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From: dvmiller+@osu.edu (Dave Miller)
Subject: Re: We need more serious criticism of techno! (long rant)
After reading the first two replies to this post, I think I finally
have to add my two cents to a discussion. Here goes nothing...
I think the point that is being made here is that techno needs some
forum where it is discussed seriously and how it relates to other forms of
music and to the culture that it represents, or from whiuch it is derived.
This doesn't mean that there is no room for reviews that simply say "This
track kicked ass and took names!", but in the braoder perspective, techno
of all forms needs to have some thoughtful criticism and commentary if it
is to become anything besides a marginal part of music history. This just
means that *some* people who make, write about, or listen to techno have to
think about what it is that makes this music a vital form of expression.
Nothing is created in a vacuum. Sometimes, a bedroom full of blinking
silver boxes may seem like it is seperate from the rest of the universe,
but unless you have never heard any other music, *ever* or have *never*
experienced anything outside your room, you bring all that you've
expperienced into the creative process. Unfortunately, it seems that most
artists out there are pretty much unaware of *why* they do what they do.
Things done solely because 'it sounded really neat' are ultimately very
empty, there's nothing below the surface.
It's not about making techno 'political' either. Most people who
listen to techno have no idea what the person making it looks like, so race
doesn't enter into their minds. But, if you take a look at where techno
came from (as far as the people who started it) and the typical attendee at
a rave, you'll notice quite a difference. So the question that Ozymandias
is asking is: why is techno such a predominantly white, suburban thing?
(Outside of Detroit, Chicago, NY, etc...)
OK, my mind is all twisted around now, so I'll stop. My points in
a nutshell:
1. People who make techno need to start thinking about *why* they do it;
otherwise, this is all just a pointless tangent in history.
2. Maybe just a couple of people could notice that how something that
started out as a definite part of inner-city culture has been co-opted by
white, suburban kids.
Dave