IDM Mailing Archive

RE>Zip codes, brain zones, tow I went to my favorite vinyl shop last night and tried to hook some Underground Resistance.. They said that they have a hard time getting it and when they do, it goes quickly.. How much material do these guys have? The double 12" I have is *amazing*. Highly academic and well produced.. -------------------------------------- Date: 5/18/94 9:53 AM To: Jeff Taylor From: Dave Walker On Wed, 18 May 1994, djkc wrote:

quoted 7 lines You talkin' Detroit techno and "trance"?

> You talkin' Detroit techno and "trance"? > > Yeah, try to get imports, they're MUCH better. Much of the stuff I get > is German and UK trance. I hate techno. I hate boring *thump*thump* > and tweaky stuff. I'm not sure if I should even be considered a "trance" > DJ anymore cause I think the stuff I have is a pretty original style and > when people here in America think "trance" they think *thump*tweak*BORING!*

Huh? You guys must be buying different stuff from Detroit than I am... have you heard any Drexciya? Carl Craig? the more experimental UR stuff? Are you guys relying on comps to tell you what Detroit techno sounds like? I happen to find the early works of May, Atkins, et. al. bracing and soulful, but the mistake a lot of people make is to generalize these works as if they _alone_ define the length and breadth of the musical output of the city. Preconceived notions seem to preclude the possibility that Model 500's "No UFO's" and 69's "Ladies & Gentlemen" came from the same zip code. Next subject: I'm at the point where I think the term "trance" should be retired anyway, along with "hardcore" -- these terms have been applied so loosely and indiscriminately that when you use one you have to spend a few more sentences explaining what you _really_ mean ("Hardcore, you know, like Jeff Mills. No, not gabber. Not English breaks either...") What passes for trance on these miserable comps labels are pushing now makes me almost physically ill. What's worse is that the abysmal quality of this stuff leads people to make inane generalizations ("4/4 bad, 909 evil, birdy samples gooood!"). ----------------------------------------------------------------- dave walker, detroit art services marmoset@msen.com me & my robots