On Jan 15, 2004, at 5:23 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Matt McQueen would know more about it...
No offence to Matt, but I don;t think he really goes out to much in
chicago.
Atomly goes out every night0 so he would probably know better.
ouch ;) Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.
Truth be told (as weird as this is) I've gone out more in the last 2
years then when i first moved here from michigan about 7 years ago,
when I was going to Detroit thangs regularly and was very spoiled with
who I could see.. i admit.. (this was also when Jay Denham still lived
in Kalamazoo so his parties had jaw-dropping all-techno lineups too).
And I do bump into Mr. Atomly at a few gigs now and then around town,
but the difference is he probably knows where all the afterparties are,
and/or he's hosting them ;)
I don't know why i feel the need to say this but as a kneejerk
reaction: let's see recently saw DJ Harvey, saw the last Kompakt tour
supported by Detalles, DJ Traxx many times, DJ Hell, Plaid here I think
3 times now, Derrick Carter many times, Ron Trent many times (twice at
the Urban Sound Gallery loft on N. Broadway, RIP), Anthony Nicholson
several times past and present, Osunlade, DJ Rush, Dan Bell at least
twice, Dave Clarke, the Ghostly night in chicago with Danny Wang
DJ+Theremin & Ectomorph live PA twice and DJ once, the Techno nights
at Empty Bottle that Israel Vines did DIY-style (years ago now), Magda
at Slicks, Josh Werner & Mani & Marko's Gramaphone 'Techno Showcase'
events (missed Peter Ford though, DANG), Metro Area twice (live & DJ),
Common Factor, Rob Hood, Theo Parrish, Rick Wilhite, G.U., Leroy
Burgess live (!!), Derrick May a couple times, Carl Craig a few times
(even back at Shelter too, RIP) and then again at Mad Bar (RIP), John
Tejada (at Zentra, yikes), Cajmere a couple times, Dajae live, several
of the 773 techno nights at that Irish bar on Belmont & Western...
random ILLmeasures various weeklies at Lava Lounge and Streetside, and
of course the Meier brothers events like Kent originally mentioned...
they brought James Ruskin over, Oliver Ho, etc. and many more little
DIY things here and there. I freely admit to being inconsistent, but
i DO go out here. :) Also I funded/organized/promoted an event here
at Subterranean a couple years ago for a deFocus tour stop with CiM
(live PA) & Clair Focus from London and Clark Warner from Detroit, so
I've seen that side of things too.
But as for a regular, all hard or minimal techno night here in Chicago?
Unlikely to happen unless it's small-ish and DIY.. so those come and
go, but they're still around. I'm not always the first in line for it
cause unless I think it's an exciting DJ (young or old) who can bring
something fresh or unique to the table. I get bored much more quickly
now, that's my own problem though, not Chicago's.
So blah blah blah, I dove into radio as my way to contribute to the
chicago scene... for what I like to spin I think it's probably more
fitting that way anyway. The downside is being tied up every friday
night for the last few years I tend to miss a lot of shows I might
otherwise actually go to. BTW -- upcoming in Chicago the next few
weeks: Morgan Geist at SmartBar again w/ Common Factor on Jan. 30th.
And then at Empty Bottle on Feb. 5th: Monolake w/ supporting DJ's Matt
Mercer & Dave Siska... Wooo!
OK WAIT -- How does all this get back to Jeff Mills you ask? [Get on
with it ya old coot]
Regarding Kent's assessment of Mills and Chicago, IMHO I agree with his
theory that perhaps Chicago is a place he just blends in and does his
business and chills out in relative anonymity. I've him DJ 5 or so
times now , but never seen him in Chicago (except around town shopping
a few times, doing the things everyone does quietly in their personal
lives). Frankly it doesn't bother me, the scene here for techno is
not anything one person like Mills can expected to put on his back and
run up the mountain with, whether there is an army willing to follow
him or not. It's up to everyone everywhere. That's how DIY gets
better...
I can see how he wouldn't feel connected to chicago techno scene (or
whatever), that's his choice. He never was a part of the music scene
in the city here (like Derrick Carter was, and who behaves oppositely)
or the gigs or promoters here or connected in any of the ways he was in
Detroit. I'm not apologizing for Mills, nor do I want to heap any
more speculation on reasons why people behave they do (there's been
enough of that already) but i'm just saying I can understand anyone's
desire to stay outside of the fray here. The fray can suck. It's
thankless. It's unappreciative. It's cracked-out and depressing
sometimes. It's also rewarding and exciting and vibrant and
inspiring... -- SOMETIMES. If any of you were in Jeff Mills shoes you
could make that decision yourself, but we don't know what it TRULY
feels like .. so all this speculation on his (POTENTIAL) motives are
kind of moot to me.
Personally I feel like artists make their statements wherever and
however they feel like it -- some do it through community, or commerce,
or open galleries or museums or clubs or sponsor events, or show up and
spin for drinks at surprise gigs (a la Derrick Carter). But others do
nothing except make their art and so that's that. I respect someone who
wants to just be left alone and reclusive and I think that is each
artist's prerogative, whatever your medium.
So is pricing on records BTW... Axis and non-Axis. If you don't like
the price of something, it's this simple: don't buy it. Marketplace
dynamics: an item is only "worth" what someone is willing to pay for
it. Look at the pricetag and listen to your headphones in the store.
Work those variables together while the needle spins... if it's not
"worth it" to you, just put it back and get over it, vote with your
wallet.
I can't remember Kent's post much now anymore on Mills & Chicago except
for the fact that I basically agreed with most of it. Perhaps Chicago
is just a place for him to escape and NOT be in europe or detroit or
wherever. If I was practicing a craft that was much more appreciated
elsewhere than where I lived, trying to get my town to come around to
how great it was could get really old. And I would want to seek to
practice my craft where I felt it was most appreciated. You look at
your art form first and at your geography second at that level. Look
at Claude Young and Dan Bell and Jay Denham and now Danny Wang and
Hawtin and everyone else who has relocated to Europe to take their
music or DJing where it can really flourish night after night after
night... to people who are mad for it. I'm bummed as hell they left
the US for selfish reasons -- but I can sure understand why they did
for their careers.
peace,
--
Matt MacQueen
http://SonicSunset.com
