Metrical Dissonance in the Music of The Dillinger Escape Plan Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Carballeira, Lucas Julian Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 26/09/2021 12:36:18 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/642106 METRICAL DISSONANCE IN THE MUSIC OF THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN by Lucas Julián Carballeira ____________________________ Copyright © Lucas Julián Carballeira 2020 A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the FRED FOX SCHOOL OF MUSIC In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2020 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Master’s Committee, we certify that we have read the thesis prepared by: Lucas Julián Carballeira titled: Metrical Dissonance in the Music of The Dillinger Escape Plan and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the thesis requirement for the Master’s Degree. John Muniz _________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________Jul 14, 2020 John Muniz _________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________Jul 14, 2020 Donald G. Traut _________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________Jul 14, 2020 Matthew Mugmon Final approval and acceptance of this thesis is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the thesis to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this thesis prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the Master’s requirement. John Muniz _________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________Jul 14, 2020 John Muniz Thesis Committee Chair School of Music 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES………….…………………………………………….………4 LIST OF TRACKS……………………………………………………………...………………...5 ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………….…………6 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………...…….…………...7 II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND………………………...……………………13 III. ANALYSIS………………………………………………………………………20 Indirect DissonancE………………………………………………………………23 AccEntuaL Shift………………………………………………………...…...…….33 RadicaL MEtric SimPLification……………………………………………………39 HEavy Syncopation and StuttEring Rhythms………………………..……….......44 SubtLE MEtricaL DissonancE…………..…....……………....................…….....…48 ELEctronic Music as AEsthetic Contrast and its Effects on MEtEr…………...…...54 IV. CONCLUSION………………………………………….……………………….63 REFERENCES…………………………………………………...……………………...………65 4 LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ExamPLE 1. “HoneysucklE” 0:00 – 0:11.........................................................................................15 ExamPLE 2. “Low FEELs Blvd.” 0:00 – 0:11...................................................................................18 ExamPLE 3. “Low FEELs Blvd” 0:00 – 1:00...............................................................................25-29 ExamPLE 4. “Wanting Not so Much to as To” 0:00 – 0:10............................................................31 ExamPLE 5. “HoneysucklE” 00:00 – 00:11.....................................................................................34 ExamPLE 6. “LimErent DEath” 00:00 – 00:14................................................................................35 ExamPLE 7. “Low FEELs Blvd” 00:50-01:01...................................................................................39 ExamPLE 8. “Low FEELs Blvd” 0:14-0:20.......................................................................................40 ExamPLE 9. “HoneysucklE” 1:15 – 1:36...................................................................................41-42 ExamPLE 10. “LimErent DEath” 0:21 – 0:34 .................................................................................45 ExamPLE 11. “HoneysucklE” 1:15 – 1:23.......................................................................................47 ExamPLE 12. “Symptom of TErminaL IlLness” 00:00 – 01:15...................................................49-50 ExamPLE 13. “Symptom of TErminaL IlLness” 2:05 – 3:11.......................................................52-53 ExamPLE 14. “Dissociation” hi-hat rhythm....................................................................................58 ExamPLE 15. “Fugue” 0:05-0:09....................................................................................................60 ExamPLE 16. “Fugue”: 0:00-0:58...................................................................................................61 *ALL musicaL examPLEs are from Dissociation (2016) and transcribed by Lucas Julián CarbaLLEira 5 LIST OF TRACKS Dissociation (2016) 1. LimErent DEath 2. Symptom of TErminaL IlLness 3. Wanting Not so Much to as To 4. Fugue 5. Low FEELs Blvd. 6. SurrogatE 7. HoneysucklE 8. Manufacturing DiscontEnt 9. ApologiEs Not IncLuded 10. Nothing to Forget 11. Dissociation 6 ABSTRACT The DiLLinger EscaPE PLan EmPLoys noveL and comPLEx forms of mEtricaL dissonancE to creatE tEnsion and resolution within songs. Their tEchniques of mEtricaL dissonancE can be iLLuminatEd by ExtEnding and aPPLying the framEwork deveLoped in Fantasy Pieces by HaraLd Krebs. Such tEchniques are commonly utiLizEd at formaL divisions within The DiLLinger EscaPE PLan’s music, supplEmEnting the Effect of tEnsion and resolution within harmonic structures. Other tEchniques are usEd to color Entire sEctions, providing aPPropriatE musicaL contExt for LyricaL themEs. ThesE features are ELucidatEd by a rhetoricaL anaLysis of the Lyrics and the aLbum’s narrative structure. 7 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The DiLLinger EscaPE PLan (1997-2017; hereaftEr DiLLinger) was one of the most influentiaL groups in the modern Era of mEtaL music. ExtremE dissonancE, EXPErimEntaL rhythm, and the promisE of concErt mayhem quickly attractEd a Large folLowing. The debut LP, Calculating Infinity (1999) sold 100,000 copiEs, making the band the highest-sELLing artist on ReLapsE records at the timE of its reLEasE.1 As they deveLoped, DiLLinger incorporatEd influencEs from other genres, incLuding ELEctronica and jazz fusion. The band has won awards from publications such as Revolver, KErrang!, and MEtaL HammEr, as wELL as the Association of IndePEndent Music (AIM) award for “Outstanding Contribution to Music.” In 2017, the band disbanded on good tErms, citing a desire to presEnt their music as a unifiEd body of work rather than as a sEriEs with no definitE end.2 Ben WEinman, the LEad compositionaL forcE behind DiLLinger, has ExpressEd a desire to “throw out the music theory tExtbook.”3 WhiLE the Exact compositionaL procEss was not reveaLEd in intErviEws, it is precisELy music theory that turns out to be Effective in iLLuminating key asPEcts of the music, most notably in the reaLms of rhythm and mEtEr. HEaviLy syncopatEd rhythms, constant mEtEr changes, and a PErplExing sEnsE of formaL structure creatE a chaotic aEsthetic that pairs EffectiveLy with the dissonant harmoniEs and distortEd tones that charactErizE mEtaL and 1. Natalie Zina Walschots, “The Dillinger Escape Plan: Hazard Warning,” Exclaim!, June 17, 2013, https://exclaim.ca/music/article/dillinger_escape_plan-hazard_warning. 2. Alternative Press, “Exit Interview: The End of The Dillinger Escape Plan,” December 18, 2017, video, 10:26, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTlPuVPCy8I. 3. Remfry Dedman, “The Dillinger Escape Plan Interview: ‘The only way to finish this correctly is to do it in a way that has a definite end’,” Independent, October 13, 2016, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts- entertainment/music/features/the-dillinger-escape-plan-interview-the-only-way-to-finish-this-correctly-is-to-do-it- in-a-way-that-a7359221.html. 8 hardcore punk. The band did Everything it could to push thesE ELEmEnts to their compositionaL Limits and distinguish themsELves from other bands in NEw York City’s extremE music scEne. This chaotic aEsthetic was matched with an EquaLLy chaotic and Engaging PErformancE. DiLLinger PErformEd in an unhinged, sELf-destructive manner, joining the crowd in the mosh pit and destroying their own EquipmEnt, smashing their guitars and burning their amPLifiErs. This practicE resultEd in many injuriEs inflictEd on the band and its audiEncE mEmbers, such as when vocaList Greg Puciato intEntionaLLy cut his forehead and blEd profusELy during DiLLinger’s sEt at the 2013 Golden Gods, or when guitarist Ben WEinman fractured a vertEbra by smashing his head into a Low-hanging sPEaker cabinet. HE procEEded to comPLEtE the show, not reaLizing the sEverity of his injury. In this study, I focus ExcLusiveLy on the sixth and finaL aLbum, Dissociation (2016). DiLLinger’s songwriting abiLity and production quaLity matured significantLy from aLbum to aLbum. The band aLso EXPErimEntEd ExtEnsiveLy with genre contrasts. The third aLbum, Ire Works (2007), is PErhaps most EmblEmatic of this EXPErimEntaL Ethos, with the band Expanding into jazz, ELEctronica, and Even pop music. NEvertheLEss, Dissociation holds fast to DiLLinger’s metal and punk roots and disPLays a consistEnt preoccupation with tEchniques of mEtricaL dissonancE and resolution. The tracks “Dissociation” and “Fugue” are ExcEptions and are therefore anaLyzEd sEparatELy. WhiLE DiLLinger’s music incorporatEs numErous influencEs, their stylE is most simPLy