The Sound of Bass Culture(s): Heaviness, Blackness, and Ubiquitous Bass

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dc.contributor.advisorWallmark, Zachary
dc.contributor.authorBurton, Nicholas
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-10T14:14:10Z
dc.date.available2024-01-10T14:14:10Z
dc.date.issued2024-01-10
dc.description.abstractBass culture describes the shared affinity for excessive low frequency aesthetics. During the 2000s and 2010s, discussion of the term first emerged within the context of bass-centric Afrodiasporic popular music genres such as hip-hop, EDM, dancehall, and reggaeton. In this thesis, I theorize sonic elements of bass prominence through the concept of heaviness—a multidimensional timbral definition that extends beyond mere prescriptions of lowness and loudness. Historicizing bass centricity, I discuss Jamaican music during the 1950s and ‘60s where sound system practices contributed to the codification of bass as a sign of Blackness. Looking to the future, I present the concept of ubiquitous bass—the omnipresence of low-end frequencies now available in the latest developments of portable listening devices. Though a case study of Beats headphones, I argue that increased accessibility of heavy bass in virtual experiences marks a significant shift from established accounts of low-end theory.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/29210
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregon
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.
dc.subjectBass Cultureen_US
dc.subjectBeats Headphonesen_US
dc.subjectBlacknessen_US
dc.subjectHeavinessen_US
dc.subjectJamaican Sound Systemsen_US
dc.subjectTimbreen_US
dc.titleThe Sound of Bass Culture(s): Heaviness, Blackness, and Ubiquitous Bass
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineSchool of Music and Dance
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregon
thesis.degree.levelmasters
thesis.degree.nameM.A.

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