Methods for pitch analysis in contemporary popular music: Vitalic's use of tones that do not operate on the principle of acoustic resonance

TL;DR

This paper analyzes Vitalic's innovative use of inharmonic tones in electronic music, highlighting how such tones evoke multiple pitches and differ from traditional harmonic resonance, with broader implications for contemporary music analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed examination of inharmonic tones in Vitalic's music and demonstrates their presence in other contemporary popular music, expanding understanding of tone use beyond harmonic resonance.

Findings

Vitalic's 'No Fun' features inharmonic tones evoking multiple pitches.

Inharmonic partial layouts are used to create complex melodic textures.

Similar tone properties are identified in other contemporary music examples.

Abstract

Vitalic is an electronic music producer who has been active since 2001. Vitalic's 2005 track "No Fun" features a main synthesiser part built from a sequence of single inharmonic tones that evoke two simultaneous melodies. This part serves as a starting point for examining Vitalic's use of tones that do not operate on the principle of acoustic resonance. The study considers tones that evoke two or more simultaneous pitches and examines various inharmonic partial layouts. Examples outside Vitalic's music are also provided to suggest that similar tone properties can be found elsewhere in contemporary popular music.