Dylan Molter, a second-year in political science, created music using cultures and sounds from around the world for the annual Time + Change Scholar’s Second-Year Conference. Credit: Courtesy of Dylan Molter
The last thing most students expect to hear at an international affairs conference is an experimental mix of Japanese noise-rock layered with ethereal vocals of a Lebanese singer from 1979 — but that’s exactly what they got.
The track was created by Dylan Molter, a second-year in political science who brings his creative passion, music, into his academics. For a project at the annual Time + Change Scholar’s Second-Year Conference, Molter sampled songs from across the world to demonstrate how music can connect people, regardless of their backgrounds.
Molter said his interest in music began early, taking piano lessons while growing up in California. Though he said he stopped lessons when his family moved to Ohio in grade school, he picked it back up when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“I got interested in watching people on YouTube produce stuff and I picked up my own production software,” Molter said. “That’s kind of where it started.”
Molter said he began by using online resources and playing by ear to develop his skills. As he improved, Molter said he started bringing music into his academic work which is where his idea for the international music project took shape.
As a second-year in the International Affairs Scholar’s program, Molter said he participated in the second-year conference in March, meant to bring together students from a variety of specialties to present projects that explore areas of advocacy, acts of service and interests with personal, academic, or professional goals, according to the conference program.
Molter said he decided his project would merge two of his passions: music and international relations.?
Efram Krasovic, a second-year in landscape architecture who met Molter through the first year in the scholar’s program, said Molter is always open to taking new approaches.
“[Molter] is always willing to take a risk and put himself out there, especially when it comes to his music,” Krasovic said.
Using digital vinyl archives, YouTube videos and websites like Samplette and Radio Garden, Molter said he explored music from around the world and across time periods.
As he navigated the tracks, Molter said he looked not only for interesting sounds, but for the messages behind them — observing the various ways people express themselves through music.
“[People are] very different but we’re also very united,” Molter said. “All of us undergo pain and all of us want to express that.”
For his first piece, Molter said he drew inspiration from Japanese noise-rock band, Les Rallizes Dénudés, then layered in vocal samples from Lebanese singer Fairouz’s 1979 song, “Wahdon,” to create a new and unique track.
Each combination was about more than just the sound. Molter said understanding the history and cultural context behind each song was essential. “Wahdon,” Molter said, was a response to the losses of the Lebanese Civil War.
“Her voice had a very transcendental effect, and it was very peaceful but also very strong,” Molter said. “The whole idea is like, ‘We can be strong together as a nation, and there is some beauty at the end of this and there is some hope.’”
Les Rallizes Dénudés, Molter said, was also a response to conflict, but from a different angle: pushing back against the establishment.
“The response is very different. It was more of rebellion and anger,” Molter said. “Showing that people didn’t have to take [it] and could express themselves in an angry way.”
Though the two songs came from different eras and parts of the world, Molter said they share the fundamental idea of music as a form of connection.
“People have the same emotions, and we might just express them in different ways,” Molter said. “You still feel that human pain and those differences don’t really divide us.”
For his second piece, Molter shifted directions, digging into Ambient music, “a genre of music that focuses on creating a certain mood or atmosphere through the use of soundscapes, textures, and drones,” according to music publication the tonearm.
Ambient music originated in the United Kingdom before spreading into Northern Europe. Molter said he used Brian Eno, an influential figure in the scene, as a reference for developing his second track.
For vocals, he turned to Asia, where he discovered Mongolian Artist Batzorig Vaanchig performing traditional throat singing.
“Mongolian throat singing tries to capture nature through using the voice,” Molter said. “The hums, the flies around you, you try to mimic that.”
Molter said he noticed a connection to the ambient scene in the United Kingdom, realizing how both styles draw from their environments to create unique soundscapes — one with the voice and one with electronics.
“[Ambient music is] capturing the nature around you and trying to make something feel like a space, but you’re normally using digital instruments to capture that,” Molter said. “I thought it was an interesting dynamic between the two.”
After completing the two pieces and compiling his research, Molter presented the project at the conference in March.
Krasovic, who attended the presentation, said he was struck by what he heard.
“His production always blends the music he is sampling with his own personal style to create music that is unique,” Krasovic said. “The way he intertwined the sounds of different cultures to create music that not only stayed true to the sounds he was sampling, but also was just enjoyable to listen to, really amazed me.”
Reflecting on the project, Molter said he hopes it not only captures the powerful connections between people, but honors the artists he sampled by highlighting their backgrounds and stories.
He plans to continue making tracks and exploring new music. Molter said it’s not just about the end product, but about learning, creating and connecting.
“Even if I make stuff and it’s not very good, I like the process of learning and just figuring out, like, what is this song, what is its structure, how do I make this?” Molter said.
Molter said he plans to keep making music and exploring new sounds, though he intends to keep it as a hobby while he pursues his academic goals. For Molter, however, the two don’t need to be separate, and he encourages other students to take a similar approach.
“Try and find a way to make it interesting to you,” Molter said. “I think inserting agency inside academic stuff is a really powerful tool.”
