Hey T, thanks for taking the time to respond with some thought etc > There's nothing invalid about this, but I reckon it's only one part of the > issue. On the one hand, I recall listening to Monolake's "Tangent II" when > it came out and thinking it was the most 'futuristic' thing I'd heard in a > long time. I don't think I've had that feeling since outside of perhaps some > insane newer hip hop (and it still sounds like one of the "newest" things > I've ever heard). I don't think it's a bad thing per se, but I think those > sort of stark contrasts are probably rairer now and will probably continue
Yeah, it's only a part of the problem, I recognized that at the beginning of my rambling/rant..I think it's been a big part of the problem though, although it is beginning to change. Personally I agree on Monolake, and I know you are a real music lover...but there seem to be/have been a lot of electronic music fans who are novelty junkies more than anything else. "Newness" is so entirely subjective, but most electronic music fans are so arrogant about dance music they act as if it is objective and an actual trait of "Techno". I would argue it is not at all, no moreso than in any other genre of music. There are surely people who have different reference points than us, who even at the time could have heard Monolake and related it to something else familiar to them, something we could not see. An example from my own life would be years back when I was into real hard acid stuff, I'd play it for my dad...and he loved it, but insisted it reminded him of dixieland jazz, and he'd actually jam along to it on acoustic guitar (while I whined "No, no, nooo!"). You never know exactly how other people hear music, but typical electronic music fans have this big chip on their shoulder about how cutting edge they and their music are and I find it pretty ignorant, and arrogant. Electronic music needs to get outside it's own bubble. One of the many reasons I have so much respect for Submerge, C-B-S, and Rush Hour is that these people clearly have a very holistic view of music, but are very secure in their own identity. > What I think is probably a larger factor is the fact that U.S. radio and > television don't support upcoming and independent music (and especially > dance music) in the same way as it is supported in Europe. Add to that the Everything is so localized in Europe too, it kind of lessens the faceless/mechanical impression electronic music can give off...but that support you mention is definitely key. I feel like it became circular though...Why/how could they begin to support something that treats itself as a novelty, that doesn't respect itself, where fans can accept very few established artists/sounds...they're sacrificed in the push for "innovation" and "new music". I should emphasize that I feel this is changing in the past few years, after the fall of club culture etc...I'm very positive about where things are heading. > be sustained. Perhaps regional scenes can flare up occasionally, but I don't > see that American dance music will be waving the flag for much longer like > this. Not like this, but the one thing you can count on is things change...You really never know...I could completely imagine, in 30 years, Detroit/American electronic music going through the same thing country blues did. When country blues was first around, it was "negro music", considered low-brow, it was given zero respect, and forgotten rather quickly. 30 years later it's genius was realized and it underwent a resurgence that far surpassed it's original popularity, and it became one of the primary inspirations for rock n roll and modern folk music, genres that have become immortal, they're never going anywhere...neither is country blues. of course some genres do get lost in the ages (ever heard of skiffle? do we need to make more hip-house? well maybe :P) Electronic music fans are so quick to try and hammer the nails in the coffin of the music they are supposedly fans of, I think it's really misguided and disrespectful to the spirit of music... Sorry to ramble, I don't doubt most people see things another way, never mind me..
