OK, here's the problem when it comes to discussing the race issue in techno
music (or any artform, for that matter). The whole debate is a catch 22.
It goes like this:
Racial injustice stems from an awareness of the differences in superficial
physical characteristics (i.e. skin color) and the subsequent exploitation
and oppression of persons exhibiting such differences.
In order to address racial matters as they relate to music, one must raise
an awareness of the same physical traits which precede the problem in the
first place.
Now I know that racism stems from the mind, and prejudice isn't necessarily
an inborn quality. Yet it seems to perpetuate, even among the open minded
in our world, through sheer repetition of the issue at stake. In other
words, I may not see a black person as any lesser a man than a white person,
but I'll damn well be forced to ponder the thought the more incessantly I'm
faced with the question. Suggestion is a very valuable tool (as proven by
numerous examples in history and especially by the work of many modern
psychologists). When reinforced over time, it solidifies into an implicit
belief until it eventually establishes itself as a hardline value.
I also realize art may best be realized as the result of a developmental
process, containing elements both intellectual (analytical) and emotional
(intuitive). Therefore, the true understanding of a piece cannot reach
fruition (if such a state even exists) until the context surrounding its
creation is made known. Subtract the context, and you're left with a piece
bereft of meaning. Sure, there's always the subjective interpretation, but
one of art's essential functions is to communicate in a manner beyond words
the feelings and thoughts of an artist.
So is techno possible without racism, or does the latter detract from the
former?
No, I don't have a solution. My thoughts on many things art-related are
indecisive at best (though I tend to analyze art independent of its maker,
at least at first). I am only at the beginning stages of a long journey of
discovery. These are my thoughts, and I want to witness the resultant
debate.
Rusty
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