IDM Mailing Archive

quoted 3 lines Does anyone actually like Portishead by the way??? In my humble

> Does anyone actually like Portishead by the way??? In my humble > opinion they are probably the worst example of the so called 'trip-hop' > genre. Everyone should go out and buy Mo' wax records instead.

portishead are not an example of the triphop sound. what is the triphop sound anyway? in the uk this definition seems to cover anything from portishead and tricky to the dust brothers. portishead are now in the top ten so alot of people DO like them and they're there through word of mouth and lately media hype. don't go out and buy mo'wax records full stop, go out and find a record store where you can listen to stuff and buy what you like. seems an odd suggestion but one most people forget. most of the mo'wax rekkids are damn cool and have inspired what was IMO a scene becoming a little tired and jaded (what scene?). yeah well we'll take a bass drum and some hihats and then add an acid rhythm and a few vocal samples and then........... just a few thoughts later matt

matt23 wrote

quoted 6 lines portishead are not an example of the triphop sound.

> portishead are not an example of the triphop sound. > > what is the triphop sound anyway? > > in the uk this definition seems to cover anything from portishead and > tricky to the dust brothers.

I even read a review of LFO's "Tied Up" (in DJ magazine) which described the main mix as "Trip Hop" - no Waay! Just cos its 110bpm and not 4/4. NB Sorry if anyone thinks I am straying from IDM but I if you do, I disagree. This is dance-related music with more (or less?) to it than hands in the air and 4/4 stomp. (or macho posturing and identikit videos in the case of Rap) /Please no flames!! - this is not intended to be as strong as it may sound!!/ A few months ago Trip Hop was the "techno with a funk/hip-hop loop" stuff - this was being discussed some time ago - I have forgotten titles, but there is an Air Liquide track (on the clear blue 12" - their last-but-one on Rising High), a great one on the Locust "Weathered Well" LP and a handful of others. Now the word's been hijacked by all sorts of know-all (ie know nothing) journos and hype-merchants and twisted back on itself.

quoted 3 lines most of the mo'wax rekkids are damn cool and have inspired what was

> > most of the mo'wax rekkids are damn cool and have inspired what was > IMO a scene becoming a little tired and jaded (what scene?).

Yeah, scene? like, huh? But the Headz comp really is cooool. Tell you what, I thought the Autechre track "Lowride" sounds pretty naff here - that's because its out of place, being too clinical and techno-ey in its production. For anyone who did go for Headz, like me, check out the following: "Dope on Plastic" CD/double LP on REACT (UK) Limited purple vinyl available, supposedly. Features 12 laid back funky grooves, including ones from Red Snapper, Skylab, Edge Recording. Varying from jazz-ish funky grooves down to one or two really dubby ones, all nicely blunted. Whoever put the sleeve together got a bit mixed up with the notes, at the top in the main notes it says "... Call it Blunted Jazz, call it Trip-Hop, call it what you will..." and then at the bottom there's an isolated comment- Don't call it trip hop. Well I'd go along with that, but what should we call it? Funny thing is I was trawling my record collection last summer for bits and pieces like this,- ended up with mostly instrumental tracks off old Rap LPs like Stereo MCs, Cypress Hill, Tone Loc. I called the tape "Funky Fillers and Laidback Loops". Sounds a bit derogatory perhaps though, to the new stuff which is being made specifically. ah well I've rambled on enough for now J ^ James Skilton aka Steady J - steady-j@firefox.co.uk

I must say I share in the confusion ... "trip hop" has got to be the least descriptive, contrived and misleading term in dance music today. At one point I thought people were talking about Techno that wasn't 4/4 ... Some of the new Plastikman, Autechre & such ... big mistake! I don't think so-called "labels" should be abolished --- but if there ever was a likely candidate for the axe .... - reverb