Blood On The Onto Analysis

Introduction The concept of recording has changed drastically, evolving and developing throughout the years. This allows musicians to record any amount of music they wish. Albin Zak chose to discuss this subject in his article "Sound as Form" and dissects the concept of music recordings and what they are comprised of. Zak is of the opinion that musical recordings begin as "isolated elements" which combine together to become "the piece as a whole". Zak identifies Musical Performance, Timbre, Echo, Ambience and Texture as the five components that are present in a music recording. These five elements can be heard in the song "Blood on the Leaves" by the rapper Kanye West. West who has gained worldwide fame for his music showcases these factors

West's music can be defined as the genre of Hip Hop, which includes music heavy in fast paced rapping (or singing), the instrumentation includes many electronic and synthetic elements and various cases of overdubbing of voices. West uses the sample of Simone’s rendition of "Strange Fruit" continuously throughout this track. Zak explains timbre with the example of “Zoo Station” by U2 by saying timbre “is the parameter that allows for the greatest range of experimentation in rock”. This can also be seen clearly in West’s music as this particular track is the product of mixing two genres together. Both songs come from different eras, “Strange Fruit” first released in 1939 and “Blood on the Leaves” released in 2013. Both songs may represent different time periods, however they join together to form a unique sound. Both songs take characteristics from their style and time and combine with the counterpart therefore creating a fusion effect. This demonstrates Zak’s theory as we can see West venturing outside of his typical style and adding variation to his sonic colour. This shows West’s ability to look beyond his typical style of hip hop and create a new sound using both new musical ideas and old familiar material to create a

As previously mentioned, the track "Strange Fruit" performed by Nina Simone appears at various stages throughout the song. The two tracks are completely opposite in terms of texture. The sample of "Strange Fruit" is a single voice accompanied by a piano which can be described as a homophonic texture as there is a support system for the voice. West creates a rich intense atmosphere within the song using many instruments and different melodies and accompaniment which in turn produce a polyphonic texture as there are many ideas, melodies taking place within the song. West alternates between the two textures beginning with the homophonic sample of "Strange Fruit" then gradually adding more instruments together and then mixes the two songs together to create a fierce sound captivating his audience and holding their attention. West alternates between the two textures for example: At 2.49, Simone's solo voice can be heard singing "Strange Fruit" while West raps a verse with the support of the electronic section being played at the same time. In the last 50 seconds, the instruments begin to fade and disappear in stages from the song. Eventually, the only three instruments present are West's voice, Simone's voice and piano. West's voice gradually fades away and the texture is now the same homophonic texture that it began with