The sound of pop music changes lightning-fast. These days our ears are used to synthesizers and booming 808s, not string quartets and opera singers. But some of today’s music still keeps in touch with the old-fashioned techniques, without sacrificing its modernity. Here’s the rundown on a few artists who still mix the old and the new in unique ways.
Apashe
Apashe grew up in Brussels, and his unique sound blends the classical era of Europe with today’s EDM and dubstep.
His 2020 album “Renaissance” showed his talent not only as a producer but as a composer too. The two-minute opener simply titled “Overture” is full of dramatic swells of strings and horns. It ends with a few seconds of industrial percussion and harsh bass sounds, hinting at the electronic side of the album.
The orchestra on “Lord & Master” transitions so smoothly into a classic dubstep-like bass drop, you would think Skrillex were conducting.
Apashe actually got help from the Prague Symphony Orchestra for this album. The masterful instrumentation makes the classical side of his style all the more authentic.
Songs like “Dead” are clearly more on the electronic side. The sound of the baroque choir in the background feels almost like any other pulsing synth pad in an EDM song. But two minutes in, when the curtains are pulled back, these calming piano and string melodies become the focus, like you’ve just wandered from a music festival to a concert hall.
Apashe’s cinematic sound takes inspiration from film scores. His music has even been used in a few movies, including “John Wick” and “Fast & Furious”.
Caroline Polachek
Caroline Polachek carries the torch from art pop heroes like Kate Bush and Björk, with a distinctly medieval sound. If you haven’t heard her yet, get ready to be completely entranced.
Her 2019 album “Pang” nailed the timely essence of hyper-pop, with a core that was more folksy and ambient than others. The lead single, “Door”, meshes a mandolin solo with trancey beats and sci-fi synthesizer hits. It sounds like something Enya would make if she debuted in the last decade.
Polachek’s voice is the unmistakable center of her work. As an operatically-trained soprano, she can morph her voice to fit any musical tradition.
Her characteristic yodel — what she calls “vocal flipping” — is comparable to The Cranberries’ frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan. She can use the flip to emulate Scandinavian and Celtic vocal stylings while striking an uncanny resemblance to the modern effects of auto-tune.
For example, the song “Blood and Butter” has a bagpipe solo that would feel bizarre in most pop albums. But when you notice how well the instrument mirrors her vocal flipping, it makes perfect sense.
The song “Sunset” might be one of her most adventurous: a flamenco song full of bright Spanish guitars and vibrato-rich vocal lines that really bring out her operatic background. Its unabashed eccentricity is a great example of who Caroline Polachek is as an artist: otherworldly and timeless.
Carl Craig
After pioneering the Detroit techno scene in the ’80s and ’90s, Carl Craig brought the orchestra into his music.
He collaborated with the French orchestra Les Siècles and pianist Francesco Tristano on his album, titled “Versus.” The album includes re-workings of his older songs with a classical flair.
The song “Sandstorms” goes full force with a dark intensity akin to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, and a dance drum groove that works its way in seamlessly. You’d be surprised how well the woodwinds and horn sections play with the ’80s-sounding synthesizers throughout.
Although he mastered the art of techno, he completely subverts the formulaic aspects of the genre in his classical work. The song “At Les” takes around three minutes to even introduce a beat. The first half is a haunting arrangement of strings that build so slowly, you could be jolted awake by the drums later on.
Some of his songs have more of a classic electronic feel, like the house-inspired “The Melody.”
While Craig tends to stay on the experimental side, his wide-ranging discography has something for everyone.
Kara Jackson
She may be young, but Kara Jackson’s profound songwriting and soulful voice show a maturity beyond her years.
At just 20 years old, Jackson was named the U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate. Now she channels her writing into music inspired by classic folk, jazz and blues.
“Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love” is her first and only full-length album. It owes its success to her clever lyricism, haunting orchestration, and above all, her voice.
The song “D*ckhead Blues” combines witty, biting lyrics with raw acoustic instrumentation. Banjos, cellos and guitars come together to form something that’s as pining as it is funny. Her phrasing is so timeless that each iteration of the title strikes you with its modern informality.
That’s part of the thesis of Jackson’s style. Her guitar lines sound like they could’ve been played by Joni Mitchell in the ’70s. Her wistful, deep voice embodies the spirits of Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, and sometimes sounds like it’s been fixed on an old tape recorder.
But the same voice delivers lines that could still fit in with contemporary genres like pop and R&B. In the song “Therapy,” she sings: “He wants me/He wants therapy.”
That’s the intrigue behind Kara Jackson. You could imagine hearing her at a 1920s speakeasy or an open mic at your local cafe.
If you thought that classical, jazz and folk music was just something your grandparents listened to — think again. There’s plenty of room for these traditional styles to fuse with modern music.
words_jay moyer. illustration_sovannreach po. design_marita gavioti.
This article was published in Distraction’s Winter 2024 print issue.
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