DJ Spooky:
Says nothing. Period. Completely intellectually bankrupt
stream-of-consciousness crap. Illusory depth projected behind jargon (both
academic AND slang). Mainly I've read his column in Paper mag, which is
just neo-beat crap about walking around the city and feeling multi-cultily
rhizomatic.
I'm not going to go into further ranting detail, but that's my take.
Really, my beef is that he doesn't bring anything to the discussion. He
doesn't englighten pop music, and he doesn't make critical discourse any
more pop (or streetwise, or whatever). Perhaps the most amusing piece I
ever read by him was an interview with RZA (in Raygun?) in which the intro
was typical Dr. Paul D. Miller dissertation-stylee, and then for the
interview he shifts into full DJ-Spooky-da-ill-homie-word-yknowhaimsayin?
Sure, I know that identity is all about performativity, but get over it.
The shift was so blatant as to be ludicrous (not to mention that it felt
like he was trying really hard to be down with RZA).
On collecting: anyone who's interested in the implications of the
collection, and has ever felt even fleetingly guilty about sagging shelves
full of unlistened-to records (or unread books) should read Walter
Benjamin's essay, "The Collector." (I'd guess it's in "Illuminations" or
the companion book.) A redemptive take on the "collection" which is the
polar opposite of the brainwashed-consumer variety. All the more
surprising, then, that it comes from the Frankfurt school.
phil