HETEROGLOSSIA IN KAZAKHSTANI`S METAL SUBCULTURE: TECHNOLOGICALLY MEDIATED SONIC REPRESENTATION OF AUTHENTIC METAL VOICES
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Date
2023
Authors
Dukayev, Ali
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
School of Sciences and Humanities
Abstract
The current work attempts to investigate the concept of heteroglossia and its sonic representation in Kazakhstani`s metal subculture. Heteroglossia is a combination of voices that we consciously and subconsciously derive from our environment, that impact our daily communication. In order to move beyond conventional divisions of language and music, both are treated as communication within a soundscape, i.e. everything an ear is exposed to, and analyzed in terms of frequency and dynamics content. Overall, the paper attempts at uncovering the local heteroglossia that comes to define the common footing of the subculture, establish the universal and canon characteristics of metal sound, and showcase the technologically mediated processes that drive this heteroglossia`s expression within a local metal soundscape. In order to achieve this, I have conducted fieldwork, engaged in spectral and dynamics analysis of the locally produced music, and led a personal project. The results of the fieldwork indicate that the underlying common footing of the community is the concept of authenticity, which implies both non-conformity to the mainstream, and conformity to metal canons. Sonically, non-conformity to the mainstream is expressed through the inclusion of the local instrumentations and vocalizations, and creative and pragmatic decisions behind them. The conformity means the inclusion of distorted guitars and fast paced live-sounding drums. Such sonic mix presents a challenge to the clear expression of the local voices within global ones necessary for the convection of certain communicative purposes, since distorted guitars create spectral masking, obstructing audibility and clarity of other instruments and vocals. Resolving this issue falls on the sound engineer. Overall, the balanced expression of the local heteroglossia, i.e. a unique/authentic local metal soundscape, is a technologically mediated process, where the pivotal role is taken by a sound engineer, who shapes/alters/molds the soundscape to covey certain communicative functions and introduces his/her own voices, i.e. creative and pragmatic decisions.
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Keywords
Type of access: Open Access, heteroglossia, spectral masking, soundscape, voices, Kazakhstani metal subculture, music, language, sound engineer, spectral analysis
Citation
Dukayev, A. (2023). Heteroglossia in Kazakhstani’s metal subculture: Technologically mediated sonic representation of authentic metal voices. School of Sciences and Humanities