Auto-tune, which was once a way for artists to cover up their flaws or conceal their lack of talent, has now evolved into a mainstream and socially accepted engineering technique. First prominently used in 1998 by artist Cher, it was originally created to adjust pitch while singing. The change was often so subtle it happened without detection. That has all changed.
Artists now use auto-tune to create a human-synth effect, which sounds moderately robotic. Rapper T-Pain is one of the most prominent artists to use auto-tune. Using it in the majority of his songs, T-Pain changed the game by using auto-tune to manipulate his voice as opposed to perfecting it. Many other artists followed suit. Kanye West’s 2008 release, “808s and Heartbreak,” was his first instance using auto-tune, and this album was named one of the 40 most groundbreaking records of all time by Rolling Stone. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver has used auto-tune in numerous records, most prominently his completely auto-tuned album “22, A Million.”
Both Kanye, T-Pain and Vernon have one thing in common, besides the fact they all use auto-tune: they do not need it. They have all released music without using auto-tune to make their voices sound robotic, and they were hits. Each one of their voices is something to marvel over apart from the auto-tune. They are pure and deep, full of passion and just all-around good singers.
So why do they use this product?
Personally, I cannot answer for the artists themselves, but I can give my opinion. For me, auto-tune adds another dimension to the song. It resonates deeper with me due to the raspy, chorale-sounding voice it creates. It personifies lyrics and adds sounds you could not otherwise hear without the auto-tune.
Making the robotic-sounding voice in the studio is one thing, but Justin wanted to make it on the stage as well. Justin Vernon had his engineer, Chris Messina, create him his own personal synth, which Justin named the Messina, after Chris.
“Onstage, Justin is singing a song, and he’s playing a keyboard that can create harmonies simultaneously,” Messina said. “Normally, you record something first and then add harmonies later. But Justin wanted to not only harmonize in real time but also be able to do it with another person and another instrument. The result is one thing sounding like a lot of things. It creates this huge chorale sound.”
This one-of-a-kind synth is why Vernon is seen behind a laptop while performing at every concert. Vernon was always known to be unique. Whether it was creating his first album as Bon Iver in a secluded cabin in Wisconsin or his casual attire on stage, nothing he does strikes people as shocking anymore. Being a part of five bands—Big Red Machine, Bon Iver, Volcano Choir, DeYarmond Edison and Gayngs (the first three are still active)—and being associated with more than twenty different artists and bands whose genres span from folk to rap, Vernon has no boundaries, or if he does, they are consistently being pushed.
Kanye has praised Vernon, referring to him as his “favorite living artist,” which is extreme praise coming from an artist as notable as Kanye. The two have appeared on multiple songs together, including “Friends” by Francis and the “Lights” featuring Bon Iver and Kanye West and “Lost In The World” by Kanye featuring Bon Iver.
Vernon’s musical success is just the tip of the iceberg. With the help of the National’s Aaron Dessner, the two have created a free music platform known as People, which is described on their website as “a steadily growing group of artists, freely creating and sharing our work with each other and everyone.”
“It was born of a wish to establish an independent and nurturing space in which to make work (generally around music) that is collaborative, spontaneous and expressive in nature and where all unnecessary distractions or obstacles that get in the way are removed,” People’s website said. “People is for the benefit and development of the artists involved and just as importantly, for those who would like to access and enjoy the output. It is as much about the process of making work and showing all that openly, as the final outcome.”
The two also host a music festival called Eaux Claires in Justin’s former college town and now place of residence, Eau Claire, WI. Last year, the festival featured names such as Moses Sumney, Phoebe Bridgers, Julian Baker, Gordi, Big Red Machine and the National.
Even with the constant experimenting and his other ventures, Vernon never fails to make heartfelt music, which resonates with each one of his listeners. He continues to impress us time after time with each new lyric. Vernon is one of the few true musical geniuses left in the world, and it is marvelous.
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