tumbledry

Play It Again, Backwards

Reversing songs is my new favorite hobby. The process is fairly simple, really. First, you create a *.wav file of the song you would like to reverse. Then, you open it on up in your favorite sound editor (I used Programs > Accessories > Entertainment > Sound Recorder) and reverse the file. Then, you save it. If you like it, you can recompress it. These simple steps lead to better understanding of the music you are listening to.

So far, the first track I have ever reversed is my favorite. Jimmy Eat World’s “My Sundown” is a fantastic song forwards. However, I noticed the effects in the intro and fade-out of the song sounded like they were reversed (so they play backwards when the song is playing forwards). Sure enough, reversal revealed that they started as a neat guitar loop and then were flipped around to be in the song. For some reason, though, I kept listening. Cymbol crashes were crescendos, bass kicks came with a slurping sound, it was an ordered cacophony.

The lyrics meant something different.

You can clearly here the words “no one” as you play the song in reverse, among other phrases that are almost meaningful. Nils’ reply sums it up well.

This sounds absolutely mind-boggling and I must see, or rather hear, this for myself. I am intrigued, at a high level. Please, reverse other songs. Please. When you discover other hidden meanings, notify me immediately.

So far, nothing has been as interesting as “My Sundown,” but I suspect that Radiohead songs could be quite interesting when played the wrong way. Go forth and reverse.

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