A summary of “The cultural evolution of distortion in music (and other norms of mixed appeal)” by UCLA’s Gregory A. Bryant and UC Merced’s Paul E. Smaldino.
CITATION
Brady Gerber’s summary of “The cultural evolution of distortion in music (and other norms of mixed appeal)” by UCLA professor Gregory A. Bryant and UC Merced professor Paul E. Smaldino, published April 3, 2025, in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences.
PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
Over the past few decades, musical distortion—once limited to niche genres—has become a mainstream feature, embraced by artists as popular as Charli XCX. But why are listeners drawn to noisy, abrasive sounds that mimic stress and chaos?
This study investigates whether our attraction to distortion is an evolved cultural trait. The researchers explore how distortion, defined as “a noisy manipulation of instrumental and vocal timbre that emulates nonlinear phenomena (NLP) present in the vocal signals of many animals,” spreads across groups as both a social bonding tool and a cultural differentiator.
According to Bryant and Smaldino, music having nonlinear features (like instruments with buzzing metal parts, or chaotic strings and horns) is not new or notable. What’s notable is the intentional production of distortion, which became a feature across rock and other guitar-based genres (the authors point to artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Black Sabbath as examples), but which, thanks to decades of experimentation and advanced technology, has become more familiar across more types of sounds and atmospheres.
“Through technology, we have developed techniques for fine control over every parameter we can imagine,” reads the study.
Its hypothesis: musical distortion appeals to listeners not despite its harshness, but because of it.
METHODS
Instead of conducting a survey or lab experiment, Bryant and Smaldino built an agent-based computational model to simulate how preferences for musical distortion might evolve culturally. (This paper defines music as, “a varied category of sound-based, intentionally produced performative activity, typically embedded within a cultural milieu.”)
Their simulation modeled:
- Functional optimization (emotional expression and efficiency)
- Intra-group cohesion (shared values that strengthen internal bonds)
- Inter-group differentiation (distortion as a “flag” for group identity)
- Groupishness (a tendency to imitate trusted peers)
This approach allowed them to explore how musical traits can spread, stabilize, or diverge based on social context, not just aesthetic appeal.
This study is limited by its reliance on a simulation, since real-world music cultures are more complex than simulated agents. This study also did not have the space to flesh out socioeconomic and technological variables that could influence distortion trends.
KEY FINDINGS
The study’s Figures 1A-B, 2, 3, and 4A-B feature specific charts and graphs breaking down the model’s simulation output, which showed that distortion can evolve as a norm, particularly when social cohesion and distinctiveness outweigh pure sound quality.
To break this down further:
- Distortion mimics emotional animal vocalizations, tapping into evolved human sensitivities.
- When groups emphasize distinctiveness over utility, distortion becomes a social signal—a trait that bonds insiders and repels outsiders.
- Norms like distortion persist when they reduce ambiguity about who belongs to a group.
In short: distortion becomes meaningful when it matters socially, not sonically.
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
The appeal of distortion mirrors other learned preferences. What starts as uncomfortable becomes desirable through repeated exposure and shared culture.
“Preferences can be learned as part of enculturation,” reads the study, “much as people learn to enjoy the taste of spicy foods.”
The researchers also point to how the music industry has embraced this cultural shift. Spotify’s genre categories now include many noise-based subgenres. Harsh noise pioneers such as Merzbow have cultivated enthusiastic followings in the modern streaming economy, and even pop stars like The Weeknd build distortion into their production aesthetics.
As fans develop tolerance for sonic harshness, artists push boundaries further, creating a feedback loop that reshapes musical norms across generations.
“People get used to something and then there’s pressure to make that thing a little more extreme, and people get used to that, ad infinitum,” Bryant tells UCLA. “People develop tolerances and preferences, and artists adapt.”
CONCLUSION
We don’t just tolerate distortion—we shape it, share it, and use it to build meaning. This study suggests that musical evolution is not merely technical or stylistic, but social: a product of how humans bond, perform identity, and reframe discomfort as connection.
Distortion is more than sound design. Sometimes, the noise is the message.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brady Gerber is a writer, journalist, and creative technologist specializing in music and accessibility. Visit bradygerber.com to read more and subscribe to his newsletter.
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