Column “The Good Sound”: Murder and Music | free press

It’s hard to believe, but a connection can be drawn – albeit in a roundabout way – between murder and music. It has to do with their discovery.

I’m interested in serial killers. This sentence is currently causing little irritation, thanks to the hit Netflix series Jeffrey Dahmer, it’s on everyone’s lips again and Fritz Honka in the “Golden Glove” is still a fresh, creepy-cult memory for many. “True Crime” is en vogue right now. Research suggests that when it comes to certain personal dispositions, sometimes just small tweaks can turn a rock star or lawyer into another serial killer. They don’t become questionable stars despite what they do, but because of it. Our media and sensationalism has its part in it.

I recently read a professional article that analyzed why some “successful” serial killers manage to remain undetected for long periods of time and many acts. It may sound cynical, but one person’s joy is another’s sorrow: My neurons quickly connected the findings of the study with another question that I sometimes ask myself at concerts or when listening to records: Why do some bands stay despite a long time and many good ones Albums “undiscovered”, of course not wanted here? Three points struck me. Please don’t take this nasty comparison too seriously, but stupid comparisons also have a digital boom outside of this topic.

The choice of “victims” is one point: unfortunately, marginalized groups are too often given less attention in investigations. If I don’t make music for “everybody” or “the mainstream”, but for a carefully selected group of musical nerds, I’ll probably stay in this artistically recognizable but manageable bubble.

Point two is the continuity of the “deeds” and their interruption: If serial offenders manage to pause their crimes for a long time, the probability of being discovered decreases. However, if they can’t stop killing more and more frequently, it will come to light more quickly. Nine years elapsed between Dahmer’s first and second murder. When his streak later escalated with ever shorter intervals, he was caught. If the breaks between new music are too long, I produce with too little continuity, I fly under the radar for longer as a band.

In the end, even the most in-depth study has to admit that, thirdly, as is so often the case, chance helps the intentional or unintentional discovery. As truism as that sounds, it is sure to thwart the most well thought-out plan, for better or for worse.