Damon Fairclough@PSYGNOSIS
08/07/97 10:09
On Mon, 7 Jul 1997 01:00:19 -0500 (CDT), Oblique Hostility <kent@inav.net>
wrote:
quoted 7 lines I heard from someone who was trying to write drum and bass breaks for>I heard from someone who was trying to write drum and bass breaks for
>marching bands to play. The drummers can handle it, but I imagine
>that the rest of the band's ludicrous lack of swing would get in the way
>of a really convincing job.
>
>Though I would so treasure the thought of Goldie directing a college
>marching band in a stirring rendition of "Inner City Life"
There has recently been a bit of activity in the UK by a project called
'Acid Brass' which basically rearranges acid house classics for performance
by a brass band. I suspect yer average brass band is slightly different to
your 'college marching band', but I imagine the instruments used are
similar.
Brass bands consist of the usual trumpets, trombones, french horns, tubas
etc., but they're very strongly identified with northern English working
class communities, particularly in the Yorkshire coal fields and the
Lancashire cotton industry. The project was put together by an artist
called Jeremy Deller (I think) who made various tenuous links between the
working class brass band tradition and the early illegal acid house bashes
- unfortunately, I can't give a first-hand response to their sound, though
they've had interesting write-ups in the dance music press. Whether it's
ultimately anything more than a novelty act I don't know - but they were
one of the first acts on at this year's Tribal Gathering!
I realise your point was more to do with the drum patterns of d+b and the
marching band, but if you're also interested in the admittedly seductive
warm brass band sound, I know there's an Acid Brass album due for imminent
release on Blast First. Tracks include A Guy Called Gerald's 'Voodoo Ray',
808 State's 'Pacific State' and the KLF's 'What Time Is Love'.....
Damon.
Ears bleeding to: Jeff Mills - 'Kat Moda EP'