su wrote:@ that absurd Blackdown bashing:
I'd be happy to have someone like Blackdown here in Germany, a journalist who is part of the scene
+ a great producer
+ has the capacity to analyze what's going on
+ his analyses and intellectual outlook visibly driven by excitement about the music itself and NOT by "middle class" aspirations.
Whereas in electronic-music Germany there is an unholy alliance of journalists and producers in that a lot of producers seem to have little else in mind than receiving the accolade from the journalist/art/designer caste, i.e. being featured in magazines like de:bug or Groove with a photograph of themselves wearing the usual garments (here fashion varies of course). And the really bad thing is: you can often HEAR it in the music. It lacks intensity, passion, stubbernness, relentlessness. It's tamed and refined. Cooled down and a bit detached. And it suits certain furniture.
So to clarify a misunderstanding:
Blackdown wrote: funky isnt really house and it definitely isnt middle class.
I didn't say that UK funky was "middle class". I agree with Blackdown (or, being far away from the London pulse and therefore not competent to judge I'd rather say that I trust him
) that UK funky is NOT middle class. It sure sounds relentless.
I was talking about "Martyn" whose music clearly differs from that of Joy Orbison or Karizma. And I wouldn't dare to call Martyn himself "middle class" (I don't know him). It's just that it was his music that was declared to represent dubstep by German journos (in 2008) and was therefore an instrument in causing "the split" here in Germany.
Now, although I think that art reception and production are easily invaded by a will to social class distinction, I cling to the believe that this need not necessarily be so. Especially not in music, which so much defies symbolisation. So I'll shut my mouth now.
First of all, Blackdown isn't very good as analyzing anything at all. He's good at pointing out the obvious.
Dubstep OG's are jumping ship the minute it becomes cool to like Dubstep for the average raver. Real shocker there, the bandwagon jumpers jumping bandwagon. Creating an echo chamber and then saying "see, the echo says the same thing" doesn't give you any credibility in my eyes.
And another thing... a lot has been made about whether or not music is "middle class" almost as if MIDDLE CLASS is some sort of pejorative term. MIDDLE CLASS aspirations would include such heresy as wanting to own your own home, your own vehicle, have your own children in a safe environment, have decent clothes and a decent job that you can afford to eat and maybe take a vacation once a year.
Yea, what a bunch of pricks that middle class. When someone says that music is middle class and implies that their music is "urban" what they are basically saying to me is that if some guy with a family, kids and a 9-5 job is making tunes they will instantly be devoid of any emotion or sense of yearning for something better. Like once you have that job and that family and a somewhat stable life you have nothing left to say anymore of note musically. You sold your soul, by mere virtue of providing for your family the old fashioned way. You can pay your bills, so the music will certainly suffer because your tunes don't sound like you have your poverty on your mind...
Waste. That's why I don't listen to shit Blackdown says, that is why people think he's pompous. He makes these proclamations of class warfare like he knows what the fuck class warfare is living in London suburbs.
And another thing... Journalists write hard news, not opinions. If you write opinions, you are an analyst and your opinions are only as valid as the public deem them to be. So yea, public critique of that opinion is fair game. Shit, it's required. If there is no public vetting, how do you know if he's really as solid as you think he is? I mean really... London is middle class... looking at the cost of real estate in your average neighborhood in London is... well, it costs more than it does in the states, where we have a rather thriving "middle class" compared to the middle class of some other countries. All I'm saying is that if you don't have musical talent and artistic vision, no amount of poverty and exploiting house and calling it something else will save you from mediocre house knockoff status.
Who came up with the term "Funky" anyway... bit self serving really to coin a new term for what you, yourself are doing, so instantly it becomes "innovative"
