On 1/25/07, David Powers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Second, I do feel that there is some difference in the "Chicago acid" sound and I do like the Chicago version better, mainly because I'm not a big fan of overly squelchy/overdriven acid. In fact, my favorite tracks would be "acid" tracks without 303, I guess they'd be called Chicago jack tracks, or else tracks that use the 303 in a more subtle or funky way (including old Plastikman!).
hmm, i guess thats one generalization you can make about it, though there are some really rough and nasty chicago cuts that arent bad, but they arent my favorite kind of acid. i guess yeah its the tracky aesthetic that i like in chicago house more than the acid tip, when those sounds are mixed well its the bomb. thats what those loosefingers 12"s of recent do really well.
HOWEVER, though this might be a different style of acid, I've DEFINITELY heard these kind of acid cuts from places other than Chicago. And I've heard recent tracks that have this sound too. I'd mention that I think that Ryan Elliott is good at playing this kind of acid sound in his sets.
ive heard stuff on "get physical" that kinda apes the more laid back acid sound, but thats where you get into the too clean production values taking out the rawness that helps make chicago records interesting. havent heard ryan elliot deejay, but those ghostly acidic jams arent doing it for me (even the tnt records which we've discussed on here before) though theyre not terrible i guess.
Fyi, You don't really hear that many Chicago jack tracks (or classic acid) here in Chicago, I'm afraid. Most house is sort of generic diva deep house here I guess, or else electrohouse which a lot of the club house dj's play I think. Of course I don't go to many house nights these days ...
well, i think part of that can be attributed to how distinctly the chicago house sound seems to have broken apart in the 90s. the raw tracky vibe went booty or hard techno (relief style) while other people seemed to have gone vocal garage sounding house. larry heard does do both style well, though he seems to be the exception. most of those old chicago guys new stuff leaves me cold.
Finally, can we leave the "soul" label out of it. To me, that's just a word people use to claim the stuff they like is deeper/better than the stuff they don't like. Perhaps I'm wrong though, but tell me, do you consider much music you DISLIKE to have "soul"? The other definition of "soul" might be, that it's more influenced by Afro-American music, such as blues, jazz, r&b, motown, and the "soul" genre. This would probably be true if you are talking about black guys from the Chicago south side making house. But if the definition means this only that music has an AfroAmerican influence, that doesn't make the music good. There's plenty of bad/cliche music in all the genres I mentioned above, and in music influenced by them.
eh, i dont think "soul" was the only element though i do agree that the goodness of chicago house has something to do with that. the best way i can describe it is that old chicago house is kind of cheesy, but in the best not really cheesy possible way. when it does things that would be corny in any other genre, they sound awesome and interesting. cheesy plastic drum machine sounds are never better than on old chicago house tunes..... tom
