well, you prob dont know this, but the other half of drexciya has just
released a track with a *white man*. they will be releasing an ep in
the near future. so much for taking drexciya as a whole as a racist
institution.
jason
WCBN-FM Radio free ann arbor 88.3
On Tue, 17 Jan 1995, Matthew Lehrer wrote:
quoted 85 lines O.K. guys, due to popular demand, here's the Drexcia interview from
> O.K. guys, due to popular demand, here's the Drexcia interview from
> the "Orbit" section of the Jan. 14, 1995 Melody Maker (reprinted
> without permission, of course).
>
> --
> The Unknown Aquazone
> --------------------
> The release of Chapter Five in the much sought-after Drexcia series
> is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Dave Mothersole
> is granted a rare ear-bashing from the Detroit team.
>
> Drexcia are not your normal techno act. Having been together
> for some 10 years, they've released just five records. Fiercely
> independent and highly opinionated, they're the ultimate
> perfectionists, working in total secrecy, concealing their identities
> and discreetly putting out some of the most outstanding, unusual,
> beautiful and disturbing electronic music ever committed to vinyl.
> Their "Journey Home EP", out this week on Warp, has already
> been hailed as one of the most important releases of the Nineties.
> In a rare interview, one half of Drexcia, James - he wouldn't
> reveal his second name - talks about techno, DJing, the Drexcia
> philosophy and the fight against the "Caucasian persuasion".
> Off To Battle
> -------------
> "As far as I'm concerned, there isn't anybody out there making
> original Detroit techno - apart from us, and that's not being arrogant.
> It's a plain and simple fact. A lot of people making so-called techno
> don't understand where it came from and what it's all about. I know this
> stuff; I've been doing it for a long time. I've been with the real deal,
> in the trenches, since this shit was born out of the womb. But so many
> people have come in and stepped over the name of original techno and
> toned it down. And that's why were here: it's time to turn up the heat."
> 'The Caucasian Persuasion'
> --------------------------
> "Ever since the blues and early jazz, black music has been
> stolen and exploited. It pisses me off that we let it happen. It's
> a political thing; everybody talks about it under their breath, but
> they don't come out and say anything about it. As far as I'm concerned,
> Richie Hawtin, Moby, and all the rest of 'em can do what they want, but
> don't step into my house if you don't respect it. Don't even call what
> you do 'techno'! I don't want to hear anybody saying Richie started any
> damned thing, 'cos he ain't started shit. All he did was step in with
> his money and his Caucasian persuasion and put himself on the market,
> and now he's got all these kids riding his jock. We never had rich
> backgrounds; we were working jobs for $4.25 an hour. Our mamas never
> gave us money to buy keyboards and put records out. We work for our
> stuff. That's why there's a big difference in the music.
> "Why do Richie and his Plus 8 family come down here and throw
> parties in downtown Detroit? He brings in all these kids from the
> suburbs and from Canada, and that shows a lack of respect. I've been
> to every one of those parties and I've never heard an Underground
> Resistance record, a Cybertron record, a Model 500 record or an Eddie
> Fowlkes record. It's a total lack of respect, and it's got to stop."
> DJ Hype
> -------
> "Only guys like Leon and Jeff Mills know how to spin. Serious,
> man, you have DJs who mix sound like a galloping horse. Give 'em a
> record that doesn't have a 4/4 beat and they can't handle it; their
> fingers get all tied up and they get all confused. C'mon, you gotta
> know those records. You got to have quick reflexes and make that record
> talk. Make those turntables work; you got to see smoke coming off those
> suckers. These guys fly around the world and people call 'em geniuses,
> and they don't even warm those decks up - they're still cold after a
> whole night. They're just fader flippers."
> Deep Sea Dwellers - The Drexcia Philosophy
> ------------------------------------------
> "The reason why we give alot of our tracks aquatic titles is
> because waves are constantly changing. It moves in so many different
> directions, and that's the way we see our music. It doesn't go straight
> forward. It takes you on an adventure. We record all our stuff live.
> You have to capture that moment, that spirit, that energy. We could
> never recreate one of our records. Every Drexcia record is different.
> We're dealing with your personality, your emotions. We try to get you
> to open your mind up and listen to the sounds, and hopefully then you
> can paint a picture in your mind. That's what it's all about."
>
> Drexcia 5, 'The Journey Home EP', is out now on Warp.
> --
>
> So there you have it, IDM'ers, the confrontational and controversial
> Drexcia. One question, though. Who's that Leon guy mentioned along
> with Jeff Mills? Anyone know?
>
> - Matthew
>