[Dynagroove] the air is charged

Fri Aug 23 20:33:18 PDT 2002

Wow, I have to say, I totally agree with what James is saying here(!).
People think that the rave scene died because of the drugs, but I say that
the rave scene died at the hands of DJs who took this music from being a
cultural happening with new, innovative sounds (with the Acid House
explosion, crappy as most of that music was, let's be honest) to it's
present state of minimal, DJ-friendly, forgettable drivel- tracks that
consist of unbelievable production but nothing more than drums, a bass line,
and some dark, trippy effect.  Fuck that.  *People* don't dig it when that's
the only option, and I can sense the lack of energy on the dance floor
lately, even when a club is packed.  I mean, for the past two years, there
hasn't really been a standout hit at the Miami Winter Music Conference a la
"Stardust" or "Red Alert".  And even though most people on this list aren't
down with the commercial side of house (and I agree that a lot of that stuff
is cheesy and downright embarassing), the point is that these hit makers
represented a movement to redefine the sound of house music.  Who's doing
that now?

Music that people are spinning now sounds to me like the equivalent of a
Hollywood movie- all production and no content.  Until the music shapes up,
I think that there will be a continued slump in sales, poor club attendence,
and an overall low-energy vibe throughout the scene.

I'm glad that people on this list have been speaking up.  Like the person on
this list who last week brought up how boring Hipp-E and Halo's music is.
And these guys have been at the TOP of the scene for such a long time.  So
bizarre..

Anyhow, here's hoping that things will turn around quickly,

--d

----- Original Message -----
From: "JAMES ALDERWOOD" <loopbased at earthlink.net>
To: <dynagroove at reelhouse.net>
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 3:45 PM
Subject: [Dynagroove] the air is charged

> PS b3 - you want to know what's WACK is insulting dynagroove on our own
list!!
> and you know what else, maybe he'd privately like to but at least Cade
DOESNT
> throw a weekly at "LIQUID LOUNGE" formerly GECKO'S with TOO MANY of the
same
> nine-to-five, dance floor crowdin, plaid-shirt wearin OC DORKS and DJ
DANIEL
> in the back room. hahahaa, party on brett!!
>
> <breathe>
>
> wow again. now before everyone jumps on the anti-negativity bandwagon, i
just
> want to say i think criticism is healthy once in a while, hopefully before
> things get to where they are now, and that tolerance can be unhealthy
> depending which way you think you're moving. there is this code of silence
we
> seem to adhere to, which i understand follows from the old saying, "if ya
> don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." we'll
criticize
> the government, or try and change our lovers, but we don't do that to our
> scene. is that the idea? is everyone happy?
>
> stand up people, TESTIFY!!
>
> let's go back to yesterday's news for a second. i met alvaro a few times
and
> he seems like a real nice guy. he's devoted a huge part of his life to the
> music. i have no idea about his integrity as a promoter, but i give him
props
> for posting that irksome msg from sneak. speaking of sneak, he twisted my
mind
> at jujubeats several years ago but the *few* times i've heard him since,
the
> only thing that sneaks up on me is boredom. i see him there, stupified,
> practically drooling on the turntables, with a spliff in his mouth. and i
> can't help thinking "he smokes too much." of course, i give a DJ of his
status
> more credit than that---no wait, i'll give anyone more credit than that,
and
> hope i catch em on a great night some other time. isn't it fantastic how
sneak
> talks about alvaro messing with his TIME, MONEY, and LOVE FOR A GOOD TIME.
> i'll try not to read too much into it, but i'd have felt more comfortable
if
> he at least tried to say alvaro was taking the SCENE down or taking
advantage
> of the MUSIC. i think it's just the opposite.
>
> being an outsider, i'd think the scene was pretty tight. i just see
everyone
> saying, yeah, this party was great, every dj was great and played
interesting
> sets, blah blah blah. it's an endless, mindless, positive vibe. what i'm
> wondering is, does everyone really feel it? or is this what we're supposed
to
> do, support no matter what. because i sure have been disillusioned lately.
a
> couple years ago is when i started going out a lot, but i was exposed to
the
> music early on and was completely oblivious to the rave scene until i went
to
> college. when i was a little kid, my weird uncle used to give me tapes of
> early, avant garde electronica, like Dragon Wings & Wizard Tales and
Tomita. i
> got on the internet in 94 and found a whole world of computerized music,
not
> MP3's but these amateur things called MODs. maybe the point i'm trying to
make
> is more for myself. i like music that pushes things around and makes you
> forget about categorizing it. i want to hear things that make me say WHAT
IS
> THAT. it's the underground, folks. where rhythm is life and the vibe flows
> naturally.
>
> i'm sure this all relates to something, so i might as well keep moving.
> because this gets down to the core of MY problem with things right now.
> basically, i want a new scene. or i want to know where it went. is it just
> obscured by a fog of fodder? i was lovin all of it about 9 months ago,
checkin
> things out every weekend. then i took a love pilgrimage to a little
country
> town on the east coast. 7 months go by and i'm back. What did you guys
do?? it
> is actually VERY different now! i can go to main street huntington beach
> almost any night of the week, and hear house music. fuck it, i think every
> venue in OC has as least one house night. in the days when Our House was
the
> only thing going, i wished for it to happen. i was hopeful and i'd think
house
> is really about to catch on down here. so i got my wish, right? but now,
> instead of there being all this fresh music to hear, everyone is playing
the
> same shit! if it's not the same records it's the same goddamn sound!!
>
> i went to CASA the other weekend. lots of chill people, but what was up
with
> the music? it was house music, the floor was filled and i wasn't on it?
this
> cool asian dj was very competent, and his records had "that sound." yes,
> exactly, it's Music for People Who Like to Get Down. how many tracks did i
> hear from Marques' disc? how many times did i hear them that night? Once
might
> be nice, but 2 or 3.. now it's starting to feel cheap. i don't trust you
dj's
> enough to get out there and dance, because mainstream music makes me feel
> cheesy.
>
> so that's the way i see it, our own scene is mainstream. congratulations
> everyone, we did it. it's cool. it's chill. it's KINDA funky. it's new
york
> hats and big glasses. judging from dj sneak's message, maybe it's even
MONEY.
> oh and don't forget it's a "SPIRITUAL THING." it'll ride for a few years,
and
> then something else will take over and maybe i won't feel so cheesy
anymore.
> techno, anyone?? i guess this is bound to happen, because we all love the
> music and WE created the demand. the question that always gets me is WHY
does
> mainstream always seem to mean watered down or formulaic? don't be like
the
> radio! we love it in the underground, we enjoy seeing new faces, and the
music
> never stops moving. don't we have an opportunity to bring it all with us
as we
> grow? we feel something slipping away and we just keep saying how great
that
> party was and how all those dj's put it down. all the while, as the depth
of
> conversation diminishes between the artists and the afficionados, this
certain
> SOUND is taking shape. and now, we present to the world, HOUSE MUSIC. it's
an
> illusion that music has to be thin or conformist to appeal broadly, and
the
> real leaders know this.
>
> anyway, i must be talking about this "our scene is mainstream" thing on a
> surface level, because i KNOW there are some real tight underground
parties
> going where it's not all clean and conventional. props to everyone with an
> open ear, to all those who thrive on change and have a willingness to
support
> it. props to the fine dj's who know there's more to life and aren't afraid
to
> break out. props to the leaders who show us how it's done. come, let's all
go
> live in the future.
>
>
> J ALDERWOOD
>
>
>
>
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