[Column] Why does music that was born underground come back again and again?
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What is Underground Music?
| Text: mmr | Theme: Why does the music that comes from underground come back again and again? Deciphering the cyclical structure of underground culture and its relationship with society through the history of jazz, punk, house, grime, etc. |
Sound starting from an invisible place
Many revolutions in music history were not created for the masses from the beginning. In fact, the opposite is true.
A lot of new music comes from obscure places.
- underground club
- warehouse party
- pirate radio
- small record shop
- Self-produced cassette
Music born in these places is often ““sounds that are not understood’’ at first.
Looking back on history,
- jazz
- rock
- punk
- hip hop
- House
- Techno
- grime
All of these genres started out underground.
In other words, underground is not a genre.
It is a state.
- Not yet accepted by society
- Not yet an industry
- I can’t explain it yet.
It is a word that refers to the place where such music exists.
Underground is not ““hidden music” but ““future music that is not yet understood.”
Conditions for the birth of underground
Culture born in the gaps in society
Underground music has several conditions in common.
Firstly, being on the social periphery.
- Surroundings of the city
- Immigrant community
- Youth culture
- Minority culture
In these places, values that differ from mainstream culture develop.
Second, there is technical freedom.
- Inexpensive recording equipment
- new instruments
- pirate radio
- internet
When technology becomes widespread, music suddenly becomes democratized.
Thirdly, there is a small community.
- record shop
- Club
- DIY events
- Local media
Underground culture first matures in small communities before reaching the masses.
When these conditions come together, new music is born.
Underground culture does not occur in isolation; it emerges naturally from the gaps in society.
The moment underground becomes mainstream
Diffusion of subculture
If you look at history, a lot of underground music explodes at a certain moment.
This happens mainly due to three factors.
- Media
- Technology
- industry
For example, jazz in the 1920s was spread by the recording industry.
Rock and roll in the 1950s was spread by radio and television.
Punk in the 1970s was spread by music magazines and indie labels.
House and techno in the late 1980s spread around the world through club culture and a network of record shops.
In other words, underground music becomes visible at some stage.
And at that moment, culture spreads.
Underground culture changes from subculture to pop culture the moment it becomes visible.
The turning point of commercialization
Change brought about by success
Once underground culture spreads, the next thing that happens is commercialization.
- record company
- Media
- advertisement
- Brand
These industries begin to be involved in culture.
As a result, music reaches more people.
But at the same time, changes occur.
- music becomes shorter
- Sound becomes easier to understand
- Image becomes branded
Many genres become ““pop’’ at this stage.
- Punk becomes pop punk
- Hip hop becomes pop rap
- Techno turns into EDM
This change is not the end of culture.
Rather, it is part of a cycle.
When underground culture becomes successful, it becomes mainstream culture, and from that moment on, the next underground is born.
Return to the underground
Why the underground is coming back
When we look at the history of music, there is a strange phenomenon.
Music that becomes mainstream is always rejected at some point.
This is a backlash from the younger generation.
- Sound became commercial
- Culture is now safe
- Messages have been weakened
When a new generation feels this way, they head elsewhere.
- warehouse party
- DIY events
- pirate radio
- Online community
In other words, underground culture is born as a reaction of mainstream culture.
This cycle is repeated over and over again.
The resurgence of the underground is not an accident, but a natural reaction to mainstream culture.
Circulation of underground culture in music history
This cycle can be seen in almost every genre.
- jazz
- rock
- punk
- hip hop
- dance music
Culture spreads, matures, becomes saturated, and then returns underground.
Music culture does not progress in a straight line, but as a cycle that goes back and forth between underground and above ground.
Chronology: History of underground music
| Years | Events |
|---|---|
| 1920s | Jazz develops in underground clubs in American cities |
| 1950s | Rock and roll expands as youth culture |
| 1970s | Punk emerges as a DIY culture |
| 1980s | Birth of house and techno in Chicago and Detroit |
| 1990s | Rave culture and drum & bass expansion |
| 2000s | Grime was born from pirate radio |
| 2010s | Internet-originated genres such as SoundCloud rap emerge |
| 2020s | Internet community forms new underground scene |
Underground culture has always been born in new places and changed over time.
Underground culture in the internet age
Underground in the digital age
In the 21st century, the meaning of underground has changed somewhat.
Previously, a “physical location” was required.
- underground club
- Local record store
- pirate radio
But the Internet has created a new underground.
- Online forum
- Streaming -SNS
-
Music sharing site
- SoundCloud -Bandcamp
- YouTube
These platforms connected small scenes around the world.
As a result, underground culture lost its geographical limitations.
- Producer in Tokyo
- London DJ
- Berlin Club
Sometimes these things create a scene at the same time.
Underground culture in the Internet age exists not as a place but as a network.
Why underground culture won’t disappear
Music evolution device
The music industry is huge.
But much of that innovation comes from outside the industry.
Because there are three freedoms in the underground.
- Freedom to fail
- Freedom to experiment
- Freedom to continue even if it doesn’t sell
In mainstream culture, this freedom is restricted.
- budget
- market
- Brand
However, in underground culture, these constraints are weak.
As a result, new sounds are born.
Often it is a strange and incomprehensible sound.
But after a few years, the sound can become mainstream.
Underground culture is a laboratory for testing the future of music.
Conclusion: Underground is the future
Underground music has appeared many times throughout history.
It doesn’t go away.
This is because as long as mainstream culture exists, there will also be an outside world.
Underground cultures start small, grow in communities, and eventually spread throughout the world.
And the moment it expands, a new underground is born somewhere.
Music history is a repetition of this process.
The sounds that begin underground eventually become the sounds of the times.
The future of music is always beginning to sound underground, something that cannot yet be seen.
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