Intentional clipping in pop music

[apneicvoid]

I've been fascinated by what may or may not be a trend in recent pop music where distortion seems to clip out. Usually my first thought is that I'm listening via a streaming service (where the audio has already been compressed to hell), but I've found a few current examples where its obviously intentional, and not a product of poor EQ or low-res audio (or a by-product "loudness wars" blah blah etc).

Probably the most popular example right now is present in Billie Eilish's "Happier Than Ever," at the 3-minute mark. The distorted guitar and drums seem compressed to hell; listening on headphones you'd think your drivers are blown. https://youtu.be/YEbz2Qt3vec?t=140

Another odd little clip I've heard recently in on Charli XCX's "Lightning," at the 10-second mark -- https://youtu.be/RJTv1KZrbuQ. It's pushed back in the mix, but almost feels more like a mistake than anything, which is odd. It's a bit more noticeable on a slowed version I made (around the 14-second mark) -- https://djento.bandcamp.com/track/--22

Anyway, these little things are total ear candy for me. Feels like a scavenger hunt for odd or misplaced sounds in tracks that are generally super clean and glossy.

[housepig]

yeah, I did a double-take the first time I heard some current pop on the radio and heard what sounded like a late-90's CD burn buffer underrun glitch, then heard it in the same place in the next bar.

[JuntaCadre]

This is a very popular thing in (newer) rap, this seems to be just the sorta ripped off version. It stems from subwoofers ratting cars so much that the bass sounds distorted, or bass pushed to the limit in songs, to the point where producers just thought, fuck it, it sounds cool, so lets just produce the actual track like that.

[Atrophist]

This is a very popular thing in (newer) rap, this seems to be just the sorta ripped off version. It stems from subwoofers ratting cars so much that the bass sounds distorted, or bass pushed to the limit in songs, to the point where producers just thought, fuck it, it sounds cool, so lets just produce the actual track like that.

I run a small Finnish fb group dedicated to very bad music and music videos. I was utterly mystified by the jaw-droppingly bad bass sound in Flyysoulja's "Island Boy" but I guess it makes sense now.

[apneicvoid]

This is a very popular thing in (newer) rap, this seems to be just the sorta ripped off version. It stems from subwoofers ratting cars so much that the bass sounds distorted, or bass pushed to the limit in songs, to the point where producers just thought, fuck it, it sounds cool, so lets just produce the actual track like that.

I run a small Finnish fb group dedicated to very bad music and music videos. I was utterly mystified by the jaw-droppingly bad bass sound in Flyysoulja's "Island Boy" but I guess it makes sense now.

I'd never heard that track until now -- wow. Just full send with the distortion. I'd almost be impressed if there was anything else redeeming about the track.

[W.K.]

Probably to obvious but Ghostemane immediately comes to mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31j4DIpgY9U

[+hp+]

at 1:26



to me this absolutely was pop music for the time even though the specific genre was country and western
the story goes that there was a broken gain stage or something on that channel of the mixer but they just left it in

[apneicvoid]

at 1:26



to me this absolutely was pop music for the time even though the specific genre was country and western
the story goes that there was a broken gain stage or something on that channel of the mixer but they just left it in

Grew up listening to a lot of 50s and 60s country/western but I've never heard this track, so sick.

[+hp+]

https://www.krvs.org/npr-music/2018-06- ... kable-fuzz

i guess that because of this marty robbins track nancy sinatra went to this glenn snoddy guy who invented the first fuzz box, marketed by gibson as the maestro fuzz tone, later popularized by others like the ventures and rolling stones, jimi hendrix etc etc

so like this was the first effect pedal, and first "distorted" tone right? so you COULD make a little stretch and say that distortion in this marty robbins song eventually led to what we now know of as typical noise music with pedals and contact mics and distortions and all that stuff, or even throbbing gristle's "gristleizers" possibly or probably would have never been invented if not for this stuff happening

https://reverb.com/news/is-nancy-sinatr ... fuzz-pedal

[D345]

https://www.krvs.org/npr-music/2018-06- ... kable-fuzz

i guess that because of this marty robbins track nancy sinatra went to this glenn snoddy guy who invented the first fuzz box, marketed by gibson as the maestro fuzz tone, later popularized by others like the ventures and rolling stones, jimi hendrix etc etc

so like this was the first effect pedal, and first "distorted" tone right? so you COULD make a little stretch and say that distortion in this marty robbins song eventually led to what we now know of as typical noise music with pedals and contact mics and distortions and all that stuff, or even throbbing gristle's "gristleizers" possibly or probably would have never been invented if not for this stuff happening

https://reverb.com/news/is-nancy-sinatr ... fuzz-pedal

Interesting stuff! Didn't know of any of this but this song has fascinated me:
https://youtu.be/Wz2d3TEZFBI Lightning's Girl by Nancy Sinatra
the song really begins at 1:27

[Exclusionzonedayton]

That was a pretty cool sound in that Marty Robbins song. Even better if it was actually a messed up track that worked.

[Scream & Writhe]

https://www.krvs.org/npr-music/2018-06- ... kable-fuzz

i guess that because of this marty robbins track nancy sinatra went to this glenn snoddy guy who invented the first fuzz box, marketed by gibson as the maestro fuzz tone, later popularized by others like the ventures and rolling stones, jimi hendrix etc etc

so like this was the first effect pedal, and first "distorted" tone right? so you COULD make a little stretch and say that distortion in this marty robbins song eventually led to what we now know of as typical noise music with pedals and contact mics and distortions and all that stuff, or even throbbing gristle's "gristleizers" possibly or probably would have never been invented if not for this stuff happening

https://reverb.com/news/is-nancy-sinatr ... fuzz-pedal

Interesting stuff! Didn't know of any of this but this song has fascinated me:
https://youtu.be/Wz2d3TEZFBI Lightning's Girl by Nancy Sinatra
the song really begins at 1:27

Reminds me of this Beach Boys track when it gets going

[D345]

https://youtu.be/oMK1_NLJLa8
CANTSPEAK! Definitely pop music

[drift]

at 1:26



to me this absolutely was pop music for the time even though the specific genre was country and western
the story goes that there was a broken gain stage or something on that channel of the mixer but they just left it in

that is beautiful.

edit I must admit you meant the distortion on the vocal, rather than the farting noise. both are good :D

[Eighth Pillar]

/