From Cher’s »Believe« to the T-Pain swagger era and today’s trap rappers, Auto-Tune has become synonymous with bad taste, artificiality or even lack of proficiency. Long used as a discreet pitch and time corrector for vocals, it has become a standard of mainstream pop music. On the African continent, one could argue that this groundbreaking technology has become a tool of empowerment, playing a role in democratising access to music making. Not just a quick fix to patch up mistakes but a creative device for purposeful aesthetic flourishes and bold artistic choices, Auto-Tune enabled both the growth of various styles of modern African music and the rise of innovative musicians throughout the continent. Together with producer Max Le Daron and music consultant and AFRO x POP organiser Pamela Owusu-Brenyah, the »African Beats & Pieces« founder Boris Paillard alias DJ Mixanthrope discusses the impact that the software has had and what its future may hold in store.
From Cher’s »Believe« to the T-Pain swagger era and today’s trap rappers, Auto-Tune has become synonymous with bad taste, artificiality or even lack of proficiency. Long used as a discreet pitch and time corrector for vocals, it has become a standard of mainstream pop music. On the African continent, one could argue that this groundbreaking technology has become a tool of empowerment, playing a role in democratising access to music making. Not just a quick fix to patch up mistakes but a creative device for purposeful aesthetic flourishes and bold artistic choices, Auto-Tune enabled both the growth of various styles of modern African music and the rise of innovative musicians throughout the continent. Together with producer Max Le Daron and music consultant and AFRO x POP organiser Pamela Owusu-Brenyah, the »African Beats & Pieces« founder Boris Paillard alias DJ Mixanthrope discusses the impact that the software has had and what its future may hold in store.
