Re: (idm) Simon Reynolds ate my Buick (and other love stories)

From david turgeon
Sent Fri, Apr 9th 1999, 18:20

> I don't think that's really a concern for him (I mean, ltd dubplates and
> white labels are the very foodstuff of DJs, c.f. the anonymity of author
> in my summary above- you'd be hard pressed to find a more obscure way of
> distributing the actual physical "release"). I think the problem (for him)
> is that nobody really aspires to anything with more appeal than outside
> their circle of friends.

but that's more of a by-product of obscurity than its premise.  idm's
relative obscurity has become wilful partly because it would be
masochistic to do it otherwise.  i.e. pressings of 500 are usually
sufficient because not more than 500 are likely to ever buy it.  it's
only smart (& healthy) business, especially since the club djs reynolds
is so fond of won't play it, so we're left to ourselves having to create
our own network to get any attention.

perhaps, as many have stated, the views expressed by the pro-idm side of
this discussion don't fit in his own scheme of things, but from the many
explanations of his own views which i've read today (i don't know the
guy's works, so you'll excuse me if i got it wrong), his dream of music
& drugs as the catalyst to counterculture doesn't have to extend to
every kind of music.  some music may be made for mass-consumption, &
some music may be made for self-appointed experimentation.  neither has
to be the "wrong" kind of music--matter of fact, both complete each
other quite well already, & most people on this list will gladly
recognize & even celebrate the influence of club music on their own. 
that's something mr. reynolds doesn't seem to acknowledge on his side of
the alledged "fence".

i'd like to add this concerning the possibility of idm turning into the
progressive rock of the 90s (or the 00s, rather): i found that
generally, idm, unlike prog rock, isn't a genre proper but rather an
amalgama of quite different subgenres which appeal to a loose group of
people.  i mean, _really_ what do say jake mandell & v/vm have in
common, other than a certain group of people listen to both?  then
again, noodling is always a danger, but we have a new tool: the
internet, & with it there is _no_ reason to noodle ("i didn't know
somebody else had done it already!!"), & _every_ reason to experiment &
find new ways out.

someone please tell me to shut up.  :)

-- 
david turgeon at http://www.notype.com