In a message dated 6/16/00 4:41:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
“Maybe but IMO, UR tracks are always tied quite heavily to the 12" release they appear on. You're not just buying UR tracks - you're buying the UR package - the Unknown Writer text, the run-off messages, and the music. Releases like _Galaxy 2 Galaxy_ are like albums in themselves - splitting individual tracks off onto compilations (whether CD or vinyl) might not be desireable. I appreciate that there are people who only buy and listen to CDs but its kind of like videogames - if you want to play Mario, you buy a Nintendo. You want to listen to UR, you buy a record deck.” Many people don’t have turntables. For many people it is simply not a feasible option. They cost a lot of money, usually require a sound system to set up, and are really only useful these days for fans of indie rock, old jazz and rock albums, and techno enthusiasts. For those who would not devote most of their disposable income to techno, CD’s are the best format. They usually have more select tracks and are much more cost effective for the amount of music one finds on them, not to mention being a much more versatile format (you can use your portable disc player, your computer disc drive, your stereo, the CD player in your car, etc.) and a much less exclusionary format by virtue of being widespread. When I play Derrick May for someone I can point them to “Innovator”. Basic Channel or Maurizio? There are two home listening oriented discs from those producers (and BC seem very opposed to CD's in general, I’d say more so than UR). Red Planet? Drexciya? Black Dog (and now Plaid with the much applauded “Trainer”)? As One? B12? Model 500/Infiniti? Kevin Saunderson? Moodymann? Theo Parrish? All these artists have somewhat readily available discs that provide a great overview for those who aren’t interested in twenty 12”s from a certain producer. In fact, every truly exceptional techno producer I think of now except Nuron has a CD out that at least shows a portion of their best material. UR’s best representation of its old 12” tracks was “Revolution For Change”. Rather than simply reissue that, I’m proposing a 2CD that contains all the great old tracks and some of the great post-1992 tracks UR has made, to provide a definitive source for casual UR enthusiasts or new UR fans not brave enough to commit hundreds of dollars to vinyl they’ve never heard. Bottom line? It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m not UR, I can’t make the call. Your opinions are as valid as mine. But I think your opinions are in direct opposition to UR’s message. After all, Mad Mike seems very big on the idea of music breaking down barriers and crossing boundaries: walls like race, nationality, birthdate, religion and language are all things UR are trying to break down to make their music universal. It seems to me with the many compilation appearances and the many CD’s featuring lots of old UR tracks that Mad Mike is also interested in breaking down the walls of what one’s home stereo contains and how much money one can afford to spend on music, and those are walls I think a 2CD retrospective of UR would smash. It would also smash the worst block of all: ignorance, in this case ignorance of some of the best music of the modern era, not because listeners chose to ignore it but because it might be inaccessible to them. I also believe UR’s tracks are not so limited that they only work in the context of one 12”. I think taking the very best of them and putting them together is a logical and crucial step. Mad Mike: please consider doing this sort of a release! After all, with Sony Germany covering “Jaguar” there is a huge audience that would love these UR tracks, the originals. Let’s have UR do it on a killer release that is top to bottom composed of killer tracks. Matt
