From Warp Yourself Sent Wed, Sep 8th 1999, 09:20
From Warp Yourself Sent Wed, Sep 8th 1999, 09:20
I'm sure you'll have more comments as time goes on but I believe the author is misguided. One has to go deeper than a particular genre to find meaning in people's reactions to music. The question of how one engages with music really points more to the individual's response rather than the music. For example, the South Orange County (rich, predominantly white) kid who went to Rage Against The Machine. Or the "Thug" who went to a Rap concert to intimidate rather than listen. Some of the tirade was a bit dodgy but let me put it this way: a few weeks ago I saw Shad T. Scott (of Isophlux) DJ at a small club/coctail lounge. Many people were just dancing their asses off but an equal amount were gathering the subliminal messages of his set like a nod to the Miami sound (his hometown). This conflicts with her postulation that listening to dance music is about "the individual losing contact with the body, literally getting out of their heads". A few months ago I saw Anthony "Shake" Shakir with a few other IDMers and spent most of the night between vigorous nodding of the head and trying to spot tracks that he spun - a very mental experience. Finally, to the Rock & Roll comment: "it's about sex, booze, drugs..." That shit is so played out, for me at least. But one could hardly connect that with a genre of music. I remember a book where the author tried to link the electronic experience with drug use - not quite true in my mind but a prevalent attitude nevertheless. Anyhow, bottom line: Individuals react to music, dancing and otherwise, differently. Moshpits are as mindless as Clubs playing Drum & Bass remixes of Shade. When my good friend hears the Rock group Rush I consider his mental interaction similar to my enthrallment with the new Metamatics release. Sorry to carry on, and maybe in vain if it was indeed tongue in cheek but I just decided to express my personal opinion. David >From: "Irene McC" <xxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx> >To: xxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx >Subject: (idm) comments?? >Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1999 09:06:23 +0200 > >This was written by a friend who's a free-lance correspondent for a (South >African) magazine called SL : this was posted on their on-line site and had >my >jaw hanging open :-) I'd be curious to hear other people's opinions on the >topic. >http://sly.co.za/flashbaby_060999.asp > >Monday, 6 September >The Body Electric >Miles Keylock >Flashbaby ponders just how people engage with music > >It's no revelation that I have a fundamental problem with the way people >seem >(not) to listen to music these days. It's been a major thorn in my >proverbial hide >that so-called dance music genres - music that's sole function is as a >commodity which primarily allows people to dance - have such a following in >this country. > >Perhaps it's not really a question of insisting that one listen to the >music, now >is it? Isn't it more an issue of how - or whether at all - people actually >engage >with the music. Be this cerebrally - a desire for an escape from the >stimulus of >the body, or viscerally - a search for transcendence through the body >itself. >Perhaps this is one reason why fans of dance music are only too willing to >tolerate self-indulgent and exaggerated sets from DJs. > >Don't let anyone try and tell you otherwise, dancing to house music or drum >and bass or trance is about the individual losing contact with the body, >literally >getting out of their heads. Ultimately dance music is not about the DJ - >who, if >anything serves merely as a conman, a visage, a cover version of the >author. >And don't listen to your friends whining on about how "electronic music is >so >cool because it's about the death of the author and the search for a new >signifier confronted with the pre-millennium realities of this post-modern >era." >Bollocks! God is not a DJ! And a DJ will never be God. > >Despite their posturing endeavours there is no way that listening to a DJ >spin a >few discs or a couple of records can have as meaningfully a corporeal >effect as >watching a Nude Girls, a Groinchurn, a Nine, or a Fetish live onstage. >These >people are gods! > >The appeal of rock music is that it speaks precisely to the body. It's >about >embracing the fleshly textures of the music in all it's potential >carnality: it's >about sex, booze, drugs and rock'n roll. All you have to do is listen and >hear. >Whether you dance or not isn't an end in itself. By contrast, dance music >is >simply about denial of the body. It's about a new age, smart drinking, >asexual >looking, pill-popping paranoia of the flesh. > >The next time you go to a drum and bass club, just have a look at where the >kids are. Deep inside their own heads and way up their own arses. I'm >sorry, >that's certainly not listening to the music. 'Cos if anything, dancing with >and >inside yourself seems kinda sad to me. Who are you communicating with? The >DJ? I don't think so. They're definitely playing the music for themselves. >Perhaps the beats then? Oh, please. I think not. All you're doing is >sitting in a >corner, sucking your thumb. And if that's engaging with the music, then I'm >happy to be an old bastard who still lives with his mother. > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com