you wrote:
.....I've always considered (i.e. Derrick May & Carl
Craig) the beats to be monotonous & the synths to not hold up to the test
of time. They don't compel me to go out and dance & they aren't
interesting enough to listen to while nesting at home......
Can anyone say anything about the music that makes it so great?
Well, Carl is the bomb, but it is much deeper than that for me. You're
right, alot of the beats, throughout Detroit Techno you might call
'monotonous'. But that's not the point IMO. Detroit is much more on a
peaceful, soulful thick funk tip than a lot of Euro techno-it's tough to
say how. Carl's music is so diverse that it's difficult to pinpoint
certain things that make it so great but I'll try-
His use of light, airy melodies (like on Psyche/BFC stuff) in contrast to
those thick booming beats just gets me everytime. So chillin, so much on a
soulful vibe. Landcruising is also full of this stuff.
Using complex beats has never seemed to be real concern with a lot of the
Detroit crew, it's like they know than can do it, but would rather focus
on the emotional essence of the track, something which is missing from so
much of 4/4 techno. (Pick any Kenny Larkin release for intricate
drum machining)
I guess I love this stuff becasue it it *totally* danceable and *totally*
living-room listenable. It totally stands the test of time. I don't know
what else to say, if you don't get it, keep listening. Even though I grew
up right next to Detroit, I was weaned on Euro industrial/electonica.
Detroit Techno was a myth. When I finally got into it, I too felt like you
did. Detroit Techno is not flashy, it's not full of tricks and gimmicks.
It took me awhile to learn this, but when I did, I discovered some truly
kick-ass techo! Now I listen to the stuff you might like, and think
'overdone glitzy crap'. But hey, we all have our opinions.
Last but not least, not trying to sound too corny, but actually going to
Detroit and seeing what a shithole the place is really puts the music
in perspective. It's amazing that such beautiful and slamming techno can
come out of a place so filled with degradation of all kinds.
I love Detroit,
Nate
Nate Harrison
Digital Magician Inc.
www.digimagician.com
nate@digimagician.com
313.994.7316