quoted 1 line So here's my main point about why writers don't like genres....in my
>So here's my main point about why writers don't like genres....in my
opinion
quoted 3 lines and in my personal experiences, I spend so much time dealing with generic
>and in my personal experiences, I spend so much time dealing with generic
>trash that I get pretty damn excited when I hear something new. You don't
>even want to know how many "Sasha in Ibiza"-type CDs that writers and
retail
quoted 2 lines buyers have to wade through. Even with mounds of music on my desk, I still
>buyers have to wade through. Even with mounds of music on my desk, I still
>find myself listening to stuff such as Basic Channel, Jeff Mills, The
Doors,
quoted 1 line and Public Enemy at home.
>and Public Enemy at home.
I think we're talking about slightly different things, that's all, Jason -
I'm not defending "generic trash" (and shit, I had to review Paul Van Dyk
recently, which was definitely a low point in my own writing career), but
rather *genres*. Many writers (and I'm thinking much more of mass-market
writers than ppl accustomed to writing for specialist mags) attack genres as
though their limits were the problem, but the point about a genre is that
its boundaries, its limits (not necessarily limitations) are what define it.
Delimit it, literally. While Echlin's comment that too much house music
samples disco (I'm paraphrasing) is a legitimate critique, it's also worth
realizing that house music is heavily rooted in disco, and part of the
challenge for good house is to continue playing with this, seeing what can
be done within the strictures of a 4/4 beat and a disco loop. Again, I'm
not saying that innovation is bad - but rather that too many ppl overlook
the value of innovation *within* a structured, rule-based form. (Just think
about Bach, Beethoven, and the classical trope of "theme & variations" - for
a contemporary take on this, check out Frederick Reszewski's excellent "The
People United Will Never Be Defeated" (
http://www.newalbion.com/NA063/) - a
set of variations based on the Chilean protest song.)
Finally, as far as magazines go, and the hunt for informed writing on
this-listy music, I'd recommend people to keep looking further afield than
their local "alternative" weekly (for instance the SF Bay Guardian, for all
its progressive bombast, continually disappoints in its electronic music
coverage) - try
* Sleaze Nation - amazing UK mag (www.sleazenation.co.uk)
* Grooves - US zine (www.groovesmag.com)
* The Wire - (www.thewire.co.uk) I have never picked up an issue of this and
not learned something about music
* XLR8R - (www.xlr8r.com) interestingly, rapidly moving its focus from
raving & "the scene" and, under Tomas Palermo's excellent editorial
direction, branching out into much more experimental & advanced musics -
check the upcoming issue on California experimental techno, with many
this-listy favorites featured prominently
* SonicNet - (www.sonicnet.com) it may be owned by MTV, but they follow a
totally objective editorial policy, and they give review & news space to
some really great stuff (recent reviews include Arovane, Markus Nikolai,
Oval, Kid 606... - not yr typical MTV fare)
* Alternative Press - Dave Segal consistently curates an excellent BPM
section, and packs the review section with quality material, far beyond what
you'd expect from the Limp Bizkit cover photo
* Surface - it looks like Wallpaper and focuses mainly on fashion, but fuck
it - they've let me write on Chris Cunningham, Carsten Nicolai, Jon
Wozencroft, Funkstorung - it may not be a music mag, but they're another
publication out there that "gets it," and gives space to intelligent writing
on good music
(Disclaimer - I'm involved with four of the above, so feel free to take my
recommendations with a grain of salt.)
I'm sure there are more that I've forgotten - the point is, if you're
disappointed in the writing you're seeing, counter it! Write a letter to
the editor if the reviewer has gotten it totally wrong. Flip to the reviews
section in bizarre looking mags when at the newsstand - you might be
surprised who's giving space to good music these days (like Surface). And
Jason, at least you can be content that you guys supply content to like,
most of the Internet... Better AMG than, say, Rolling Stone! :)
Philip Sherburne
Executive Managing Editor, Technology
510-985-7885
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