Harlem Shake

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Introduction

Originating from the streets of Harlem comes a song that, initially, did not gain much fan fair, but went viral on the internet after comedian, Filthy Frank, made a ridiculous dance video of it (Knopper, 2013). Thousands of copycats created different version in unexpected environments such as skydiving or underwater(Allencastre, 2013). The song is called Harlem Shake by DJ producer, Bauuer. These videos popularized a underground, electronic, dance music (EDM) genre known as “trap”. A genre that attempts to bridge popular EDM synths with southern hip hop influences. Baauer evolves this genres by bringing a much more electric element to the sound so hip hop may not be a genre that comes to mind when listening to the track. This short essay will attempt to analyze this piece of music from an instrumental point of view by naming the different instruments used, discussing pitch. The paper will also discuss duration, tempo, timbre, dynamics, texture and silences at different parts of the song. Through its structure and mood, I will attempt to create a story and give meaning to this music. Indeed, overall, this music is a story that represents the prolonging, desensitized, gang warfare that infested the Harlem district of New York during the 1920s.

Body
Intro (0:00-0:16)
The piece starts with vocals shouting in a foreign language. A synth beat immediately follows with light clapping percussion, looping vocals from the start and a fast synth beat growing in the background on a higher octave. The melody does not have much variety notes. Soon snares contribute to the coming beat drop and finally a a contrasting base vocal drops the song. Beat drops are typical EDM parts that attempt to build tension and release the musical...

... middle of paper ...

...y conveyed a story based on the musical components. Through, pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, dynamics, tecture, rests, structure and mood at different parts, Harlem Shake conveyed a desensitized depiction of gang warfare in the rough Harlem district of New York during the 1920s. Perhaps the lack of emotion tries to convey a darker message. Indeed, an emotion that accepts tragedy and evil as reality because it has always been present. Yet, instead of ignoring the evil, acknowledging it and finding the positive out of it may help deal with the issue: Dancing.

References
Knopper, S (2013). How Baauer Took 'Harlem Shake' to Number One. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from: www.rollingstone.com
Alencastre, R. (2013). Top Ten- Best Harlem Shake versions. Youtube. Retrieved from: www.youtube.com
Baauer. (2012). Harlem Shake. Soundcloud. Retrieved from: www.soundcloud.com

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