8-19-2014. Mark today’s date on your calendar, because today the h̶e̶a̶v̶y̶ music game has changed.
Let me take you back to another time in history when music was changed forever: 5-29-1913. On this day, Russian composer Igor Stravinsky showed the world what would become one of the most revolutionary and influential pieces of music in all history, “The Rite of Spring.” How did the audience receive it? They hated it, and a literal riot broke out in the theater. Some say it was a combination of the unorthodox music and ballet, showcasing “primitive society” and sacrificial killing on the grand stage. Either way, Stravinsky left a mark on music that forever changed it.
Fast forward 101 years, and we find ourselves in a similar situation. Like “The Rite of Spring”, the sound of King 810 stretches the musical spectrum, from the melodic to the dissonant. Their debut album, Memoirs of a Murderer, is a body of work that demands an intellectual and emotional investment of its listeners on a level that most will not be accustomed to. This is where both King 810 and Stravinsky initially lost many people.
One of the most defining characteristic of human beings is our ability to recognize patterns, especially with music. Even those of us who have never picked up an instrument can recognize and recall hundreds and thousands of complex musical arrangements, thanks to our incredibly evolved pattern recognition. However, when our brains struggle to detect familiar patterns in music, it can be a very grating experience. It has actually been shown to release excess levels of dopamine in the brain, which induces mental behavior similar to temporary schizophrenia. Understandably, human beings tend to dislike what they don’t understand.
When the audience first heard “Rite of Spring” back in 1913, Stravinsky’s extremely dissonant piece was something people had never heard in music before, and therefore, detested strongly enough to actually riot in the theater. However, more than just their music, the artists who comprise King 810 are individuals defined by their atypical and (to use the music analogy) extremely dissonant environment. The kind of environment that is nearly impossible to understand if you were not raised there.
I’ve been out to the area of Flint, Michigan where King 810 and their family call home. It’s a short 30 minute drive south on I-75 from Bay City, but it is an entire world away. They say hard times build character, which is obvious when you get to know anyone with an 810 tattoo. It’s difficult for most to understand why anyone would be proud of a city that breeds so much violence. Often misunderstood, these people are usually looked down upon for being different than the rest of society. We are all products of our respective environments, and Flint has truly produced some amazing individuals amid a dissonant and greatly troubled backdrop. Open up to these people, and you will be amazed at how wrong your preconceived notions are.
Like the environment, the people, and the music of King 810, they all share unusual complexity, which requires an intellectual and emotional investment from the outside world. It’s a shame, so many people crave the assimilation of art, that they will quickly dismiss King 810 due to a lack of understanding. On the surface, many assume they are just nu metal, or white trash. That type of snap assumption and dismissal is exactly the problem with modern music – everyone is afraid to act, sound, or look differently than what’s popular. Music has become extremely disposable, with “artists” chasing the bandwagon and consumers applauding their lack of effort. Art should be about taking risks, challenging the audience, demanding an investment, and pushing boundaries. If we listened to popular opinion, music wouldn’t have evolved much since 1913.
If you look back at that infamous night, on the 29th of May, 1913, you will draw many comparisons with Stravinsky and King 810. Grand misconception, overt dislike for change, aversion to complexity, ignorance towards violence, etc. However, there is an interesting twist to the Stravinsky tale that seems to predict King 810’s future.
One year later after the riotous concert, Stravinsky was heralded as a musical genius. People had heard about the controversial piece that caused a riot. As the patterns of his music became easier to comprehend by people over time, the genius of the piece became more and more apparent.
In one year, Stravinsky went from musical villain, to musical hero.
As engineer, producer, and mixing engineer on Memoirs of a Murderer, I’ve been exposed to King 810’s music over a long period of time. We did all of the pre-production here as well, so I’ve watched the songs come together and sat with most of them for over a year and a half. I’ve worked with many talented people over the years, but the sheer brilliance of this album only gets better the more you hear it.
If ever there was a record from my discography that I recommend to buy a physical copy of, it is King 810 – Memoirs of a Murderer. Whether or not you find their style of music or message in your tastes, I strongly believe it will be reflected upon in the years to come as a genre-defying work of art.