Certain techniques and elements that once defined the sound of popular music have gradually disappeared, making way for new trends and technologies. This transition reflects not just the advancements in how music is produced and consumed, but also shifts in listener preferences and the broader cultural context. This article considers three music production techniques that were staples of past decades but have now largely disappeared from the mainstream.
The Demise of the Fade-Out
The fade-out, once a ubiquitous element in songs, allowing them to end on an indefinite note, has seen a significant decline in its usage. The advent of the skip button and the rise of streaming services, which favour the playlist model, have reshaped how listeners engage with music. In an era where the next song is just a click away, the fade-out's role in gently ushering in the next track seems less relevant. Artists and producers now often opt for more definitive endings to their tracks, catering to the listener's shortened attention span and the algorithms that favour engagement and retention over artistic nuance.
It’s interesting to note that the same has happened on TV. Where once credits rolled at a stately pace until their natural conclusion, they are now often squashed into a small square in the corner of the screen with a continuity announcer talking over them. The end of a movie in a theatre is often greeted with a scramble for the exit as the actor speaks their last line. One technique for keeping the audience engaged is to create easter eggs such as outtakes or a sneak peak at the next instalment of the franchise.
Some suggest convenience created the fade, when records needed to be a certain length to fit the radio play timings, however the fade existed decades before. In the days before tape, when recording equipment was limited, the fade was sometimes achieved by the engineer walking towards or away from the source. In 1918, Composer Gustav Holst had the women’s choir sing offstage in a room during a performance of the Neptune section of The Planets. Then to create the effect he had someone close the door slowly to create a fade.
In more recent times the fade was a staple of modern records, sometimes considered as a lazy way to get out of a song. However, fades done right and with some creative thought allowed bands to add final elements such as solos, ad-libs and even the odd lyric that would have never made it past the censors. Some engineers will tell you, there’s some real skill to getting a fade right. This is what William Weir said writing for Slate over a decade ago.
The fade-out often gets dismissed as the lazy way out. But the best ones often deploy slight change-ups to recharge the listener’s attention milliseconds before all goes silent: the music box sounds introduced over the ethereal fade-out of 10cc’s “I’m Not in Love,” for example, or the bass flutes that take unexpected prominence at the end of “Caroline, No.” It can even prompt a reconsideration of the song itself. The Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime” fades not on an instrumental groove or a repeating chorus but with David Byrne singing an entirely new verse. It makes you wonder: “Just how many more lyrics are there to this song?” (That is, until an alternate version was released in 2005—not that many, it turns out.) More
Since the demise of physical media and playlists, coupled with a wider social problem of attention deficit disorder, exacerbated by the relentless media feeding our lives, it seems few have time to wait until the end of the song.
Can You Play Solo… So That I Can’t Hear You?
An old joke from the days of guitar shops; “can you play solo, so that I can’t hear you?” However, it seems the days of anyone playing a solo are done. Guitar and sax solos, the hallmark of '70s and '80s music, have largely vanished from contemporary tracks. Of course there are outliers in certain rock based genres, but on the whole solos are gone.
This shift can be partly attributed to changes in musical styles, but not completely. The solos that once served as the climax of a song, especially when a key change took place too, showcasing technical virtuosity and emotional intensity, have given way to production techniques that favour a more streamlined, verse-chorus structure.
This trend reflects a broader movement towards minimalism and efficiency in music production, where every element of a track is designed to serve the immediate needs of the narrative or mood, without detouring into instrumental showcases that might interrupt the flow for modern listeners. Perhaps another indication that some of our modern music is even more consumer driven than it ever was, dare we include any artistic expression in the track?
The Evolution Away from Iconic Synth Sounds
The 1980s were defined by distinctive synth sounds, from the Yamaha DX7 Electric Piano and E Bass 1 preset to the Roland D50's Fantasia or Soundtrack sound, along with the Emulator 2's Marcato & Arco strings. These sounds were omnipresent, characterising the sonic landscape of the decade. There was a point during the period when it was easier to spot a track that didn’t have the synth preset of the day, than one that did.
Now the palette of available sounds has expanded exponentially. Modern producers have access to an almost limitless supply of synth sounds and samples, enabling a much broader sonic exploration.
More recently nostalgia for '80s sounds has returned, with some of the biggest hits of the last few years being a pastiche of the sonics of the period. The inclination towards innovation and the desire to create fresh, distinctive tracks have diminished the synth preset cliches in contemporary music.
Nostalgia Ain’t What It Once Was
The shifts in music production techniques can be attributed to several factors, including technological advancements, social attitudes, changes in listener behaviour, and the cyclical nature of trends and fashion. The development of music streaming platforms and social media has transformed how music is distributed and consumed, influencing the structure and composition of songs to fit these new formats. Additionally, the globalisation of music has introduced a wider array of influences, leading to a more eclectic mix of sounds and styles.
While the fade-out, guitar and sax solos, and iconic synth sounds may no longer dominate the charts, their legacy persists. They serve as reminders of the music industry's dynamic nature, where innovation and nostalgia coexist. Perhaps it’s time to start fading tracks, adding a solo or two, or establishing a synth preset that everyone will use.