Rave revival?

[tryptych]

In the NME this week (I was just reading it in the supermarket, honest ) theyre raving about a new compilation on Alt Delete records, called "Digital Penetration" which is full of all this indie-neo-rave stuff.

 

[Slothrop]

Yeah, hate it. Electronica is bad enough but IDM is worse. What's wrong with calling it techno?

The thing that bothers me is the way that the term IDM (or possibly it's just something that's happened in parallel with the growth of the term) has crystalized the music from being 'electronic music that messes with your head as much as it makes you want to dance' to being either breakcore or Autechre knockoffs, and turned it from a genuinely open ended melting pot into something stylistically limited and mostly pointless. Meanwhile, a lot of things that would originally have fit well within the remit of IDM (eg Burial, Ricardo Villalobos) seem to get more or less ignored by the IDM 'community' because they're 'not IDM'...

 

[mms]

The thing that bothers me is the way that the term IDM (or possibly it's just something that's happened in parallel with the growth of the term) has crystalized the music from being 'electronic music that messes with your head as much as it makes you want to dance' to being either breakcore or Autechre knockoffs, and turned it from a genuinely open ended melting pot into something stylistically limited and mostly pointless. Meanwhile, a lot of things that would originally have fit well within the remit of IDM (eg Burial, Ricardo Villalobos) seem to get more or less ignored by the IDM 'community' because they're 'not IDM'...

not realy sure if this is true - is there an idm communty anymore though really esp given the sales of burial and villalobos thru electrronic music specialists

 

[gek-opel]

One of the key narratives of post 2001 dance music (largely 4 to the floor) has been the incorporation of innovations that were previously the preserve of the electronica kids... micro sounds, hyper edits, defibrillating hi hats (Christ these are even all over The Knife's new album...) every one of the classic IDM (or really Warp Records-style mid-90s electronica if you are to be precise) aesthetic tropes has been successfully incorporated into more classicist dance tracks, (see Villalobos' OTM pronouncement that "sound design ended in 2001 with Autechre") but to be honest, whilst it is pleasurable, by now is this not beginning to feel extremely (over)familiar? It amounts to little more than a shuffling of the deck of pre-existing ideas, doesn't it?

 

[swears]

One of the key narratives of post 2001 dance music (largely 4 to the floor) has been the incorporation of innovations that were previously the preserve of the electronica kids... micro sounds, hyper edits, defibrillating hi hats (Christ these are even all over The Knife's new album...) every one of the classic IDM (or really Warp Records-style mid-90s electronica if you are to be precise) aesthetic tropes has been successfully incorporated into more classicist dance tracks, (see Villalobos' OTM pronouncement that "sound design ended in 2001 with Autechre") but to be honest, whilst it is pleasurable, by now is this not beginning to feel extremely (over)familiar? It amounts to little more than a shuffling of the deck of pre-existing ideas, doesn't it?

Yeah, but those sounds also affect the rythyms, the feel of track, the emotional content...
It all helps to push things along. It's like you're creating all these little mutations until you get a successful one that evolves. Villalobos is great, but I think it's enough that you're placing those aphexisms into a dancefloor setting. I mean you could have just called early house music "computer disco". The actual production is more important than people think, otherwise we'd just all be listening to midi files.

 

[mms]

In the NME this week (I was just reading it in the supermarket, honest ) theyre raving about a new compilation on Alt Delete records, called "Digital Penetration" which is full of all this indie-neo-rave stuff.

that's an old chart rave act in't it ?
gwad how clever and ironic like!

 

[gek-opel]

@ Swears: it's enough yes, but for how long?

@ Anyone whose actualy heard this indie-neorave shit: Is it just indie bands coveing old skool rave tunes, do they use electronics or what?

 

[mms]

@ Swears: it's enough yes, but for how long?

@ Anyone whose actualy heard this indie-neorave shit: Is it just indie bands coveing old skool rave tunes, do they use electronics or what?

well indie neorave is according to the nme a few weeks back a sort of made up genre that covers say justice to juan mclean, shit robot, klaxons, hot chip etc - ie indie plus electronics, or electronic post windowlicker stuff with big midrange noise, or older sounding dfa stuff .
i'd buy and have bought some of this stuff not knowing that its neo rave or whatever, esp some of the french stuff, cos its great big dance music.
Not sure if some of this is partly a kind of continuation of the non ravers go raving aspect of electroclash, esp as dfa etc and that were a part of both of those scenes.
it's certainly not rave though.
but klaxons are specifically guitar covers of pop rave, not heard any electronic involvment from them. klaxons are the ones in the spotlight at the mo unfortunatley as they are the stupidest, i wonder if any of these other bands are the same.

btw feads and uffie sunday night at cargo.

 

[tryptych]

@ Swears: it's enough yes, but for how long?

@ Anyone whose actualy heard this indie-neorave shit: Is it just indie bands coveing old skool rave tunes, do they use electronics or what?

Here's the tracklisting of that Digital Pentration comp:

"Digital Penetration 1 is the birth of a series of compilations which will feature 50% established acts and 50% unsigned, all in the indie/electronic cross-over bracket, see below for Digital Penetration I tracklisting, and look out for it in the shops in early June.

These New Puritans - Chamber, Supersystem - Miracle, Shit Disco - Disco Blood, The Presets - Are You The One, The Neon Plastix On Fire, Revl9n - Closer, Cut Copy - Going Nowhere, Mother and The Addicts - Oh God Stop Hurting Me, Corey Dargel - I Dont Remember, Crystal Castles - Air War, Architecture in Helsinki - Do The Whirlwind (hot chip remix), Envelopes - I Don't Even Know, Letters and Colours - Alpha, Bricolage - Footsteps, New Young Pony Club - Get Lucky (Dance Edit), Theoretical Girl - It's All Too Much (demo), Klaxons - 4 Horsemen Of 2012, Dandi Wind - Balloon Factory , We Are Wolves - L.L. Romeo, Shychild - The Noise Wont Stop"

from http://www.myspace.com/altdelete although that doesnt seem to be working at the moment

not really sure what most of those bands soundlike...

 

[mms]

Here's the tracklisting of that Digital Pentration comp:

"Digital Penetration 1 is the birth of a series of compilations which will feature 50% established acts and 50% unsigned, all in the indie/electronic cross-over bracket, see below for Digital Penetration I tracklisting, and look out for it in the shops in early June.

These New Puritans - Chamber, Supersystem - Miracle, Shit Disco - Disco Blood, The Presets - Are You The One, The Neon Plastix On Fire, Revl9n - Closer, Cut Copy - Going Nowhere, Mother and The Addicts - Oh God Stop Hurting Me, Corey Dargel - I Dont Remember, Crystal Castles - Air War, Architecture in Helsinki - Do The Whirlwind (hot chip remix), Envelopes - I Don't Even Know, Letters and Colours - Alpha, Bricolage - Footsteps, New Young Pony Club - Get Lucky (Dance Edit), Theoretical Girl - It's All Too Much (demo), Klaxons - 4 Horsemen Of 2012, Dandi Wind - Balloon Factory , We Are Wolves - L.L. Romeo, Shychild - The Noise Wont Stop"

from http://www.myspace.com/altdelete although that doesnt seem to be working at the moment

not really sure what most of those bands soundlike...

well i hope some of it is really inspiring stuff

 

[mistersloane]

There's thi slot as well who are trancerock, or whatever. Like I care.

http://www.myspace.com/entershikari

 

[simon silverdollar]

In the NME this week (I was just reading it in the supermarket, honest ) theyre raving about a new compilation on Alt Delete records, called "Digital Penetration" which is full of all this indie-neo-rave stuff.

incidentally, this is just about the only record that Boomkat sell that they don't think is amazing and essential:

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=22943

quite a funny, nasty review.

 

[Raw Patrick]

but klaxons are specifically guitar covers of pop rave, not heard any electronic involvment from them. klaxons are the ones in the spotlight at the mo unfortunatley as they are the stupidest, i wonder if any of these other bands are the same.

Klaxons have only one released rave cover--The Bouncer--the rest of their stuff is originals, sort've like Test Icicles. They do a couple more live though. They're not very good.

I'm gonna buy that Digital Penetration comp. It's only a fiver and I don't wanna be left out (of a scene ehere girls hang around.)

This forthcoming Fabric mix by cutcopy is something of a scene primer as well:

Cut Copy - Fabriclive 29

01 - Joakim – I Wish You Were Gone – Versatile
02 - Cut Copy – Future Unlimited – Modular
03 - Munk – Disco Clown – Gomma
04 - Who Made Who – Hello Empty Room – Gomma
** - Cut Copy – Future Unlimited - Modular
05 - New Young Pony Club – Get Dancey – alt< Recordings
06 - In Flagranti – Bang Bang – Codek
07 - Goldfrapp – Slide In [DFA Remix] – Mute
08 - Severed Heads – Dead Eyes Opened [Extended Mix] – SevCom
09 - Who Made Who – Out The Door [Super Discount Remix] – Gomma
10 - Daft Punk – Face To Face – Virgin
11 - The Presets – Truth and Lies – Modular
12 - MSTRKRFT – Work On You – Last Gang
13 - B.W.H. – Stop – Radius
14 - The Faint – Your Retro Career Melted [Ursula 1000 Remix] – Saddle Creek
15 - Soulwax – E Talking [Tiga’s Disco Drama Remix] – PIAS
16 - Ciccone Youth – Into The Groovey – Ciccone Youth
17 - Justice – Waters of Nazareth [Erol’s Dur Dur Durrr Re-Edit] – Ed Banger
18 - Grauzone – Eisbär – Welt
19 - Riot In Belgium – The Acid Never Lies – Relish
20 - Midnight Juggernauts – Shadows – Cutters
21 - Fred Falke – Omega Man – Work It Baby
22 - Daniel Diamond – Champu – City Rockers
23 - Roxy Music – Angel Eyes – EMI
24 - Cut Copy – Going Nowhere [Whitey Remix] – Modular
25 - Cut Copy – Dream Sequence - Modular

 

[the undisputed truth]

So are you a go between myspace, the artist and what? Are you a parasite or do you add anything? maybe I've missed the skills you've got?

haven't really started pimping hardout and spamming people with links. I suppose you could say i'm a link beteween artists and general public.

parasite, that's so funny. I add value.

not maybe cuz, definitely.

 

[Norma Snockers]

haven't really started pimping hardout and spamming people with links. I suppose you could say i'm a link beteween artists and general public.

parasite, that's so funny. I add value.

not maybe cuz, definitely.

How do you add value?

 

[the undisputed truth]

if tunes/artists were furniture...

...I'd be the polish

 

[Norma Snockers]

if tunes/artists were furniture...

...I'd be the polish

Your page on myspace has had 174 views and one of them was me, yet you joined in 2004!

What value do you add?

 

[the undisputed truth]

I only put that page, as it looks now and uploaded tunes to it in the last week. It's like closure on my wee label. I'd registered it in 04 but actually forgot all about it and the password until someone out of the blue hit me up wanting to be a friend last week. Before that it only had maybe 14 views and no friends. The tunes on there deserved a second hearing and I thought I'd try and form a hub of kiwi only groups around it in the friend link section.

This might help.

http://pollywannacracka.blogspot.com/

Mostly I tend to sit in the background saying yeah, nah, that needs work, try this, how about this sample, or swap the intro with the outtro, that line sux, too many syllables, not enough bass...yadda yadda yadda

End result, I think the tunes come out sounding better but you'd never know cos you never heard the originals.

I've also sorted out licensing deals, negotiated collaborations/remixes with other artists, put on and lined people up for gigs, done graphics for releases and flyers. Tried to get their heads on straight and avoid the parasites and vampires you speak of and mostly the danger of believing their own hype.

That is value for money cos i do it initally for nothing just a belief in the artist and their tunes but not all of them. If any money happens then a percentage of profits after paying costs incurred and maybe shared songwriting credits is pretty standard.

 

[Norma Snockers]

I only put that page, as it looks now and uploaded tunes to it in the last week. It's like closure on my wee label. I'd registered it in 04 but actually forgot all about it and the password until someone out of the blue hit me up wanting to be a friend last week. Before that it only had maybe 14 views and no friends. The tunes on there deserved a second hearing and I thought I'd try and form a hub of kiwi only groups around it in the friend link section.

This might help.

http://pollywannacracka.blogspot.com/

Mostly I tend to sit in the background saying yeah, nah, that needs work, try this, how about this sample, or swap the intro with the outtro, that line sux, too many syllables, not enough bass...yadda yadda yadda

End result, I think the tunes come out sounding better but you'd never know cos you never heard the originals.

I've also sorted out licensing deals, negotiated collaborations/remixes with other artists, put on and lined people up for gigs, done graphics for releases and flyers. Tried to get their heads on straight and avoid the parasites and vampires you speak of and mostly the danger of believing their own hype.

That is value for money cos i do it initally for nothing just a belief in the artist and their tunes but not all of them. If any money happens then a percentage of profits after paying costs incurred and maybe shared songwriting credits is pretty standard.

Still sounds parasitical to me.

 

[the undisputed truth]

yeah but really, what do you know ?...if anything the relationship between artist and producer/manager/agent/promoter is symbiotic.

thanx for your thoughts anyway.