Music As Multimodal Discourse by Way Lyndon C. S

Author:Way, Lyndon C. S.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK

Figure 5.4. Police as unthinking robots

Music

The song is in the key of C# major. Typical rock instrumentation of a guitar and vocals are up front in the mix, bass and drums make up the rhythm section and a keyboard is used sparingly. Three sets of verses are separated by three choruses. Together, these sounds are used to articulate discourses of police obedience, danger, angst and subversion, all of which represent the band as an anti-authority indie rock band. Here we consider musical elements which articulate these discourses.

There is the meaning potential of danger from police in the use of sound effects, instrumentation, melody and tempo. These are notable at the beginning of the song. Reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ opening, ‘Dans Et’ begins with a gust of wind and an electronically generated humming sound with bass enhancement. Dogs bark in the background whilst a cracking sound intermittently occupies the foreground, suggesting a stalker in the woods. Further into the song, horror film sound effects are used again, this time heavy breathing through a mask like Jason from Friday the 13th films, again with bass enhanced sounds of howling wind in the background. In both cases, foregrounded sounds suggest danger and the bass-enhanced low register wind suggests dangerous power in a way a higher register would not (van Leeuwen, 2005).

After the song’s initial 13 seconds of sound effects, a distorted guitar is introduced. The guitar sounds draw upon heavy metal, a genre with its own connotations of rebelliousness, danger and menace. It is upfront in the hierarchy of sound, emphasizing its importance. A C# chord (the tonic) is strummed quickly and regularly, followed by a pregnant pause, then a D powerchord (the minor second). The song’s guitar sounds are almost exclusively variations on these two chords. This melody is characterized by low notes and a very narrow pitch range. Again, the low register suggests power whilst the very narrow pitch range suggests that this power is constrained, something to be feared (van Leeuwen, 1999: 106). Similar to the Jaws two-note leitmotif, this melody plays on the song’s key note and its minor second. In Jaws, this was used to represent danger, evil and menace (Wingstedt, Brandstrüm and Berg, 2010: 199). In the films, tempo increases with perceived danger. In this song, the fast tempo of the guitar strumming articulates imminent danger. Furthermore, van Leeuwen notes how fast changes in notes, or ‘disjunctive sound production’ can come to stand for a ‘lively and energetic approach, or a bold or forceful attack’ depending on context (1999: 110). Here the articulation of the melodic phrase is fast, connoting danger is close at hand. Together, sound effects, instrumentation, melody and tempo in the song’s opening connote danger. In the context of the anti-police lyrics and visuals, the source of this danger is obvious.

Police obedience is also connoted through instrumentation and timing. In the first verse, the guitars and vocals are dominant. But at the beginning of the second verse, drum sounds rise in the hierarchy of sound.

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