Sonic Subcultures

Season 2 Episode 4 - Tyler, the Creator's IGOR

Blending soul, funk, rap and synth-heavy pop, Tyler, The Creator’s IGOR is as chaotic as it is controlled, capturing the push-pull of love, ego and emotional fallout.  In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi explore IGOR’s storytelling, the cult of interpretation around it, and how Tyler’s heartbreak became a cultural movement.  We ask: When artists hide emotion behind aesthetics, what gets revealed and who’s really listening?

Season 2 Episode 3 - Metallica's S&M

Metallica built their empire on speed, rage and grit, then watched that same empire question whether they still belonged. From Load to Master of Puppets, they blurred the lines between metal and mainstream with varying levels of fan acceptance. In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi unpack how Metallica’s sound, image and ethos evolved while facing loyalty tests from fans, the media, and even themselves.  We ask: How do you stay true to your roots when you’re the reason the genre grew branches?

Season 2 Episode 2 - Arctic Monkeys' AM

In this season of Sonic Subcultures, we ask ‘what makes a listener over time?’ By revisiting 10 formative records for our hosts, we trace the way personal taste can develop and evolve, and how lives intersect with cultural and subcultural moments through music.When AM dropped in 2103, the Arctic Monkeys traded scrappy Sheffield rock for leather jackets and American desert rock swag. The result? A record that didn’t just top the charts but branded itself into Tumblr dashboards and Gen Z nostalgia Playlists.  In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi unpack how AM became its own aesthetic ecosystem. From Alex Turner’s “cool guy” act to the double-edged sword of sonic evolution.  We ask: how do you grow as a band when every version of you becomes someone’s personality?

Season 2 Episode 1 - Spice Girls' Spiceworld

In this season of Sonic Subcultures, we ask ‘what makes a listener over time?’ By revisiting 10 formative records for our hosts, we trace the way personal taste can develop and evolve, and how lives intersect with cultural and subcultural moments through music.  With choreographed personas and sleek marketing, the Spice Girls were pop icons built in the boardroom. But they also opened doors.  In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi trace the blurred line between empowerment and performance, and how the Spice Girls helped reshape the pop landscape—for better or worse. We ask: when feminism becomes a product, who does it serve?

Sonic Subcultures Episode 9 - Limp Bizkit's Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water and the Nu Metal Legacy

We opened the season with Limp Bizkit’s Significant Other. Now, we close it with Chocolate Starfish. In just a year, the band went from rising stars to overexposed icons– cockier, louder and more self-aware than ever.  In this season finale, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi reflect on Fred Durst’s transformation from cultural villain to ironic icon, the band’s unapologetic legacy and why Limp Bizkit’s blend of loud, messy rebellion might be exactly what this generation needs.