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A song ripping into vapour-wave
Ideaot’s point applies to some of #Weird Soundcloud. A lot of the songs clock in no longer than a minute and their only intention seems to be a quick laugh, shrug, or total provocation until you rip the headphones off your head. Others are clearly tearing into EDM culture or the new-wave of Soundcloud producers. But then you’ve got the other tracks, like “there’s ketchup on his sweater already”, featuring the newly meme-centric “mom’s spaghetti” line from Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” mixed with Las Ketchup. They’re nothing to do with EDM, and although they’re also quick-jokes, they seem representative of something else.
Fandom, defined by Wikipedia as “a subculture composed of fans characterised by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest”, is one key component of #Weird Soundcloud. The term is typically associated with science-fiction or fantasy franchises – things like Pokemon, Star Wars, Studio Ghibli films, comic books, and Lord of the Rings. Most music in the realm of fandom is taken seriously. Songs inspired by My Little Pony and made by Bronies, for example, are in abundance – there’s several radio stations and a dedicated music site. And Pokemon fandoms have cropped up the mainstream, with rappers like Le1f dropping Picachu into the video for “Wut”. But in the world of #Weird Soundcloud, it’s taken on a different slant.
Some of the tracks may repurpose video game or film soundtracks – a key component of fandom – but most focus on repurposing a singular meme, like the “mom’s spaghetti” reference on “Lose Yourself” or the re-use of Death Grips acapellas. It’s fandom on a more niche level – appealing to people who feed on the internet’s #content and then look to explore singular shreds of obsession.
A research paper conducted last year by social-influence marketing platform Crowdtap indicated that millenials spend 18 hours a day consuming media, although you didn’t need to read a research paper to know that. We’re processing more shit than ever, but how much of it we’re retaining and how much is sliding out of the back of our heads is up for discussion. Still, in recent months there’s been a backlash against the quality of the content that often comes preceded by a hashtag – throwaway Upworthy type articles and lists that do nothing other than fill the void. #Weird Soundcloud isn’t necessarily a backlash against that, but it’s definitely a critique of sorts, and a symptom of a culture that’s starting to eat itself. Its diligent repurposing of content is a tongue-in cheek joke. They’re changing the format of the original work’s intended message or audience – a technique often employed by top-tier digital media companies – and in doing so they’re sarcastically, ironically, taking the piss out of what Web 2.0’s turned into – an open arena where the most ridiculous, unashamed, often pointless piggy-back content can rack up thousands and thousands of clicks.
#Weird Soundcloud exists on the periphery of a post-“Harlem Shake”, post-Rick Roll internet – something to be found only when you look for it, not something that’s part of any genuine music scene. Listening to it just reminds me that we’re all humans on the internet, all searching for #content that means something, something to connect with, but usually only dredging up bastardised versions of things we’ve already read, seen, or watched before. And for that reason, despite being yet another addition to the growing feelings in the collective contemporary imagination that culture has been trapped in a feedback loop of repetition, I kinda find it loveable and strangely honest.
Now, back to listening to a rework of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” mixed with the Mario 64 soundtrack.
You can find Ryan Bassil and Noisey on Twitter.
