From johnb Sent Mon, Oct 5th 1998, 21:22
I'm amazed... An honest, intelligent response is the first message to make it through the ether to my computer (maybe I just missed a few of the more inflammatory ones?). As soon as I saw the original "electronic music grrrls" post, I thought -- 'Oh no, here it comes, prepare to ignore everything else with this Subject: line for the next few days." I'm glad I didn't...thanks, Elizabeth. .John. NP: John Zorn - Spy Vs. Spy WP: Merzbow & Null - Deus Irae Mmmm......noise... :~) > Ok. For once (again) I will not keep my big mouth shut... > > I get really sick and tired of any woman in male 'dominated' > field trying to play off her girl-ness. It discredits the gender, > and generally trivializes whatever they're trying to do. It's > playing a card, in my eyes, and a pretty worn one at that. You have > issues? Fine. You'd just better have some *worth* to go with them, > and fucking *run* with it. It's not just saying somethign 'cos you've > got something to say, but because you know how to *say* it. It gets > really old, being a female in a technological field, and not one > of the many who 'flaunt it' and try to make it as if they deserve > something for having a given set of genitalia. Guess what. It's > just as goddamned bad as the OTHER SIDE doing it, ok? I don't see > Bjork or Mira Calyx or wheover else you guys love arguing about > really playing up their female-ness - I didn't see any sticker > on their records saying "IS A GIRL!". So what's the bfd? I can see > where being female/male/whatever may impact the music, it's a > different perspective, but what is up with making that a 'selling > point?' > > Bleah. Off my frigging soapbox already. You really shouldn't have > asked. :-) > > > On Mon, 5 Oct 1998, Psuckpop wrote: > > > Following text is an information/manifesto from a new label named > > *Homewrecker Records* founded by Hecate (co-owner of Zhark Records) and > > another girl/woman named Siobhan... Something like a girl/woman/female > > author label... what let me ask: are they any females on this 800+ > > members list who produce electronic music? and if not, are they any > > females on the list? if yes. what they think about that statement? or is > > the idm list 100% male dominated? > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Sex is Vinyl. > > > > Homewrecker Recordings exists on multiple levels (as label, > > ideology, politics and practice) in a multitude of locations (North > > America, Europe - the world) and amongst a multiplicity of > > identities (gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class...). Born of a > > want, a need and a desire to include the issue of "gender" and its > > problematics into not only the lexicon of a certain mode of music, > > within a certain conceptual sphere, but also into various ways of > > being. Homewrecker Recordings recognizes the shifting, the unstable > > and the contested pronouncement of "gender" "female" "(wo)man" or > > "girl" or even the questions raised concerning the notion of > > (cultural) identity. Yet, Homewrecker Recordings deliberately seeks > > out this contested terrain in order to force the issue onto the > > (turn)table. In a patriarchal system the politics of gender do > > indeed matter. > > > > The abstractions approximated by music, the potential anonymity > > afforded by the technology, the means of dissemination or > > distribution, in some respect works to mask the function of gender > > and gender issues in electronic music. White or black labels do not > > speak of sex. But music is never sexless. Unbounded by historical > > circumstance, the relatively new genre of electronic music is, > > paradoxically, profoundly tied to patriarchal culture. The question > > arises, who made this record, for whom was it made, how does it > > circulate and within what context? > > > > The label takes up these issues through a strict set of musical and > > gendered parameters within a specific context: all female producers > > and all electronic/digital music/noise. We aim to sex music. We > > participate in a politics of exclusion merely to dislodge, disrupt > > and displace the comfy covert politics of exclusion taking place in > > (some) electronic music and labels of an extreme nature. > > Ironically, this politics of exclusion has also fostered the > > dangerous practice of appropriating the female form and its > > connotations; the same male structure in a feminine guise. Women up > > front with the men in the back (and in control). The female body > > and voice is presented totally without agency. Put on display. > > Consumed. Passive. That game is old and boring. > > > > Homewrecker Recordings is provocation.... Homewrecking...Destroy > > the patriarchy - Dismantle the familial structure - Demolish > > traditional female roles... The labels's aim is it's own > > destruction - we will work to become obsolete. We hope Homewrecker > > Recordings will be but an additional level in a myriad of > > political/musical/cooperative workings. An international grass > > roots approach is the means by which its artists shall come into > > being. Perhaps she does not yet exist, or she exists unknown in a > > Tokyo highrise or in a basement in Idaho - we'll hook up > > eventually. The label recognizes the various manifestations of the > > female, the existence of feminisms. Being pro-female does not mean > > we are anti-male. Homewrecker Recordings functions as a discursive > > site. To open up debate, dialogue, and criticality around the > > problematics of gender and its intersection with music. > > > > Female trouble. Evening the score. Hysteria. Resistance. Whatever > > you want to call it - we've had enough. It all starts and stops > > here. > > > > *for contact send mail to: xxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx > > > > *for hecate interview goto: > > http://www.digitalworldnet.com/artists/hecate.html > > > > -- > xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xx.xx.xx http://www.extortion.com > > "Millions of human hands at work, billions of minds...a vast > network, screaming with life: an organism. A natural organism." > - Max Cohen, in the motion picture pi