lighter rock music to 'serious' political statements.

Hence, the sequencing of words is of importance here. Let us return to the original word, 'quagga.' We could allow it to repeat indefinitely: 'quaggaquaggaquaggaquagga.' The pattern here slightly resembles a rhyme in the Payolas' 'In your lips I sense a danger / You've got the eyes of a stranger.' This might explain why the quagga allegedly went extinct. In the Payolas track, we can notice the interesting presence of the 'psi' sound before 'I sense,' which firstly gives it a detached sense and secondly (as in ESP, etc.) elaborates on the word 'sense' and gives it more meaning (humorously). Going from 'psi' to 'sense' quietly dilutes the apparent focus and leads to a sense of detachment. It also helps with the 'eyes of a stranger' phrase. While 'the eyes,' repeated mechanically as in a chorus, can resemble 'thighs' and distract from this progression, here a sense of detachment is again present due to 'got,' which blurs into 'the' slightly and limits it.  As a note on the side, we can see that even casual phrases like 'In your,' if in a musical context, can have a slightly irregular and convoluted sound. Hence, sometimes even simple phrases will require peculiar music alongside them. The use of 'sense' is replaced with 'see' later on, again leading to something of a 'role reversal' - it is the singer who is presented as having peculiar 'eyes' that 'sense' in a vague sense (strengthened by the 'psi' sound), surprisingly. The use of body parts scattered here and there is still slightly awkward, and not quite elaborated on although the chorus restrains it. This slightly undermines the music, by making it turn on imagery that it can't specify much and hence leaving this indefinite - meaning that the song has little clear definition here. The sound of 'sad anger' is implicit, but slightly melodramatic. However, due to 'psi' and 'sense,' it might also be combined with 'lie,' which is powerful. On a completely different note, 'quagga' also starts with 'qua,' akin to 'in your.' Hence, it is possibly a complex sound.

The 'qua' sound is followed by 'gg,' a slightly indefinite sound. It can reach various different lengths, depending on the singer. It has resemblances to 'anger,' or 'struggle,' and might reveal some things about the singer and their take on the song. From there, 'aqua' or water, and a repetition of 'aggaq,' akin to 'again.' Hence, repeating the sound can change it slightly in this context, or give it a certain progression and development. The 'gg' sound recurs, now modified by 'aqua,' which further complicates how it is sung. From there, the pattern recurs, with the singer's 'free space.' being continually cut off by 'aqua' or 'qua.' This is rather stubborn. The Payolas song is similar, with references to the other's body being continually cut off or redirected in this context. Hence, both of these other than their evident similarities also inhabit a common and slightly stern territory.

This can be applied to sentences. For example, 'I am,' could be followed in many ways. This is another case where a 'simple' sound can be slightly twisted in music. Possible follow-ups could include 'fire-proof,' which however includes another sound mirroring the 'I.' However, this is followed by a combination of 'ire' and 'reprove,' which might seem angsty or self-deprecating. 'I am what I reprove,' would sound similar. This is a peculiar sentence, which might seem appropriate to a religious band. However, it is also stubborn and static, it leaves them little room to act upon the sinful and hence determinedly stands its ground. In saying, "You'll never take me in fire / You'll never take my own desire," they allude to the imagery of the Epistle on the Corinthians, saying that like Paul they will not 'burn' in temptation (or what others desire) and hence can exult fully in a religious path. They also draw on the related image of desire for God contrasted to other desires, and 'leaving behind' other temptations to 'follow' what is highest. Hence, the strengths of that are notable, nonetheless it is still a slightly 'ironic' line in a religious song. Fates Warning use 'tearing walls down.'  This draws on the previous, Take what you deserve,' with the addition of 'metre.' It hence accentuates that theme, albeit in a way which can easily be hidden. In a less pronounced way, it might draw on the word 'terror' being close to 'tearing,' by merely characterising themselves as destructive. This is complemented by the repetition as a chorus line, which eventually renders it a repeated sound rather than something the listener is unfamiliar with, and hence the 'all' in 'walls' also accentuates this. Nonetheless, the 'metre' section strengthens this notable passage. Dio's 'I am sin' draws on their being a 'singer,' who is now also apparently a bringer of evil. It's slightly less pronounced than the previous. Lines starting with 'I am s,' or 'I ams,' are also slightly amusing in their resemblance to the Biblical 'our name is Legion.'

The lyrics to a song are hence in some ways intricate, but at the same time can simplify the process because sounds are a fairly evident feature of words. The chosen words then only have to be conveyed, in this way or that. A song should generally rely on things it generates for its aesthetic, not leech off other poignant events which prevents the song from truly having a musical aesthetic. The audience supplies the aesthetic, but the song is not holistic. It merely attempts to emulate this. Often, what seems like music listening is just further events in any given day, and draws on a general flow of emotion without necessarily contributing to it. Music which is mostly 'blank' or has little effect on us can seem to, if we are emotional and it gives even a small opening to this. However, in a continual wave of emotion, music can draw on this without coming to seem significantly serious to people - it represents but cannot inform or react to conditions. This hence leads to passivity or failing to 'remain against the grain' as Bad Religion out it. Music seeming serious is not a crime, you are not expected to listen to music only as a joke.

A vocalist then attempts to convey these words and lyrics. If they attempted to convey a diametrically opposite set of lyrics, it would be comical in effect. Say, 'I saw the innocent birds singing,' sung in a really horrified voice. That is still a result of their relation to the lyrics. Hence, the lyrics are the basic infrastructure of the song and must themselves direct the music. No artificial imposition can turn them into something different, without approaching the comical. Hence, the sounds and meanings thrown up by the words are fundamental to the 'sung' element of a song. This is still a harsh and strict scenario. Of course, if we are dealing with words then as in speech the situation is important. People often emphasise speech by some figures and not others, for instance if an authority figure is 'lecturing,' briefing or berating them. Music is treated as a separate context, but involves much of the same content - listening to someone saying words, and deliberating on how to respond or whether to emphasise it. The words of figures who partake of establishment or authority is 'danced' to, for it involves generic commands and things that people are to take as stimuli. The words of others might encourage or discipline along the way. Hence, vocals aren't always grasped 'in isolation,' they are treated as a combination of the vocals themselves and the perceived situation of it - they partake in some way of the way that words and speech are usually received by people. Hence, especially given a sufficient connection to the establishment, a song only has to use this in some way - to represent a particular interaction between establishment and others. This is, indeed, expected of such figures. Hence, vocals are received as a combination of the situation and the song itself. This is an important caveat, as 'music' can hence be an amorphous category, and the sound of words seem significant for quite other reasons than how they sound. 'Welcome to New York,' with a combination of 'ton,' 'ew,' and 'yuck,' isn't a line that might always stand out - unlike 'Dani California,' for instance, which resembles in sound the famous injunction to 'flee formication' among other things. However, from an establishment figure with high associations it might seem highly re-assuring, and to tell people that they are welcome somewhere. This is an obvious and substantial effect, nonetheless it is not musical or aesthetic. 'Please feel free to beat me [...] We could be happy / I really hope you stay,' from Jakszyk's 'Bruised Romantic Glee Club,' is a case where 'weak' is an effectively used sound, however. Words do not discriminate where situations do. Nonetheless, their organisation is an important part of the strictly musical effect of this kind of music.

Operation: Ümlaut

(We're an underground revolution working over-time.)





Queensrÿche's 'Operation: Mindcrime' is a peculiar album in some ways. Firstly, it takes on a tone more akin to 'pop music' than previous efforts, while remaining a concept album with many sides involved. Secondly, it draws on a mode of 'dystopian' art (alluded to in Dr. X) which is conventionally associated with novels rather than music. This adaptation brings with it several 'problems,' but these are also the most interesting part of the album.

The connection to previous art is established in the title, which connects to the Orwellian term 'thoughtcrime.' However, it is slightly critical of the theme, portraying the hope of organising around 'thoughtcrime' as itself a dystopian mechanism. The title is represented further in the humorous image of Dr. X as a 'doctor,' who 'cures' with an operation. It also locates the 'dystopian' environment in the location around it, as Orwell tried with 'Ingsoc,' although it might seem more direct in this than Orwell. It attempts to locate this 'dystopia' directly, as it has a musical format that does not favour sketching outlines to the same extent. Nonetheless, it is not literature and cannot sketch out an overall story and setting as easily, and hence has to draw on literary analogues so that readers can get a sense of the context. There is some interaction with their previous album, 'Warning,' as we shall discuss soon.

However, 'dystopian' art is a peculiar genre in some ways. Despite its apparent orientation, it has to rely on the posited 'dystopian' rule and its actions for the drama, atmosphere and appeal of the novel. This is where the primary dynamic and character of the novel appears. Further, the novelist of course has freedom to manipulate characters and fictionalise things freely, so could it be that the 'dystopian' enemy is merely the author themselves? Characters have little freedom, anyway, as the novelist does what they want with them - and are doubtless aware of this 'authority' in writing the novel. In that sense, 'dystopian' non-fiction like Marx's 'Das Kapital' is generally more coherent as a style, in their case expressing a cynical take on Hegel by suggesting that their structure of transhistorical categories is actually based in the categories of the current system. Karl Marx speaks of their place in a given society, rather than instating themselves as hypothetical dictators of a fictionalised and freely manipulated society. All novels are fictions, set in fictitious places where the novelists could if they wanted have everyone walk upside down, convert to Norse religions and fly to the moon. Queensrÿche have some analogues to 'non-fiction' analogues, as they open 'in media res' and have a less clear setting, meaning that in some ways they are attempting to discuss the location surrounding them and possibly the listener.

Nonetheless, these problems take on a different form in a dramatic and musical context. This album has the challenge of making tracks which are simply an expression of the 'dystopian' actors of from their reported perspective. Hence, rather than just drawing on them, here they have to be actively portrayed, and hence allowed to promote themselves. The artists hence have to make themselves vehicles of this 'dystopian' enemy, and promote them. This renders their project ambiguous. In a more pop-directed album, these songs will also attempt to draw in people who aren't as familiar with the band, and songs 'stand-alone' rather than being like A Pleasant Shade of Gray and requiring listeners to listen through the whole thing at once. Hence, listeners might instead just get a stirring song about Dr. X and their plans, with a sing-along theme. This turns the album into something potentially slightly sinister.

One of these songs, dealing with Dr. X (possibly a snipe at Karl Marx, which despite their virtues is quite amusing), is the title track. The title itself is something that audiences are to be made enthusiastic about, but nonetheless is here a sinister plot by the good doctor. The song has a 'catchy' chorus of 'Operation: Mindcrime,' but this is actually to be stated by the sinister and manipulative Dr. X as a means of self-promotion, rendering the chorus slightly ambiguous. The track can be slightly ambiguous, then - it postures as an attempt by Dr. X to drum up enthusiasm, and seemingly is alright with this. The following tracks are also along similar lines. Hence, by that point if the audience is still getting enthusiastic about these tracks or singing along, they hence have to draw on the enthusiasm of Dr. X's manipulation and not necessarily what they would expect. The album hence turns out to be manipulative, but covertly and in some ways despite itself.

The album hence starts to take on some of the characteristics of this 'dangerous' figure, at times despite itself. This applies in other areas as well. The main character seemingly is afflicted with amnesia, but if you look more closely the somewhat invasive-sounding album title, when combined with the band name, can also sound like amnesia - Queensrÿche's 'Operation: Mindcrime.' Hence, this can all make the album sound rather sinister. It can also sound like 'Wrestlemania,' of course. The album cover involves a few strange and out-of-place symbols, along with the image of a person being  shocked by the ears - which is of course where music operates. The rest is a bunch of strange and convoluted imagery, which might seem akin to the manipulative tactics of figures in the album. It can come across as warping things slightly. Further, many of the figures are vaguely sketched - it mentions a 'revolution,' for instance, but differentiates it from the Soviet Union without precisely locating it politically. Hence, it comes across as a bunch of manipulative patterns which are given a conventional and innocuous rendering, without the rest of the story being given as much definition. Of course, an album which is also a vehicle for the 'sinister' must also attempt to convey this, and hence is rendered ambiguous. Nonetheless, this means that it can be eerie at times.

This album also interacts with their previous album, Warning. Compared to that, it takes up a more dramatic and pop-directed sound - although Warning was in this direction already. However, despite this, it is also slightly critical or cynical about that album, and gives sinister figures more space to speak and influence instead of just a hopeful resistance. While that album concerns an uprising, here the uprising is itself used as a trap. It involves people who are easily influenced, and they hence easily fall into this scheming. Violent and cynical figures intrude while the past album had hopeful but pessimistically rendered characters.

It notably says, 'Speak the word / Revolution.' 'Revolution' is an interesting word, people tend to assume that it is positive and stirring when it could denote even cynical changes or ones they would not approve of. It is often used as if it's a slogan in itself, with movements self-congratulatorily branding themselves 'revolutions.' Why? Perhaps they have listened to this album, and are so pessimistic about everything around that revolution sounds good to them. It also, as a joke recounts, resembles 'revolting,' a possibly negative epithet, so shouting the word 'revolution' as some do when drunk seems to risk an easy 'slurring' of the term. In addition, it is also a word for circular motion, which seems quite counter to the point. 'Revolution' is a word besieged by the language, which nonetheless tends to demand being shouted or accompanied with flamboyant gesturing. So expecting the word to immediately connote something stirring presupposes something of an artificial context for its usage, and indeed it is appropriate to movements with a few 'revolutions' that have been summarily disregarded by its seeming purveyors. However, this album is rather hushed about it, and the word is only whispered there. This gives it a more sinister tint on this album. Further, the figure behind the movement is quite aware of the connotation of circular motion, not necessarily intending the suggested change and using it manipulatively. When it's said, 'The word is all of us,' or that they are subsumed to the word, this also includes its various senses and the intention that their movement end in a circle. Hence, the word is slightly more significant on this album.

However, in general the instruction to speak it represents a fundamental part of this album. If it has conventional choruses and sing-along sections, these are sometimes represented as being by sinister manipulators or expressing their influence. It's like a pop album with dark, covert manipulations super-imposed on it. Due to the many contrasting things that it has to represent, it is suspended in a continual dynamic, and hence is unique and deceptively difficult to follow up on. While Queensrÿche have other, more sophisticated albums, like 'Promised Land' or 'Rage for Order,' they also draw on a sense of a mechanical or heartless society grinding people down. They hence have something in common with Mindcrime. Nonetheless, with that album cover, when things turn out convoluted and you have catchy songs about sinister plots, clearly something strange is afoot. And this is part of why Queensrÿche were often capable of putting out decent albums, in their more progressive moments.