'Experimental'

[Notget 502]

So..

I see this term used a lot on the internet especially with regard to music. It seems to be used very liberally as in 'this is experimental because it doesn't sound like something that would be top 40', but usually the examples songs that are very conventional and have a typical sound/style(s)/composition. 'Experimental music' back then tended to mean music which was sonically/compositionally cutting edge/atypical/challenging, something that wasn't really derivative.

So for instance, this isn't experimental:

 

but this is experimental:

 

[TheodoreRx 1,540]

I think experimental can also mean experimental for an artist though. As in an artist is experimenting with a new way of making music for them. 

[Smother Em Eh 7,131]

What about Aura? Is Aura experimental or not? Cuz a lot of people say it is. 

[SEXODUS 5,927]

I guess you could interpret it in different ways: experimental for the artist and experimental for the whole industry. 

Björk in that sense is the queen of both the waves. She always manages to experiment with herself and music itself.

We could also name drop a few other artists that pushed the limits in my opinion: 

Spoiler

 

 

[FfFfFfFF 56,022]

There are different degrees of experimentality.

[PunkTheFunk 124,466]

Let's be real, all you need for an 'experimental' song is gibberish lyrics sung really slow over a random selection of sounds 

In fact I'll make an experimental song right now. Combine the sounds of a computer starting up, someone hitting the top of a trash can, and a wet fart. "My face is a toaster; birds are flying inside of me; someone turned the pancakes off; I am inside the universe; three cats stole my bike"

[TheSlash 14,539]

3 minutes ago, PunkTheFunk said:

Let's be real, all you need for an 'experimental' song is gibberish lyrics sung really slow over a random selection of sounds

Fun fact: SOPHIE's song 'Pretending' contains the lyrics 'I was just pretending', but paulstretched throughout half of the song which pretends (  ) to be all ambient music  . Receipt:

 

OT: I think most of SOPHIE's current music is pretty experimental, I mean listen to the song above in the original version or to "Whole New World/Pretend World"  

[Didymus 34,380]

40 minutes ago, Smother Em Eh said:

What about Aura? Is Aura experimental or not? Cuz a lot of people say it is. 

It's not. It's a pop song incorporating experimental elements. Whenever you go for the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure it's already not experimental, no matter what your song sounds like. Experimental music is by definition a deviation from conventional approaches to songwriting.

[Didymus 34,380]

15 minutes ago, PunkTheFunk said:

Let's be real, all you need for an 'experimental' song is gibberish lyrics sung really slow over a random selection of sounds

Well, that would be an atrocious experimental song. It starts to become good when it's not gibberish and is not random. I'd imagine that was straightforward logic but apparently not on this forum...

[TSUNAMI 21,016]

This is experimental:

 

 

[Notget 502]

8 minutes ago, JFK said:

This is experimental:

 

 

What's experimental about it?

[SolidSnake 2,804]

27 minutes ago, PunkTheFunk said:

Let's be real, all you need for an 'experimental' song is gibberish lyrics sung really slow over a random selection of sounds 

In fact I'll make an experimental song right now. Combine the sounds of a computer starting up, someone hitting the top of a trash can, and a wet fart. "My face is a toaster; birds are flying inside of me; someone turned the pancakes off; I am inside the universe; three cats stole my bike"

Thats a bit of an oversimplification. You can have very simple lyrics as long as it sounds unique. See almost the entireity of The Beatles' "Revolver" album. Specifically Tomorrow Never Knows or Love you to
 

For how not to do "Experimental" music see the entirety of ARTPOP.

[SolidSnake 2,804]

14 minutes ago, JFK said:

This is experimental:

 

 

[brunothesinger 127]

The experimental aspect of Lady Gaga's music is that she tries to incorporate new elements from different sources to make pop music. So by the end of the day it is still pop music - even if it's with a hint of country or something. 

Experimental Music per se is a genre of music made with unconventional instruments and basically random stuff put together where artists literally experiment with sounds.

Lady Gaga might use that, but she's not the one creating new instruments and stuff.

[RAMROD 109,631]

Experimental is a word with vast meanings, each people have their way to describe that. Art is plural and absurd and yet, it is also universal. You cannot say anything definitive about it. If it is make people react, both ways, the bad or good, then it works. The point of it is to start a conversation, aside from enjoying it.

Most of you laughed about Yoko Ono's music but that is what she feels as art and experimental one at that. You can say whatever, but she can also believe everything as well.Just one example.