You might find some interesting points on this made by John Selway on Futurebpm.com. I interviewed him and we talked quite a bit about dance music in America and so on...
Check it out...www.futurebpm.com, click FEATURE. Also, you've got radio and MTV here in America that is a complete joke. Turn on your FM radio and aside from college radio or NPR, what do you have? Country, rock & roll and hip hop. Maybe 2 variety stations that are all playing the same thing in one way or another as every station on the dial. Turn on MTV. How many Britney Spears and N Sync videos can we see? (Well, last time I checked MTV I haven't seen any videos...but that's a whole other story) Lots of reasons why dance music isn't larger. The support that would be needed just isn't there. Look at Europe or even Canada...their radio plays FAR more dance music than we do. When I was in Germany, I recalled seeing Ken Ishii on their MTV, interviews with Laurent Garnier, and so forth. Here in the US, MTV & the program AMP made SORT of an attempt, but who's watching on a Sunday at 2AM??? The UK has the BBC and countless other stations that really support dance music. Italy has a 24 hour station devoted to house music. Here? Clear Channel dominates the FM dial across the country with the same music across the board. =( Just my $.02 ... but do check out the Selway interview ... Later all! Kered Futurebpm.com In a message dated 3/1/2002 1:43:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I think a huge part of why the attempts to marklet house and techno on a > large scale have failed is because there is no one singing (sure > occasionally there is) but there's no one there dancing singing to make a > video of, talking to the audience. Popular music has melodies that are > easily remembered and have lyrics than be sung along to. I'm guessing > thet's the huge appeal the house and techno are often missing. > > Hence the explosion of "Everything but the girl". The grand reception of > Bjorks "dance vocals". > Hip hop is as close as we've come the beats are as heavy and great but > there someone there singing and talking and on an average human level, > people can connect with that easily. > > - Giles > > D I G I T A S // B O S T O N > -- > Giles Dickerson > Art Director > 800 Boylston Street > Boston, MA > 02199 > -- > mobile 617 899 9635 > office 617 369 8601 > > > ---------- > > From: Peter Leidy > > Sent: Friday, March 1, 2002 1:32 PM > > To: laura gavoor > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [313] The Great White Hype...was IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! > > > > > > First of all, this is one of the most thought-provoking threads I've read > > in a while (nit-picking over curse words aside)- I'm glad the opinions are > > being voiced and I'd like to hear more from those like Laura who have a > > lot of direct industry experience with these issues. > > > > > firing off cannons. Recently while watching CNN, there was a news > segment > > > covering Elton John FLAMING the music industry for lowest common > denominator > > > marketing. He said that the good musicians and music were actively > being > > > passed over in favor of the rubbish msuic the industry was putting > out...He > > > > Last night I saw a great PBS special that focused on this same problem of > > LCD marketing- but in the realm of Film-Making- its called "The Monster > > that ate Hollywood." There are tons of interviews with industry analysts, > > journalists, producers and directors up on their site at: > > http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hollywood/ > > > > I think these issues of Pop Culture, Global Economy, LCD Marketing, etc. > > are common across the various realms of Arts & Entertainment & similar > > things are happening in each field right now from an economic standpoint. > > > > In terms of dance music getting serious attention- > > I think the problem with house and techno is that there is not a good > > stereotype of techno producer to market to teenage kids. I think the Major > > Labels like to market stereotypes of Rebellious, Subversive, Cool, and > > more recently pop-conscious-satiric characters that middle-class suburban > > teens can relate to. The problem with house and techno is that when you > > look for stereotypes- you have the gay club scene, the middle to lower > > class minorities- but without the hip-hop egos and fashion, then also the > > computer and synth geeks, none of which are sexy or cool to todays > > teenagers. But when the London Rave scene appeared- here was something > > more marketable- white kids sneaking out at night, taking drugs, and > > partying to rave music, not to mention new marketable fashion trends to go > > along with it. And of course, once they found something marketable, they > > further bastardized the music into formulated candy-coated crap, just as > > they did with disco 25 years ago. > > > > PS- I'm not even going to bring up the race issue- a whole other can of > > worms- but I agree that the "race card" is not over-used- it is still a > > serious problem with deep roots in the social and political policies that > > govern our country. People need to be aware of this especially as it > > becomes more subtle and disguised by other issues. >
