IDM Mailing Archive

!!! Mail forwarded by idm-owner, fluid@hyperreal.com !!! !!! Original message and sender below !!! From: JOUNI ALKIO <JOUNI@shh.fi> Subject: Re: Reverb and the race issue (sorry!) To: idm@hyperreal.com

quoted 1 line From: matt23 <ISXMCD@evn1.civeng.nottingham.ac.uk>

> From: matt23 <ISXMCD@evn1.civeng.nottingham.ac.uk>

quoted 2 lines alot of music has it's roots in black culture be it jazz, blues,

> alot of music has it's roots in black culture be it jazz, blues, > techno or whatever.

Certainly. I, for example, do like "tribal" rhythms. But does having a white skin make me more of a "stealer" or "exploiter" than somebody with a black skin? Especially if I use some tribalish rhythms? If so, why? To me, these are just things some people have done in history. No matter who they are.

quoted 2 lines there is a history of black music being overrun

> there is a history of black music being overrun > and diluted by the white population.

Well, this might in some sense be true. But do you expect some "compensation" from the white artists who just do the kind of music they happen to want to do? Should they stop making music altogether or what? And, I seriously don't think that any of the "techno" labels nowadays would choose an artist by race.

quoted 6 lines techno has its roots in europe-kraftwerk and experimental

> > techno has its roots in europe-kraftwerk and experimental > electronics; electro and disco. house and disco is really a gay black > thing in rooy form. techno was invented? in detriot by black > musicians and has influenced a large mostly white population in > europe and now back in north america.

Hmm. The music I make was not _invented_ by anybody. (Just for a record my music could be described semi-experimental intella-ambient techno, well it can be categorised as techno.) Even I don't "invent" my music. I just make music and I do recognise I have influences -- but I would get lots of grey hair if I started thinking what of these influences am I "allowed" to take. Before I started making music my favourites were Gary Numan and Hans-Joachim Roedelius -- now for example Ken Ishii. The first "techno" record I got was LFO's Frequencies. Making music is always a derivative process, in my opinion.

quoted 4 lines alot of the early detroit techno was characterised by a soul in the

> > alot of the early detroit techno was characterised by a soul in the > cold electronics that is missing in the stomp of the jackbooted > european techno.

This is true. But there is some current techno that is not just soulless stomp, from europe and elsewhere. Most of the music sold as techno nowadays is very very boring but I think this has more to do with the fact that it has gotten more publicity -> more people make it -> more commercial background than it has to do with "europeans stealing Detroit techno and doing it the wrong way". I don't like german "rave" stuff at all -- just as I don't like the commercial "soul" music that MTV stuffs into our living rooms. I am also not happy with the fact that most of the techno parties here in Finland are for the people who like the "rave" music -- or the people who are part of the youth for whom it is "cool" and "right" to be rave folk. (Well, it's their life and environment and I can't blame them for that but my brand of techno it is not.) To me, most of all music is always crap.

quoted 2 lines the advantage of techno is that mostly the records consist of little

> > the advantage of techno is that mostly the records consist of little

---------

quoted 3 lines information regarding the origin-so the race, creed, colour of the

> information regarding the origin-so the race, creed, colour of the > producer is unknown (and irrelevent). the music should stand up by > itself.

quoted 1 line detroit doesn't receive the credit it is due and most techno

> detroit doesn't receive the credit it is due and most techno

-------------------------------------------- Do I see some kind of a contradiction here? :-)

quoted 2 lines released today isn't worthy of the title if used in it's

> released today isn't worthy of the title if used in it's > detroitcentric terms. techno is a dirty word in alot of places and

Hmm. I haven't seen any artist put "techno in detroitcentric terms" in their album sleeves :-)

quoted 1 line its the stupid, soulless and mostly white population thats to blame.

> its the stupid, soulless and mostly white population thats to blame.

Most music is stupid and soulless as far as I am concerned. I don't blame any race for that. It's just the way the commercial world works. Still, there is one big advantage from "techno" or "electronic music" becoming commercial. Also the more experimental or whatever brands of techno have more change to get onto records and some audience. I for one can't imagine that I would have got a record deal several years ago if I did the music I do now. And this is the most important thing for me. You can just ignore the stuff you are not interested in.

quoted 3 lines respect

> respect > > matt

Greetings, Jouni