Vuk's thread last week on the deafness of dj's and the end of dance music got me thinking.
What makes great music? What makes music that lasts? When I listen to r'n'b, soul or even some pop from the '60's sometimes I think "this is great" (Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles come to mind as examples).
In the area of dance related music, where music seems to come and go so quickly, is any of the music truly "great"? (whatever that means) This weekend I was listening to the Source Lab 2 compilation (probably from about 1996 or 1997) I was struck by how "good" some of the music sounded and simultaneously how some of it was "dated". I wondered the same thing when I listened to some vintage Ninja tune stuff off the Xen Cuts compilation. The music on both these cd's is largely sample-based but that doesn't seem to detract from how well the music "works" and the quality of the samples seems ok.
Vuk's email also got me thinking about musical influences. To my way of thinking both Ninja tune , as a lable and the source lab compilation were influential. Perhaps Vuk will say, no, they were derivative and not original. I don't know. But where musical influences tend to generate imitation, how do we best evaluate or judge quality? Is longevity a criteria?
Vuk, if you read this, I'd be interested in your perspective on dance music and how it has evolved over, say, the last ten years. When you listen to stuff that is ten years old, how does it strike you? Does it sound hopelessly dated, still sound fresh, or does it sound good? Does any of it sound truly "great"?
In the spirit of musical recommendations, here are some:
the Xen Cuts compilation on Ninja tune
Source Lab 1 and Source Lab 2 compilations (I don't like source lab 3 as well)
Heads
Heads 2A
Any responses? Interested in your thoughts.
Markus
Posted on: 12 December 2001 by Tony L
quote:
What makes great music? What makes music that lasts?
For me it is all about breaking boundaries and originality. The Beatles were great because they created music completely unlike what had gone before, they were also pretty unique in that the general public actually 'got' it at the time. The vast majority of music that I think qualifies for the description great took far longer to reach that level. Take Velvet Underground, Can, Neu!, Eno, Kraftwerk etc as examples, all have left an indelible mark on the face of modern music, remove any one from that list an I honestly think things would be very different today.
Dance music has obviously left a unavoidable mark on modern music too, it is everywhere. Everyone is using techniques pioneered by this genre, even in fields that would appear to be diametrically opposite e.g. heavy metal - Linkin Park owe a huge debt to the Beasty Boys / KLF etc, as Radiohead do to Plaid or Autechre. I think it is still perhaps a little early to know what the real classics were, but my money is on the stuff that lurked just a little away from the dancefloor - Black Dog / Plaid, Aphex Twin, Plasticman, Oliver Leib, Speedy J etc. I think these were along with Arab Strap, Mogwai, Godspeed you black emperor, Sigur Ros, Bedhead, Grandaddy, Eels etc in the rock field are the VU / Can / Neu! / Kraftwerk etc of the 90s.
Tony.
(who has just about everything mentioned as a classic by Ashley on 12"!)
Posted on: 12 December 2001 by Steve Catterall
quote:
my money is on the stuff that lurked just a little away from the dancefloor
Can't say that I agree with you here. IMO none of these artists is producing anything that is going to influence people to create new music. They are an interesting experiment in using techniques pioneered by dance artists to produce non-dance music.
If we're talking about 'dance' music being 1988 onwards - then I would say there are already classics out there. Energy Flash, for instance - it still has the same effect on the dancefloor that it has always had ... and it spawned the whole trance movement pretty much
some more dance classsics IMO
Energy 52 "Cafe Del Mar" Hooj Choons 1993
Future Sound Of London "Papua New Guinea" Jumpin' & Pumpin' 1992
Underworld "Born Slippy" Junior 1995
Orbital "Belfast" Ffrr 1990
Gat Decor "Passion" Effective 1992
Moby "Go" Outer Rhythm 1991
Letfield "Song Of Life" Hard Hands 1992
Rhythm Is Rhythm "Strings Of Life" Transmat 1987
Lil Louis "French Kiss" Ffrr 1989
808 State "Pacific State 808" Ztt 1989
Joey Beltram "Energy Flash" R&S / Transmat 1990
Liquid "Sweet Harmony" Xl 1992
Orbital "Chime" Ffrr 1990
Mory Kante "Yeke Yeke" London 1988
Hardfloor "Acperience" Hardhouse 1992
[This message was edited by Steve Catterall on WEDNESDAY 12 December 2001 at 15:32.]
