IDM Mailing Archive

It would appear to me that if everyone looked hard enough they would probably find a copy of ISDM somewhere. Try looking in crap mainstream shops where that would probably not sell too well. By the way I saw a copy last week in Stockport (Manchester). My advice would be to buy the new BDP album instead as it's rather special (Hmmm!). 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. Chris Hewson (cdh20@cam.ac.uk)

Here comes my two on Portishead... I really don't think that they are "trip-hop" at all...I have this strange feeling that they never use that narrow-minded term to discrobe their music that way. Jeez, where I come from, trip-hop was in reference to that goofy music the Wicked SF boys were playing--House with a lot of old electro instumentals and other little breaks records...Not this Mo'wax Dorado stuff, so popular of late. Portishead is good pop music. British. Moody. Dark. I never even thought to compare them to things relevant to this list. I know...Wait, I dug up this gem for you. "If you're going to catagorize us, then trip-hop's not a bad word, but not really necessary. The last thing I wanted to do was sound like Massive Attack." Geoff Barrow continues with: "Someone in France was saying we make really good pop which is their word for "alternative" music. Inthe States it will probably be the same." I think as far as pop music goes, they are pretty good. If all commercial radio was playing this kind of music, rather than the crap that it promotes (ballads! ballads! r+b! A local radio station just claimed on a TV commercial that it will play "No Bad Rap"! more ballads!) maybe American radio would'nt be so bad. On Thu, 19 Jan 1995, Chris Hewson wrote:

quoted 14 lines It would appear to me that if everyone looked hard enough they

> > It would appear to me that if everyone looked hard enough they > would probably find a copy of ISDM somewhere. Try looking in crap > mainstream shops where that would probably not sell too well. By the way > I saw a copy last week in Stockport (Manchester). My advice would be to > buy the new BDP album instead as it's rather special (Hmmm!). > > 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. > > > Chris Hewson (cdh20@cam.ac.uk) >

Sorry, it's just my personal taste coming into play here. I think that the whole concept of 'trip-hop' is manufactured to say the least. I also think that it's slightly unfair that some bands should ride along on a media wave that's not of their own creation but that I suppose cannot be avoided and it would be naive to dent it. Personally I think that the very much maligned Tribe called Quest should be given a firm pat on the back for their worthwhile contributions over the years. Secondly does anyone know whether Darren Emerson's Psychotrance II is any cop. Vol. 1 was O.K. Chris Hewson (cdh20.hermes.cam.ac.uk)

On Fri, 20 Jan 1995, Chris Hewson wrote:

quoted 2 lines Secondly does anyone know whether Darren Emerson's Psychotrance

> Secondly does anyone know whether Darren Emerson's Psychotrance > II is any cop. Vol. 1 was O.K.

Ben Turner goes apeshit over it (the Emerson mix CD) in his review in this week's Melody Maker, calling it "simply the greatest mix CD that has ever been put together." Deep, melodic techno with the added bonus of Darren scratching over the top... :) - Matthew

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