MUSI 240

Sublime, a self-titled album released two months after the death of its lead singer, could arguably be one of the most influential rock albums released in the 1990s. The musical content of the album is not what gives it its credibility. In fact, most of its tracks are covers with blatantly adapted chord progressions, melodic lines, and lyrics from noteworthy artists and poets. The albums tracks are not even technically difficult, virtuosic, or groundbreaking in a musical manner. However, the context in which this album was produced is pioneering in itself. The band stood for everything and anything punk rock, hardcore, and rebellious. In their music, they defined a subculture that broke the boundaries of a punk rock genre and infused it with other genres such as Reggae, Ska, Hip-Hop, and Surf Rock. The bands act as a twenty-four hour party, rebellious, live show defined who they were as performers. Mixing their careless attitudes with a reckless love for music, Sublime became somewhat of a theme to the Southern Californian-beach city culture. With Sublimes autonomy resting in the hands of their influential live performances, their first major album was produced in such a way to deliver that experience to the audience. With professional technology available to them for the first time, they were able to fuse aspects from different genres into their usual sound,

which influenced them as musicians. The album Sublime will always be considered a tribute to the experience of the band, the subculture, and Brad Nowell (front man)s influence on the rock genre in the 1990s. Noticed by Jon Phillips, an A&R rep for Gasoline Alley records, owned by MCA, Sublime was set up to meet with MCA records to sign a deal and produce their first professional album. Angry when the MCA representative failed to show up, the band trashed his office and was banished from MCA; the deal was obviously off. With an immense amount of underground media buzz about Sublime being the band to see in Southern California, the label could resist no longer and gave Sublime a second chance. After signing a six-album deal, which was probably unknowingly exploitative, they were sent off to Austin Texas to record a full-length album at Willie Nelsons Pedernales Studio. While there, it was noticed that the band was having trouble writing music in the studio. They hadnt come in with anything written and expected to draw all of their ideas from the studio atmosphere. Marshall Goodman, a friend from their hometown in Long Beach California, frequently contributed to Sublimes live performances with turntables and synthesized beats (VH1, 2001). With the resources of a recording studio, the inclusion of these elements of technology was soon noticed to be a lot more available to mesh into their compositions. Although their sound was already a clash and mix of

several genres, the new technology and producers were able to give the artists more freedom and develop their sound even further. During the recording process, the band went through many trials with drug and alcohol abuse. The pressure was even heavier to be serious musicians, and that assumption was too much to handle for Bradley Nowell. Nowell was known to have been involved with heroine use in the Los Angeles rock scene. Now in the studio, his drug use was becoming a necessity to write music and lyrics. Eventually their druginduced state became alarming to Jon Phillips, the A&R representative, and it was decided by the company to send the band home immediately. They did not get to finish the mixing process of the album; the rest was left in the hands of the engineers and producers in the studio (VH1, 2001). Going back to the beginning of Sublimes history, you could find them playing in a basement in Long Beach with an eight track recorder purchased from the local Guitar Center. Their sound was heavily influenced by punk rock backgrounds from performing in other bands around the area. When Nowell came back from a trip to the Caribbean with his father, his sound had become heavily inspired by Reggae. Artists like Bob Marley became a big musical influence to him and he shared that with his band mates. Confused by the contrast between their usual genre and the new influences Nowell had become fond of, they followed him anyway and experimented with a new sound.

Eventually, Sublime would become identifiable with the unique sound of a Southern Californian sub-culture immersed in surfing, weed, and bits of Mexican culture. Leading to their signing with MCA, their fame became associated with newsworthy live shows such as The Peninsula Riot and Los Angeles main rock radio station, KROQs Weenie Roast of 1995. The Peninsula Riot of 1988, in Long Beach California, was held on July 4th and was coincidently caused by Sublimes first ever gig open to the public. This show changed Sublime from being the token neighbor-kids band to the local act that caused mayhem at their shows (The Gauntlet, 2010). The band went on to play numerous shows but none were more chaotic than their performance at Weenie Roast. The festival reportedly had to deal with over two hundred fake backstage passes handed out to Sublimes entourage. During the show more than just the band was wreaking havoc on the revolving stage which was eventually rotated after they refused to end their set. To Gasoline Alley, their live presence was priceless and was ultimately the reason why they got a break into the music industry (Farley 1996). The environment of composing in a studio opened new musical doors for Sublime. Nowell always seemed to be pushing to combine all of his musical influences into his music. In a garage or a small local punk club, many things like turntables, hip-hop sampling, and recording clips were not available to include into their sound in a primitive audio setting. When a full studio with professional technology

was suddenly available, the producers were able to encourage Nowells tendencies of genre fusing. The technology available did not demand a change in the bands sound, however it provided new opportunities to express things they were not able to express before. Technological advance has placed no obligation on rock musicians to juggle frequencies, assemble and mix diverse track and so on, it has opened up a whole range of options and it has encourage an adventurous eclecticism of content (Clarke, 1983). They intended to take Sublime into a realm associated with their autonomous live sound, but were aiming to far surpass it. Sublime was heavily associated with a Southern Californian party scene. Many of the connotations people associated their sound with, was the infinite amount of chaotic live shows, parties, and a vast drug scene existing up and down the Pacific Coast. Bringing Sublime into the studio would pose as a challenge to capture that nostalgia and be able to present it to the rest of the world who were not familiar with that inherent sub-culture. Sublime the self titled album, is full of the inclusion of hip hop clips, turn table scratching, recordings of friends, and audio clips of familiar objects such as Nowells pet, Lou-Dog (who is also the mascot of the band). If an audience was not able to establish their connection with Sublime in the way that many local fans had, then to bring that identifiable atmosphere, in which the band existed so infamously, to the recordings seemed to be the aim of the album. Before its release,

the idea of Sublimes sound shifting from a lo-fi and purely live sound, into a produced version of their presence captured into a recording, proposed an argument of whether or not this goal would turn out successfully. Adding samples to a bands sound, which is heavily defined by their live presence, would negate their worth to many listeners. However, the producers aimed to include the sounds and environment, in which sublime thrived, to fight that loss of value. On the topic of sampling, Thomas Pocello mentions, Creativity is embodied not only by composition, but by transposition of meaning through contextual-and thus semantic- shifts (Porcello, 1991). In the album, samples from artists who influenced Nowell are included to almost recreate the space inside his head. In this way, he was able to compose in a new way and create a different perspective for his audience. Clips of recordings from riots in Los Angeles, dog fights (probably of the bands mascot), and recordings of the streets of Long Beach, California, are placed throughout the album. New meanings of the bands experiences were suddenly associated with these samples, and successfully fused the recognition of certain genres to that of Sublimes cosmopolitan sound. With Sublimes sound soon to be distributed to the world in a higher definition, the album is recorded in a way to deliver the experience of seeing the band live. Recorded and produced in Willie Nelsons Pedernales Studios, the release of Sublimes first major album was influencing their sound

before anything was even recorded. Having their album produced at Willie Nelsons studio, who is known for his unique characteristics of blending different genres, seemed to be encouragement to the band to experiment even more with their incomparable sound. Every track on the album features a new mix of hip-hop samples with their stable mix of Ska and Punk, and features their turntablist Marshall Goodman. A move to a familiar sound seems apparent with the artists they sampled from. In the mid-1990s, a rise in alternative Hip-hop mixed with Rock and Dub was becoming popular with examples like Cypress Hill and the Beastie Boys. Without actually being a member of the band, Marshall Goodman had always been influential to Sublimes sound. As being involved in the Hip-hop and R&B genre and culture, he was surrounded by artists popular in the area. This familiarity was evident in the way he contributed the mixing of genre paradigms throughout the album. Arguably the most popular track on the record, What I got features a large amount of samples from the artist Too Short, a popular rapper from Oakland California. Other artists who were influential to Goodmans mixing are sampled in tracks like Jailhouse featuring Boogie Down Productions, Paddle out featuring the Sugar Hill Gang, and Doin Time featuring the Beastie Boys who are the artists most associated with Sublimes genre infusing style. Goodman didnt just sample from a genre, he sampled from the subculture and focused on other artists connections to each other. Goodman constantly sampled

from Just Ice, the self proclaimed Gangster of Hip-Hop hailing from Brooklyn, New York. His most famous track being That girl is a slut inspired by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Ricks La Di Da Di. Fresh and Ricks track is coincidentally sampled in the same Sublime track as Just Ice, April 29th, 1992. (Sublime STP, 2001) Probably the most dominant figures in hip hop at the time, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg are frequently quoted in Nowells Lyrics. Coincidentally, Snoop Dogg is from the same city as Sublime, Long Beach, California, and routinely includes references to the city in his works, as does Nowell. Including samples and specific sounds, which Nowell identifies his influences from, is what enabled him to collectively create a mood of pioneering genre fusion. He was able to use the technologies of sampling other recordings to include signifiers from different genres into his works. Key quotes and sounds, not able to be reproduced, enable Nowell to recreate his vision for the audience. If any messages were heavily portrayed in the album, it would be the stress put on recreating an environment in which Sublime creatively existed. The track April 29th, 1992 is a narrative of Nowells experiences through the riots caused by the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles, California. The incident based around the racial dispute between an innocent black man and three white police officers stirred social uproar concerning authoritative oppression placed upon racial minorities (Mydans, 1991). Singing in tribute to all of the cities that

participated in the protests and riots, Nowell undoubtedly focuses on recreating the scene they witnessed in Long Beach and the Los Angeles County. The recording features clips of real calls made over the LAPD police radio concerning the rioting. By using actual clips, not reproduced ones, the Lo-Fi feel of communication over radio waves is captured in the recording. The sounds of these occurrences create a feeling of placement into the actual situation; it is hard to escape from the overwhelming feeling of chaos and mass hysteria. One could not understand the cultural influence this date had on the area unless a very realistic ambiance was recreated. The unique sound environment composed by a mixture of narrated experiences and live recordings, captures the aura of fear, anger, and disappointment in a monumental event in the history of their home city. Nowells voice and experiences can be transmitted to the audience with the use of these devices. In the track Garden grove, a clip containing a very identifiable Yeah! is sampled from The Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill album. This track also includes samples from The Ohio Players, a 1970s American funk and R&B band, and Linton Kwesi Johnson, a famous poet who identifies with the Dub genre. (Sublime STP, 2001). They open the album with a theme of genre hybridism in preparation for the experience they want to deliver. The almost three minute long outro combines all three examples of Dub, Hip-hop scratching, and American Funk in a psychedelic manner. The drug induced sub culture

surrounding the ideologies of Sublime is immediately introduced to the album through this song. One can only assume that the psychedelic coding of Garden Grove is mirroring the image of Nowell making music while desperately clinging onto his heroine addiction. For three minutes, a repeated phrase from a funk sample is fused with electronic drumbeats and continues to repeat while different samples phase in and out of synch. To quote Sheila Whitely on the topic of psychedelic coding, The use of repetition in songs, works towards a mood of obsessiveness and absorption.(Whiteley, 1990). There is a parallel created between the repetition and addiction of drug use to the repeated mixture of motifs in the song, leading to the mixture eventually falling out of rhythmic synch and ultimately ending the composition. As the motifs begin to blend together, the musical direction becomes out of focus. For the listener, the sheer volume of noise works towards the drowning of personal consciousness (Whiteley, 1990). By the end of the track, you have lost the focal point and consciousness of your own reality and have been sutured into an environment that Nowell is preparing you for. Through the use of unconventional sampling, the track is able to mentally and emotionally transform your perceived consciousness into the environment it is trying to portray. Through this, you are able to feel connected to Nowells struggles and surroundings, while at the same time experiencing the mesh of genres influential to the style of the album.

The band was brought to Austin, Texas to work with Paul Leary, a fellow musician participating in the same Southern Californian Surf Rock genre, and David Kahne, a professional studio producer known for working with artists focused on genre fusion (VH1, 2001). Gasoline Alley had already distinguished exactly why Sublime was an asset to their company. Having an incredible live presence and specific local following would give the company direct access to a very underground fan base. Recreating Sublimes sound while maintaining their local stature would be the producers only instructions. Although many of the tracks are different, focusing on varying genres and subjects, all of which are produced and mixed to reflect that of Sublimes live sound. In a broader categorization of the albums tracks, you can place some in the influenced by the art of sampling category, influenced by Reggae and Dub category, and influenced by Ska and Punk category. Of course, Sublimes sound is ultimately a mixture of all three characteristics, the work as a whole seems to be subcategorized, and produced differently to reflect each genre of influence. Each track is handled in a different creative manner noting the important fact that aural analysis draws upon the link between auditory and visual perception (Dockwray, Moore, 2008). Each of the tracks are mixed and produced differently in terms of spacing and effects, supporting the resulting image of a performance in the audiences mind. Producing tracks inspired by genres that already exist in a live

performance setting is easy to create a standard placement and sound for each track. However, including electronic samples, turn table scratching, and electronic beats in a Rock, Ska, Punk, or Reggae recording is evidently unconventional. It is extremely obvious that in the producers efforts of recreating a live performance space in the recording, the placement of certain un-natural elements is culturally un-known. There was no specific space, or proximity, at which a sample should have been heard, because at the time, there were not enough examples of this existing in previous recordings. Therefore, while instruments like the drums, guitar, bass, and vocals have a distinct placement in terms of Lateral placement (controlled by panning devices), depth or prominence (the way in which volume and reverb can control the perceived distance of sounds in relation to other sounds and from the listener), and time (Dockwray, Moore, 2008); technological sounds had the freedom to be placed anywhere in the mix. Despite its freedom to be placed anywhere in the aural stage regarding the three dimensions mentioned earlier, the samples and technological aspects of the works are frequently kept in the center and close to the front of the mix. Little to almost no effects, in regards to spatial aspects, are used on the multiple hip-hop samples and turntable contributions. Keeping in mind, the goal of the producers was to re-create the live feeling of a Sublime performance, the sudden inclusion of new technology in their sound posed as a problem. The

band would not perform live with immense amounts of samples and edited turntable sessions, thus asking the question, where do those examples belong in the mix? Mentioned earlier, most of these technological additives are kept very centered in the mix and kept close to the front in proximity, almost existing overhead. In the track What I Got, the differences between songs produced with samples, and songs without, are heavily evident in the use of panning and spatial effect. Looking at the sound of the drums first, unlike the other tracks on the album, the entire rhythm section consists entirely of electronic beats; the acoustic drum set is not used in this track. The sound of the composition does not heavily identify with one specific genre. This could be why it is the bands most popular track, being the best example of the genre fusion Sublime is admired for. With the absence of the drum set, the song continues to do some unique things. Unlike most of Sublimes other tracks, Nowells vocals feel close in proximity in a more intimate manner compared to that of a live venue layout. The use of panning on the vocals also varies from the usual conventions of this album. Sparingly, but noticeable, the vocals are rapidly panned left to right sporadically throughout the track. This confusion with the placement of the voice mimics the lyrical content of the song. Nowell is contemplating his life and listing the things he values, and the uncertainty of placement reflects his inner struggle. This could also parallel the bands experimentation with

changing their sound and the combining of different genre related influences. Despite the change in the usual vocal placement and rhythmic conventions throughout the album, the Hip-hop samples are placed in the center of the mix, with little reverb, placing the samples extremely close in proximity. There is no general visual placement of sound technologies on a stage with a rock band. The producers chose to keep the technological aspects of the song close to the audience; perhaps to emphasize its unnatural aspects between its electronic sound and the organic sound of the band, giving the technological additives an edge. Other tracks on the album identify heavily with the idea of recreating the live and organic experience of Sublime performing on stage. When listening to these certain tracks like Seed, Pawn Shop, and Jailhouse, the producers tactics in achieving a live sound is apparent in the placement and effects employed in the mixing of the tracks. Commonly in these four examples, the same sound stage is recreated in terms of instrumental placement and the use of effects to form that of the visual expectation of a live performance. Most notable in these specific recordings is the use of panning for placement of each instrument in a distinctive manner. Each example of specific placement of a sound demonstrates a purpose to emphasize either a specific style as well as create a visual picture using auditory strategies.

Consistently throughout the album, the live drum set is mixed almost identically in every track, considering all but two songs with only an electronic rhythm section. Looking deeper into the song Pawnshop, the drums have a very distinct, live sound. It is persistently placed at the back of the mix, mimicking its visual place on a stage. It does this by sounding as though it is the farthest instrument into the stage, existing in the center, and is placed equally in the stereo mix. This sound is recreated by placing each tom from left to right in the stereo mix. Visually, this sound creates a mental image of the toms linear placement within the drum set. The snare is panned slightly to the right, mimicking its arrangement in the drum set, and kick drum is placed in the center doing essentially the same thing as the snare. Nowells guitar is panned very far to the left and has almost no sound included in the far right side of the mix at all. What is interesting about the placement of the guitar is that it occupies a completely different space in the mix compared to that of Nowells vocals, which are obviously being performed by the same person. In a live environment, the amplifier delivering sound for the guitar would be producing sound in a different place than the monitor in which the vocals would be projected from. In the mix, this technique is executed by panning the guitar to the far left, and the vocals stay center in the mix. Also performed by Nowell is the organ featured in this track. The organ is panned completely opposite from the guitar, all the way to the

right. This placement juxtaposes the rhythmic purpose of the organ to the melodic purpose of the guitar. In other compositions, there are usually two guitars, one rhythmic, and one melodic, both played by Nowell. They are usually panned oppositely of each other similar to that of the techniques used in this track. Also given its own place in the mix, is the bass guitar. Although the low-end frequencies from the bass are present throughout the entire mix, it is heavily panned to the right side. The placement of each instrument, laterally, proves crucial to recreating a visually based soundstage (Dockwray, Moore, 2008). Also crucial to the composition of Sublimes live sound, are the effects used on the instruments and vocals to recreate the space of a live venue and to add dimensions of proximity to the sound. Looking closely at the Jailhouse track, there are great examples of the general effects used throughout this album to create placement on the stage. The most effective technique used to create a proximity effect would be the use of reverb and echo. In this song, the sound of the band is similar to that of an intimate and small-scale venue. Regardless of the venue size, the effects used on the vocals, drum set, and guitars provide the audience with a sound similar to that of experiencing the music being performed live. There is a slight amount of reverb placed on the vocals that evidently put Nowell in the center of a virtual sound stage (Dockwray, Moore, 2008). Although not exactly at the front of the stage, he is positioned dead center in between the

listener and the drum set. The echoes captured to mimic that of a large performance space is placed on his vocals, putting the audience in a venue witnessing the music happen live. On the drums, a certain amount of reverb is placed put on the bass drum and the snare to situate the sound towards the back of the mix. The audience perceives the placement of the drums to similarly to that of what they would see on a typical, live stage set up. Like other songs in the album, both the rhythmic guitar and melodic guitar are placed on opposite sides of the mix. To give the guitars a cohesive sound with the rest of the band, a reverb effect is also used on both instruments. Both of the aforementioned tracks were produced similarly, recreating a visual picture for the audience of a live setting using techniques like panning and audio effects. The same strategies are used in the Seed track, but are executed differently. The structure of the song shifts from verses immersed in the Punk Rock genre, and is then shifted to choruses that identify with the Reggae and Dub genre. Both displays of separate genres are mixed differently to emphasize their associated characteristics. The verses associated with a punk rock theme, have a very different feeling compared to that of the chorus. All of the instruments and vocals are mixed centrally; the use of panning is extremely light. The clustered mix of sound reflects that of chaotic noise inherent to the punk genre. This too demonstrates the producers strategies in recreating Sublime as a live experience,

hinting at their earlier musical styles. In the Reggae influenced chorus, the instrumentation is suddenly panned with distinct placement for each instrument. The separation of the melodic guitar and rhythmic guitar emphasizes the style change from the punk genre to that of the Reggae influenced verses. The juxtaposition of two very distinct genres is ornately created by the audio effects and techniques used by the producers. With its ability to distinguish clearly between the two genres within one song, the fusion becomes a statement of identity. Sublime is seen presenting their alternate personalities, back and forth, throughout the song. The Band is using these genres outside of their original purposes, to make a statement. Whenever a musical form is utilized outside of its cultural and creative contexts, transformation becomes inevitable.(Alleyne, 2000) The track Seed incorporates two different experiences into one, and changes the audiences perspective in conjunction with the bands spontaneously changing musical style. The album is missed in a very strategic way, and used the technology available to deliver a strong and non-verbal message through the way in which we perceive the album as sound. The relationship between this recording and the culture surrounding it is clearly very strong. With a large amount of unexecuted potential, Sublime was never able to climb the industry later and portray their evolved sound, expected from them and their newest release. The producing technique used on Sublime was

focused around the meaning of the band to its following. Locally in their hometown, the band was seen as a symbol of authentic creativity, fueled by unrestricted experimentation. Live performances were what initially proved Sublime to be a noteworthy band, and thus their most representational album is produced to recreate that experience. Their worth as creators of music was held in their ability to combine the genres of music they loved, and were considered pioneers for ignoring the barriers between each style of music. The theme of rebellion and independence in many aspects of the style and personality influenced the sub culture surrounding their music. Drug use, chaotic parties, and a beach lifestyle seemed to be the cultural norm in which their music existed. In the question of whether the album influenced a culture or rather if a culture influenced the album, the first choice would be have to be the more evident answer, however both are true. Seeing as how the band broke up immediately after Nowells death, which was coincidently after the albums release, the culture surrounding the aftermath was no longer being fueled by the presence of the band. Its fan base no longer took the bands messages and themes of rebellion, and careless boundary crossing, lightly after their leader had fatally crossed too many boundaries himself. However, the culture surrounding the inspiration of this album was incredibly strong, and the band obviously drew most of its inspirations from their surroundings and the society they thrived in. Their creativity and

experimentation was praised by their followers and gave them inspiration to continue innovating. The recording of this album utilized inorganic audio effects to recreate a natural sound, which is a parallel to that of Sublimes adaption of cross culture genres to prove the autonomy of their musical style.

References. Alleyne, Mike (2000), White Reggae: Cultural Dilution in the Record Industry. Popular Music and Society, Vol 24, No. 1, pp 15-30 Clarke, Paul. 1983, A Magic Science: Rock Music as a Recording Art. Popular Music, Vol. 3, Producers and Markets. pp 195-213

Dockwray, Ruth. Moore, Allan (2008) The Establishment of the Virtual Performance Space in Rock, Twentieth Century Music, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp 219-241 Farley, Christopher John. 1996. When the Musics Over, Time Magazine. [Article] Vol. 148, No. 8. Mydans, Seth (1991), Seven Minutes in Los Angles- A special report.; Videotaped Beating by Officers Puts Full Glare on Brutality Issue., The New York Times [Online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/18/us/seven-minutes-los-angelesspecial-report-videotaped-beating-officers-puts-full.html?sec=&spon= [Accessed on 12 May 2010] Porcello, Thomas. 1991, The Ethics of Digital Audio-Sampling: Engineers Discourse. Popular Music, Vol. 10, No. 1, The 1890s, pp. 69-84. Sublime Bio, The Gauntlet [Online] Available at http://www.thegauntlet.com/bio/3769/Sublime.html [Accessed 5 May 2010] Whiteley, Sheila (1990) Progressive Rock and Psychedelic Coding in the Work of Jimi Hendrix. Popular Music, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp 37-60 Wisdom, Sublime STP. (2001) [Online] Available at http://sublimestp.com/?page=pages/wisdom [Accessed 7 May 2010] VH1s Behind the Music: Sublime. 2001. [DVD] New York, USA: VH1 (Narrated by Jim Forbes)