If M:TG were music....
General forum
Posted on March 21, 2014, 4:56 a.m. by aeonstoremyliver
I'm a musician, and I have a lot of time to think random thoughts at work. So tonight I wondered, "What types of music describe the colors of Magic?" Here's what I came up with, and I'd love to hear your thoughts:
White: Classical music. It's very orderly, structured, and beautiful. Think Tchaikovsky, Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven
Blue: Jazz and Jam Band. Jazz and Jam Band music is very fluid, thought provoking, and complex. Think Bella Fleck and the Flecktones, Phish, Louis Armstrong, and Count Bassie.
Black: Metal/Deathmetal/Screamo. Vomit in the mic, worshiping Satan kind of stuff. Slipknot, Iron Maiden, Type-O Negative, etc.
Red: Pop music/Dance/Techno. Most danceable pop/techno is set at 120 beats per minute, which is a steady, raised heart rate. Also most pop songs only last 2:45. Think Lady GaGa, Pink, Bruno Mars, Pharrell, etc.
Green: The Blues/Reggae. Now hear me out on this one, as it was difficult. The blues and reggae are generally peaceful, slow, and flow predictably. However there are instances within the genre that prove to be quite potent, ethereal, and unexpected. Think Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix (most notably, Voodoo Chile, Slight Return), Robert Johnson, Bob Marley, and Sublime.
I'm curious what you all think. Perhaps even we can discuss shards and guilds. Rakdos is a party animal...
Unforgivn_II says... #3
In fact, that's a chance to incorporate a color combo. I could see Iron Maiden as Black/White. Since so often metal (good metal) has melodies which stem from classical influence.
March 21, 2014 5:19 a.m.
I think you've got red down to a T. If given the chance, I'd hit Lady GaGa with a Lightning Bolt or 60.
March 21, 2014 5:21 a.m.
Silly Emrakool, 7 is enough to bring her to 0.
As a musician myself, I feel you're biased towards metal, where that is totally uncalled for. The large majority of metal isn't about 'vomiting in the mic', and close to none are about worshipping Satan. Metal can be one of the most technical, complex and interesting forms music, not doing under for jazz in that aspect (although they're very different techniques). It's roots lie in classical music, rock and vaguely enough, blues.
Black might still be the right colour for it, but for totally different reasons. It tends to deal with the darker feelings people have.
Blue and jazz don't mix how I see it. Jazz is all about freedom and expression, where blue is about structure and control.
March 21, 2014 5:54 a.m.
I think that is a very interesting idea.
But lyrical content should also largely be a consideration for personifying colors with music. For instance, black might be a good fit for some types of metal, but it would honestly be a better fit for sad/depressing/creepy music in general, without the general lyrical and musical aggressiveness that bands that you described generally provide. I would think, perhaps, that The Virus of Life by Slipknot would be a good fit for black (because it is a song about stalking and evil), but something like Spit It Out by the same band would be a better fit for red (since it is an aggressive song without the underlying sense of creepiness).
Red in general could go with a lot of aggressive music, picking out songs that are more about fighting and unbridled aggression than anything else- because that is what red is all about.
Blue would be philosophical music, since blue more often than not ends up being the color of thought.
White could easily find a fit under religious music, since a significant part is about angels and religion itself is very structured and focused on humanity.
Green is indeed a hard fit, but it could fit nicely under music that is focused on nature (obviously) but self-improvement more broadly.
March 21, 2014 6:37 a.m.
derKochXXL says... #7
Thank you Yananas! Those were exactly my thoughts. I would actually say that any kind of EDM falls into blue. Or even more extreme stuff like musique concrete, Yannis Xenakis, Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, that kind of stuff (Wikipedia it!).
I'd actually think Red would best be represented with something like Punk: Loud, fast, aggressive, explosive.
I don't really feel black as the metal colour (at least not in magic). Or at least it depends on the kind of metal, but I don't think metal is considered that egocentrical, among it's listeners. I would rather hand the music of the romantics to black. It's very emotional, but focused on exploring yourself emotionally.
White might be well represented with renaissance and baroque music. Those are very structured and aiming at higher goals of a society under strict rulership.
Idk just a few thoughts, from a music nerd.
March 21, 2014 9:33 a.m.
Red is definitely punk, I agree.
Green could be jazz because it's about self expression, and growth as a musician.
That means blue could be classical, whilst white could be plainsong or some other genre or worship.
Also: most musicians don't make negative generalisations about other genres. A good musician respects what every genre can bring to the table. This is something you quickly learn if you work in a recording studio and do session work.
March 21, 2014 9:39 a.m.
White should be hymns and chants. Everyone equal, with ancient and structured peaceful music.
March 21, 2014 10:16 a.m.
This is a very cool topic and one that I've Ponder ed myself and I even have a deck named after one of my favorite albums, O God, the Aftermath. If each color were represented by a genre then this is how I'd see it:
White: Gospel, churchy hymns
Blue: dance/club music
Green: jazz/funk/earthy type stuff
Black: prgessive/tech metal with hints of screamo
Red: grunge/punk
March 21, 2014 10:19 a.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #11
Mtg is basically all metal Rain of Gore , Thrashing Mossdog , Skred , Imposing Sovereign , Lava Axe , Aurora Eidolon , Molten Birth , Burning Earth , Blood Crypt , Kindle the Carnage .
March 21, 2014 10:34 a.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #13
Entomb , Exhume , Polis Crusher , Survival of the Fittest , Counterflux , Abjure , Berserk , Northern Paladin , Advent of the Wurm , Vindicate , Crusade , AEther Storm , Dream Halls , Broodstar , Electrolyze .
I can keep going.
March 21, 2014 11:23 a.m.
@fluffybunnypants: Were you just commenting on this thread or reciting the track listing of a Deathklok album?
March 21, 2014 11:43 a.m.
interesting thread. definitely bookmarked!
so how about we add in dual colors?
Dimir is trippy/EDM?
Rakdos would be the screamo type the OP mentioned
what i cant pindown is Selesnya. what plays best while white weenies attack with Overrun
? Bach maybe?
March 21, 2014 12:01 p.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #17
I can't define genres the 5 colors of mana, too much variance in the actually songs. I can identify these songs with them though.
Black: ULTRAnumb & The Crazies
Red: Destroyer & April 29, 1992
Green: Circle of Life & Born to be Wild
White: In the Arms of an Angel & Change the World
Blue: Lateralus
March 21, 2014 12:06 p.m.
cireretals says... #18
I think you could dive much deeper into this topic. With alittle thought you could find songs from each genre. I'm mostly listen to rock/metal(or anything thats not pop/rap) and just in that you could find songs that fit each color. But going with OP and few comments, I think Billy Joel would be a good fit for blue.
March 21, 2014 12:32 p.m.
derKochXXL says... #19
The other way around the question might be even more interesting: What colour is genre XY? Or even what colour is artist XY, or song XY?
For excample I think most Rap music might just be black (let the rascism accusations begin), because it's very self-centric (which as you might have assumed I think is the key to black). But then you have artists that don't really fit that description, like A tribe called Quest, or the Roots.
Punk (as another example) seems to be totally red, but what about stuff like the Clash.
We might have to up this to guild colours.
March 21, 2014 12:46 p.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #20
Halo Hunter , Abhorrent Overlord , Lord of the Pit , Massacre , Disfigure , Murder , Dismember , Entomber Exarch .
No, no, the color black is Black Metal, tech Death Metal and Death Metal.
As for Rakdos: Rain of Gore , Slaughter Games ... these are NOT screamo crap names. Rakdos is basically Slayer.
March 21, 2014 1:02 p.m.
I always thought Polukranos, World Eater would make a great subject for a metal song.
March 21, 2014 1:50 p.m.
My thoughts are conflicting on a few of the colors, but here's what I've come up with:
White - I picture the kind of music older white people listen to, like the songs you would hear on Lite 102.9 Easy Listening (Micheal McDonald, Cat Stevens, Paul Simon)
Blue - I imagine a group of incredibly technical musicians, moving in unison across various platforms of sound, making sense out of the chaos.Jam Band/Technical Rock (Phish, The Mars Volta, Dreamtheater, Rush, Tool)
Red - This one is tough, and travels a long distance throughout multiple genres, but i feel like it encompasses anything with lots of speed and raw emotion.Techno/Thrash/Punk (Dragonforce, Dropkick Murphys)
Black - How can you think of black without thinking of metal? Not the screaming teen angst from the latest generation, but the darker, heavier bands from the previous generation. Metal/Rock (Black Sabbath, Metallica)
Green - The hardest one of all, quite the brainteaser. However, I must agree with OP, the idea of green representing some of the reggae greats makes me smile. Maybe we can classify green as "music smokers would listen to."Reggae/Soul (Bob Marley, Sublime, Matis Yahu)
March 21, 2014 2:34 p.m.
Unforgivn_II says... #24
@Emrakool - If only there were cards as ridiculous as Dethklok songs. Id love it. Murmaider, Thunderhorse, and one of my personal favorites, Laser Cannon Deth Sentence. They'd have to be pretty dang OP
March 21, 2014 3:12 p.m.
TheAmazingSalsa says... #25
Interesting thread... I can't assign each color a genre, it's just too impossible, with all the sub-genres and all (yeah, I'm a geek). But I've assigned songs to colors:
White - The most structured of colors out there... And I personally think that Classical music is too boring for white, because it can get pretty nasty at times, white is not weak, and doesn't take it's time building up if it wants to break your legs. The best song to describe white is "Down the Road - C2C"
Blue - Being the intellectual color, and also using logic to beat their enemies, Blue is hard to decode, being mysterious and never letting you understand what's going on. The best song to describe it is "Ravayah - Masada Guitars"
Red - Passionate, all over the place, not making any sense whatsoever, but coming out as beautiful and strong. "My human gets me blues - Captain Beefheart"
Black - Took me a while to find a song that Fits... Color of death, misery and mischief, it just has a depressing feel to it. "We can't Stop - Miley Cyrus"
Green - Being the strongest of them all, Green is also very beautiful, and one with nature. every single green card has a bucolic feel to it, and I love that. "Scalliwag - Gaelic Storm"
Thoughts?
March 21, 2014 3:23 p.m.
did you just associate Griselbrand
with Miley Cyrus..? O_O
((ok, can't decide if you a fool or a genius!))
March 21, 2014 5:08 p.m.
aeonstoremyliver says... #27
In my OP I mentioned metal being the color of black. Not as disrespect, freaking Yngvie Malmsteen, Savatoge, Metallica, etc. rock. I can most definitely respect the genre.
If you look at the nature of metal, it's generally anti-establishment and there is often Satanic and occult symbols. Take Black Sabbath, Slayer (thanks for that one!), Candlemas, and so forth as examples. Metal deffinitely has classical influence, hence my suggesting it be black. Black is the antithesis of white, they parallel. As do an upside down cross, mentioning black mass, Alister Crowley (sp?), etc. Hope that all makes sense.
Maybe Steve Vai could be personified as Jace? His music is technically very difficult, impressive, and thought provoking.
Perhaps green is more jam band/jazz type stuff... In any case I'm digging this discussion and comments.
March 21, 2014 6:41 p.m.
aeonstoremyliver says... #28
I could see Red personified as Nirvana... Blue could be Radiohead perhaps.
Someone mentioned The Mars Volta! ROCK!!! Omar Rodriguez is a BADASS!
Classical is far from boring, IMO. 1812 Overature, Fur Elise, Four Seasons, etc.
March 21, 2014 6:46 p.m.
Is this too harsh of a comparison of Miley to Griselbrand ?
March 21, 2014 7:02 p.m.
NotSoLuckyLydia says... #32
I feel like Rakdos falls more in line with something like Mastodon.
Dimir would be some sort of indie something you've never heard of, potentially hypnosis themed music.
Orzhov always feels like Black Sabbath to me. Particularly their latest album, 13.
Selesnya is probably something folk.
Gruul is gonna be listening to Omnia, just like Disciple of the Old Ways says. True nature.
Azorius is playing pop music, as they will only permit 20 songs at any given time.
Izzet is all that sorta synth dance music.
Simic is the song "Weird Science" by Oingo Boingo.
Golgari is tough. I think they're playing Blues Rock type music.
Boros only listen to one thing, and only when they're charging into battle. Ride of the Valkyries.
March 21, 2014 8:03 p.m.
Valentine35 says... #33
But just like Griselbrand , Miley is totally worth tapping....
As for the music associated with the guilds, i would say (just going to associate a band or artist with each)...
Orzhov: Is Operatic Metal like Apocalyptica
Rakdos: Thrash Metal maybe something like GWAR
Simic: Folk music with a twist like Celtic Women
Dimir: Goth Metal like Cradle of Filth
Izzet: Nerd rock like Devo, or Weezer
Boros: Glam Metal like Aerosmith
Azorius: Christian Rock like Creed
Golgari: Industrial Rock/Metal like Fear Factory or Device
Selesnya: Folk Punk like Flogging Molly
Gruul: Classic Punk like Sex Pistols
If you don't think these are spot on it's cool, i literally just went through my iTunes and picked out the best fits i could find. (yeah that's right i downloaded some of the Celtic Women songs, what about it?!?)
March 21, 2014 8:38 p.m.
NotSoLuckyLydia says... #34
Celtic woman is excellent, that's what about it. :P
March 21, 2014 8:56 p.m.
All colours and guilds can be summed up by Rush. All of them.
March 21, 2014 9:02 p.m.
TheAmazingSalsa says... #39
Took me a while, but I got the songs for the guilds, it was pretty hard.
Orzhov: Straight Out the Gate - Tech N9ne feat. Serj Tankian
Rakdos: Overkill - Savant
Simic: Two-Headed Boy - Neutral Milk Hotel
Dimir: I Die Screaming - Naked City
Izzet: St. Mary - Rancid
Boros: Some Nights - fun.
Azorius: The Gumbo Variations - Frank Zappa
Golgari: Crack Rock Steady - Choking Victim
Selesnya: Equinox (Atlas) - The American Dollar
Gruul: Berzerk - Eminem
btw whoever said Azorius is Christian Rock... It's on, bitch.
March 22, 2014 2:06 a.m.
aeonstoremyliver says... #41
Love some Zappa. I picture Azorious more like "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" - Zappa
Unforgivn_II says... #2
Iron Maiden doesn't characterize black for me. Too much musical quality. Slayer seems to me a better fit
March 21, 2014 5:15 a.m.