Perceptuella attribut i extrema subgenrer av punk : Undersökning av aggressivitet, intensitet, råhet och tyngd inom crust punk och relaterade stilar

Sammanfattning

The effects of distortion on the physical properties of audio signals are by now largely established; however, when these effects are related to human perception and emotional response, the area remains less explored, as it involves a high degree of contextual nuance. Previous work, including that of Mark Mynett, has examined perception in metal music, where distortion was identified as a key component for perception of heaviness. Building on Mynett’s perspective, the present study investigates perception within extreme subgenres of punk, which have received limited academic attention. The primary focus is on the attributes of aggressiveness, rawness, and intensity, as these descriptors are commonly associated with extreme forms of punk such as crust-punk and anarcho-punk. The aim was to provide an initial exploration of how these attributes emerge and interact. Additionally, the attribute of heaviness was examined. Although not considered a defining characteristic of the punk subgenres, heaviness is included due to its secondary relevance and to enable comparison with metal, which shares several key traits with the subgenres examined in this study. The factors that were identified by Mark Mynett as crucial for the perception of heaviness in metal (such as instrumentation, compositional approaches and most importantly, the use of distortion) can also be found in crust-punk. Therefore, it was hypothesized that heaviness can also occur in crust punk, despite Mynett’s suggestion that high production quality is an important condition for its occurrence. This study therefore places particular emphasis on exploring the relationship between perceived production quality and the examined attributes. The selected punk subgenres provide an ideal context for this, as they are often characterized by exceptionally low production quality while still being related to metal, a genre that is somewhat better understood.