the scuba-ification of mainstream dance music

[thirdform]

Get to know Prospa, the duo bring rave euphoria for a new generation

The Leeds-born duo have their sights set on the heights of The Chems and The Prodigy

mixmag.net

so many things to say about this, but

Discovering each other’s shared interests in dance music, the pair then decided to start producing, and releasing, as Prospa. “We were putting music out for maybe two years, deep housey stuff, then we just stopped,” says Harvey. “As we got older, we fell out of love with that sound,” Gosha explains. “Even though we were into deep house, we always loved classic dance music. The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk – they were always our influences. When we made [euphoric rave anthem] ‘Prayer’, we’d been toying with other ideas in that sort of sound and just fell in love with it.”

The ungodly monster of rockism and poptimism amalgamating into a tory creamfields hydra. This has been going on for years, granted, but it's funny how rave means 90s nostalgia, rather than that 'hooligan, uncouth' (to hipster scenesters) black-multiracial hardcore-jungle period in the early 90s. I don't think this happened with rock. Noone can claim that R.E.M are lionised more than the beatles, floyd or Black Sabbath.

Let's listen to this then, heard them on kiss 100 an hour ago cos I was bored, and it felt like being submerged in a stoners keyboard.



It's as if all the innovations never happened, no bass science, no breakbeat science even, no dub techniques, just straight from tangerine dream to the Chemical Brothers. And yet, it could only come out in the 2010s with those innovations being filtered, and then subconsciously discarded.

The funny thing is I fail to understand what the nostalgia for this late 90s zeitgeist is, most of these kids were basically toddlers in the 97-99 hayday of big beat and filter house. I don't think it's just marketting, there's something there, widescreen panoramas and everything, everything optimism? If so, Tom Ewing must be crucified to return to his father.

 

[thirdform]

Of course, Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk was at his best when he was so clinically enthralled to the scene logic of the chicago jack trax house of DJ Sneak, DJ Rush etc. I think Simon may disagree but again pace Goldie/Dego.





the nihilism inherent in disco out there for everyone to see. They got far too moralistic (musically speaking) after this.

 

[thirdform]

I was also flicking on and off the capital xtra reloaded channel earlier, which i always put in the 00s rnb/dance bracket. And now they advertise themselves as being non-stop old school, and yet it hardly even seems that far away in time. A significant culture shock. I cannot ever imagine how it will be for kids born 10 years later, with basically no folk memory of hardcore, jungle, garage, and make that grime in 15 years time. Obviously the UK being the UK, Gus' mr nice guy indie will never gain a foothold, but what is the next actual big thing? 10 years ago I would have said trap and chicago drill. So of course that will lead a prolonged afterlife. But now?

 

[thirdform]

To be clear. This isn't a discussion about everything sounds old, which has been flogged to death on here. It's about which influences are consciously adopted or unconsciously discarded by the new generations, and why.

 

[thirdform]

Dubstep (in its wobble guise granted) I think was the last form of rave music which penetrated the national airwaves. Funky was mostly over by 2011 and even before that it was mostly a london ting.

I remember this being huge up and down the country



basically 92 ardkore modernised for the 2010 sixth form/council estate spliffhead populous. The last time that could ever happen?

 

[thirdform]

Here I'm trying to reconceptualise pop not as being about the present, but the present afterlife of the past. ghosts of accumulated dead labour living on and on by sucking the present, only for that present to then suck up the future.

Whether any critical commentary has been written on this, of pop as essentially always in some form or another being retromanic, idk:

@Matthew @john eden @blissblogger

And no, no hauntology otherwise I'll slit my wrists. Hauntology is more about memory whereas I'm talking about inadvertent or necessary resurrections.

 

[woops]

That's why it's funny to read the comments under Mark fisher videos where people are saying erm actually if you took the time to listen to [favourite genre, French rap or whatever] then you'd change your k-punk tune. Kund of missing the point aren't you