You seem to resent AP for only focusing on mainstream electronic acts,
but how big is too big for you? What good would it do AP to give props
to electronica acts which are smaller than Boymerang and Witchman? Hell,
I've never heard either of them. As far as Gus Gus goes, they're a good
band and probably haven't even sold ten thousand records yet.
Do you think that AP should only focus on unsigned electronic acts
without labels or without any press clippings? This is a very noble
concept, but nobody would buy the magazine.
I'm tired of people knocking the media/press for trying to be "cool" and
falling a little short. If they are really trying to present a sample of
electronica to newbies, then it looks to me like they picked a good
sampling of the biggies and some lesser-known acts. Most of their
readers probably haven't even heard the orb before. If these guys really
do RESENT electronica (as many rawk-heads do), then it's their loss. But
you can't knock them solely because they don't pick obscure enough acts
to write about.
Besides, one thing about electronic music we must remember is that many
of these artists do not perform *live* much until AFTER they are famous,
and even when they do perform they are usually too fucking boring for
concert-goer types. So while unsigned rawk acts can generate a buzz by
playing live for years, by opening for larger rawk acts, etc, electronic
acts usually have to wait until they have a record before anyone in the
press will get a chance to hear it.
This is especially true in America, where there are still practically
zero electronic acts, signed or unsigned. Out of all the bands mentioned
in the article, and all the bands spoken of on the IDM list, almost all
of them are Brits (the rest are other euros). This makes it difficult
for an American magazine to get too excited about the "scene" when they
can't really even be a part of the scene. So that's their reason for not
being cool enough.
That, and of course racism and homophobia.
-CF
quoted 27 lines -----Original Message-----> -----Original Message-----
> From: gman2@sprynet.com
> it's ridiculous...
> ...it'll take more than a token mention of Ed Rush,
> Boymerang, and Witchman for AP to regain it's 'cutting-edge' on the
> current
> musical climate. and GusGus?! of all people to warrant a sidebar -
> while Vibert and Paradinas are consigned to three-sentence passing
> mentions.
> yes, there is more to electronica than Prodigy. but you wouldn't know
> it from
> the AP article. Chemical Brothers... Orb... FSOL... same old boring
> suspects.
> and the 'revamped/expanded' BPM section is basically still the same
> mix of
> trip-hop comps and such which you read about everywhere. it'll take a
> more
> convincing effort on AP's part if they're going to bring the 'real'
> electronica
> to their (core) audience of Marilyn Manson fans.
> trust me - i honestly tried to change things there. but they don't
> want them
> changed. any effort to give props and support to the REAL electronic
> revolutionaries was basically ignored or, worse, resented.
>
>
>