6 - The Human Element in Music Today

The Human Element in Music Today

By Eric, Franco and Uzma

             For many generations, music played a vital role in shaping our lives.  It inspired us through many forms, whether it be rock'n roll, pop music or ballads.  As it became all the more present and attainable for millions of fans around the world, the music industry has changed considerably, finally obtaining shows of recognition like the Emmys and Grammys.  The competition has become widespread, as studios were able to manipulate both instrumental sound and vocal sound.  The competitive nature of this industry is a focal point for which many careers have been created and destroyed, and that fact was established clearly in documentary films Sound City (Dave Grohl, USA, 2013, 108 min.) and Searching for Sugar man (Malik Bendjelloul, UK, 2012, 86 min.).

Sound City Studios was a recording studio that opened in 1969 in Van Nuys, California. The studio was rather unclean and needed renovations that were looked over, some musicians said it was disgusting and they did not really want to sit on the couches. Those conditions did not matter to all the famous musicians, since it hosted a state-of-the-art recording console designed by Rupert Neve. The studio also had a perfect room for drums, since finding a good room for drums was rather hard to find which was good for Rock & roll.

It began with Neil Young in 1970, many of the biggest musicians of sound city’s era came to record and put their music on tapes, musicians such as Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash, Elton John, Santana,  and the Grateful Dead, all record award winning records in that studio. In 1991 sound city had a whole new clientele since Nirvana came to record their breakthrough record called Nevermind, it had open the doors for alternative rock stars such as , the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nine Inch Nails. Also Rage Against the machine started to make appointments at the studio. At the end of the 1990’s Sound City had started to be out dated since technology had changed and digital technology became the standard. The owners then went and sold the trade mark. Then musician Dave Grohl who had record at sound city in past bought the old console, he then called other musicians who had also used to console in the past and made a look back at its glory days. The documentary showed many interviews with the artists and also the technicians that controlled the console.

The film shows the evolution of music in its time how the consoles changed but also how music is used in their lives and what it represented for them. As the machines used to create music evolved the type of music that was created also evolved with it.

Music was very important to everyone in the film they showed by all taking the time to be interviewed for the film and also when they bought the original console they had a throwback party using the console, that console had given all of them new opportunities in the music business and they grow emotional connections to music.      

Searching for Sugar Man

‘Searching for Sugar Man’ – 86 minutes long documentary film directed by Malik Bendjelloul tells the incredible true story of Rodriguez. Sixto Rodriguez was a Detroit singer in the early 1970’s. He signed two album contracts but unfortunately neither of them sold well so the contract was dropped. From then nothing was known about Rodriguez. Several years later his albums became famous in South Africa; his song became anthems of the antiapartheid movement. But nothing was known about him. Rumors spread that he committed suicide by shooting himself on stage. Absolutely no proof existed to support such theories. In 1990’s his few fans seek out to find what actually happened to Rodriguez. Since there was very little information existed about singer they met many obstacles and finally they uncover an awful revelation. Rodriguez worked as a construction labourer to raise his 3 daughters in Detroit. He was unaware of his fame in South Africa. His fans tracked him down through internet and brought him to South Africa to perform to his adoring crowds, after that his career was revived; his lost artist dream came true. Click here for trailer. The film tells us how music plays vital role in our life.

Music is very important part of our life. Music allows people to be creative and it offers more life to people. The main issue raised by Searching for Sugar Man – first music oriented film to win documentary award, is the importance of music in our life and how does music inspire people to stay strong. In the film it clearly shows that the first feeling of apartheid born in people of South Africa was through music and inspirational song of antiestablishment like ‘Cold Fact’, which encouraged people for the revolution to set them free and to fight for their own rights. Another example from the film is that Rodriguez first came to fans attention through the shock that greeted the line in the song ‘I wonder’ that asked “I wonder how many times you’ve had sex”.  That song was considered very provocative and contentious in those dark conservative years in South Africa. Thus the importance of music as revolutionary and antiestablishment force is made clear.

Searching for Sugar Man is a story of hope, inspiration and resonating power of music. This film shows us how the influence of music changes people life and thinking. This makes the film special. In the film Rodriguez emerges as one of those figure independent music depends upon. Supporting and listening to music he believes in spreading an unquestionable truth. Rodriguez music and lyrics had also become a guiding light and inspiration to a generation of South Africa, and caught up many youth in the apartheid-era army conscription. This shows an inspiriting power of music. ‘Sugar Man’ is remarkable because it raises an overwhelming, unique intellect of hope. It is a tale of talent being recognized of modesty’s victory through music. This shows how music makes life better.

Music expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the element of rhythm, melody and harmony. Every song used in the film helps to create continuity in the story, to contextualise or tell the story and it is difficult not to be swept away by Rodriguez’s melancholic and poetic lyrics about hardship. In this way sound help to set time and space of a film. The movie moves to a relaxed rhythm, in harmonization with its other worldly subject.

This video shows us the importance of music in our life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsaLfh6Vc9w

These Ties that bind

            The main similarity established between films Sound City and Searching for Sugar man is the unrecognized talents that paved their way into the music industry and how those artists came to be forgotten or unheard of.  In this day and age, where everyone can produce music thanks to the new digital technology, the human element is sometimes fully ignored-- whether it be in playing instruments or simply in singing. True artists are no longer given the proper appreciation they deserve.  This shows how carefully everything in that industry is meticulously planned or crafted.  A star could be born anywhere, when his or her opportune time has arrived.  When one is complemented with "star-like" qualities, it is no longer a reference to their talent; They don't need it anymore!  As everything became more digital, there was less stress to rely solely on one's talent.  With the help of auto-tune,  artists like Kesha are able to make it big in the industry without necessarily being a great singer.  If someone is interested to hear how this artist sounds like without auto-tune, they could click on the following link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVjy2zyQ7Oo. 

            As it is depicted in the film Sound City, artists were born out of the blue and more commonly, since the invention of digitally-recorded sound, and ultimately, this led to one of the most groundbreaking music studios to shut down, as it could no longer keep up with the newest technologies put in place in other studios.  This devastated the artists that made Sound City what it was, because it was much more than a simple union of talents whose only goal was to create music together.  Throughout the many years they worked together, those people forged a special bond that was tied to their workplace.  The subject of true talent becoming increasingly ignored did worry those artists and many moved to new studios who were "ahead" in the digital font.

            What both films explored thoroughly is the fact that the human element in music was sometimes not given the consideration it deserved.  In Sound City, the human element was somewhat more literal.  When the old band came back together, they had no idea what music they were about to produce.  Everything came to life by improvising with the presence of other human beings in the recording room.  They said that their trick was to not "over-think" their music; Every note came out naturally.  In Searching for Sugar man, Rodriguez's music denounced so much of the injustices in the world that it became an inspiration to millions of fans in South Africa, in a time where the country was beginning to resent the apartheid system put in place.  Unfortunately, Rodriguez didn't attain the same level of success in the United States, as it was uncommon that a man of Latin descent would make it big in that country.

I personally didn't think that a documentary about a music studio would have affected as much as it did, because I don't pay that much attention to it in my life.  I'm more into filmmaking , meaning that I focus on more of the visual arts.  Surprisingly however, I found myself deeply involved in the story of these artists and how they came to strive together in the studio, because it had universal themes; it wasn't a documentary about music in particular, but more so, the human element that is ingrained into it.   

Overall, both films carefully depict the unfair competitive nature in the music industry and put forth stories that remind us how important it is to let humanity be carved into it, whether it be literally (Sound City) or emotionally-- in such songs as Sugar man.