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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Pentatonix and the Music They Can Teach us to “Love Again”



We grow closer and closer to the all-important date, October 21 2015. We are supposed to have evolved to the point where our cars fly and run on garbage, “Jaws” has six more sequels, and hand held video games are a baby’s toy. I will be demanding my hover board on that day. We don’t dress much like the people in Back to The Future II, thank goodness, but at least one independent musical group is not afraid to push the edges of style. For all the ways science fiction attempts to predict our future, rarely does it predict the future of music. The independent acappella quintet sensation Pentatonix manages to do just that.

Pentatonix recently debuted their original song “Love Again” on Youtube  three weeks ago, and it already has over 5.5 million views. The costume style of the video goes beyond science fiction—a strange mix of the retro style of Max Hedrum and the futuristic stylings of the citizens of the Capital in the Hunger Games. The vocal group manages to show us a unique style and take us on a journey toward the future of music in a single stroke of artistic genius.

 The champions of season three of the acclaimed NBC show “The Sing Off” have made a name for themselves with incredible covers garnering millions of views and subscriptions. No style of music is beyond their reach. Be it a Sesame Street Classic remix of “Rubber Ducky” and “C is for Cookie”, A haunting rendition of “Say Something” by A Great Big World, or their magical acappella take on Carol of the Bells, Pentatonix has covered it all. They consistently prove they can create any sound and feeling with their voices alone, and never is that more clear than in their song “Love Again.”

They begin the song together, but the song quickly explodes into a blaring electronic track. Except there are no electronics. There are no music producers with fancy sound mixing equipment. There are only voices. Five voices harmonized so well and so in tune with each other’s energy you’ll forget that you’re listening to five different voices rather than just one. Kevin “K.O.” Olusola does more than keep the tempo, coming up with more electronic musical vibes than famed Police Academy actor Michael Winslow could ever hope to imitate. Kirstie Maldonado weaves in a feminine undertone which uplifts the main theme of the song and drives home the confident feeling of the beat. Scott Hoying turns over the lead position to the incredible high male voice range of Mitch Grassi, but the songwriter provides harmony and much needed strength to the chorus. Mitch himself gives the song a genderless quality seldom achieved by today’s music. Last but not least, Avi Kaplan drops a lyrical bass vibe in the song that will motivate men and enchant the ladies.

The members of Pentatonix are veterans of the new surge in Independent music sweeping the industry. They recently signed on with Patreon, a wonderful website where artists of all types can get the support they deserve directly from their fans. In this regard the young quintet has a bright future ahead, as they are adored by their fans and are prime examples of the freedom all artists should have to create without restriction or without what a label tells them will be popular. The original song “Love Again” is a glimpse into the future of music. It is a demonstration of what unbridled creativity can make, along with stellar cinematographers like FifGen films. We may be far away yet from our flying cars and hover boards, but thanks to artists like those in Pentatonix the future of music is now.  

Check out Pentatonix at their official website for details on tours and album information

Check out the new video on youtube here:

And support them on Patreon
http://www.patreon.com/pentatonix


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