what if there is no next BIG thing?

[DJL]

Isn't dubstep, the internet and trying to make sense of how our governments operate tied into some sort of next 'big thing'?

 

[noel emits]

Isn't dubstep, the internet and trying to make sense of how our governments operate tied into some sort of next 'big thing'?

Don't forget consciousness and the wave function.

 

[gek-opel]

So nobody would say NME indie is the Big Thing at the moment? I think it's the closest we've got in the UK, even if it is shit. All the indie types look really smug and cocky at the moment, they get to be total conformists and "alternative" at the same time. It's weird.

Along these lines, what about Emo? Not really to my taste, but SOMETHING is going on there... thoughts?

 

[mms]

Along these lines, what about Emo? Not really to my taste, but SOMETHING is going on there... thoughts?

no, emo's about 20 years old as a genre, with loads of almost as old sub bits like skreamo etc, it's a hardcore offshoot and rules wise it's tight as fuck as a genre.

 

[swears]

Along these lines, what about Emo? Not really to my taste, but SOMETHING is going on there... thoughts?

The music isn't really new, but the androgynousness of the fashion is sort of interesting, if a little bit conformist. I much prefer the emo types I meet as opposed to most chavs/indieheads/trendies. The boys aren't shy about expressing their feelings, although it seems to be very self-pitying, and tends to attract a lot of mockery.

 

[gek-opel]

Hmm- something called emo has existed for 20 yrs, sure, but the name is pretty un-descriptive label for a changable set of contents. Not very helpful I know...

 

[turtles]

i don't think so. it's not *that* kind of latin influence.
it's worth remembering that latin music will be a genuine part of the lives of folks like luciano and villalobos, them actually being south american and all that.
the influence is more in the rhythm patterns and the programming, not in the instrumentation itself.
it's nothing like the same as west london bods sampling rare batucadas and sambas, and being all straight no chaser, tasteful-jazz-dude about it.

Was just rereading this and realized that, actually, the two villalobos tracks i quoted as reference points are interesting because they are some of the first minimal tracks i've heard that have overtly latin sounds in not just the rhythm programming, but also the melody/samples used. the horns in fizheuer zieheuer are very heavily latin sounding, especially the occaisional big mariachi-sounding trumpet explosions (don't know if mariachi is the right term here, latin music not my expertise).

Um, as for emo, i've had two really weird experiences recently with people who are pretty into music (tho not at dissensus levels ) conflating emo and indie. not sure what that means...

 

[Landfill Elektronikz]

Despite having seen it mentioned so many times, I still don't even know what emo means.

Something to do with (spits) Punk Rock?

Is it worth finding out?

 

[Grievous Angel]

Is it worth finding out?

No. Pomp-rock for pseudo-goth indie kids with more fringe than sense. Fun if you like that sort of thing. Martin's daughter is into it.

 

[D84]

As per the Sonic Youth web-site's links page:

WHAT THE HECK IS EMO ANYWAY?:
intensely investigated: hardcore. has trying to ponder the lineage from rites of spring to moss icon to antioch arrow left you confused? have you wondered how sunny day real estate fits in to this, or do you just need some emo fashion tips? this may be the site for you

.

 

[mms]

this is pretty accurate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo_(music)

than pomp rock anyway

 

[matt b]

this is pretty accurate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo_(music)

than pomp rock anyway

it was a term of abuse thrown at DC hardcore by MRR (who were punk, right?).

otherwise meaningless until second half of the 1990s when the DIY hardcore scene suffered a collapse (because most of the bands were rubbish).

seemed more about fashion than music anyhow.

 

[matt b]

Something to do with (spits) Punk Rock?

Is it worth finding out?

it was very much linked to the punk rock ethic (DIY / not for profit) before it was called emo (1985-1994ish). there are some mighty fine bands who retrospectively (wrongly) fall into the genre: early/ mid period dischord bands, gravity records, vermiform/verminscum records etc etc, but they don't sound alike.

5 important bands:

rites of spring
born against
moss icon
rorschach
mohinder

 

[john eden]

it was very much linked to the punk rock ethic (DIY / not for profit) before it was called emo (1985-1994ish). there are some mighty fine bands who retrospectively (wrongly) fall into the genre: early/ mid period dischord bands, gravity records, vermiform/verminscum records etc etc, but they don't sound alike.

Is one of them Dischord bands "Shudder To Think"? I saw them play London* and thought they were feckin rubbish with their whiny vocals.

*1992 - ULU, supporting Chumbawamba!

 

[matt b]

Is one of them Dischord bands "Shudder To Think"? I saw them play London and thought they were feckin rubbish with their whiny vocals.

you really are a HEATHEN mr eden. i saw them play outside volume records in about 1990 and nearly wept (how emo is that?!)

were they playing with sink by any chance?

 

[john eden]

you really are a HEATHEN mr eden. i saw them play outside volume records in about 1990 and nearly wept (how emo is that?!)

were they playing with sink by any chance?

nah - google reckons the aforementioned (see my edit) Chumbas, and Papa Brittle about who I remember nuffink.

I don't remember a lot about the gig, other than Danbert Nobacon giving me dirty looks beforehand in the bar, which I assumed was because I was wearing a Psychic TV t-shirt. And them whiny vocals, of course - lots of people seemed well into it.

 

[john eden]

Anyway to return to the OP - I think that the way the media operates these days precludes any opportunity for an interesting "next big thing" to emerge. The current "big things" are shit like myspace, and "reality" tv and general "celebrity" culture.

The way that subcultures are fragmented these days may be a subsconcious attempt to avoid the glare of the media spotlight, which pretty much guarantees an end to anything progressive.

I hope the next big thing is an all-out assault on all that - but as culture and media are so synonymous this may be as impossible as "fucking for virginity".

 

[swears]

Dunno about the old stuff, but new emo sounds like the whiny parts in a Linkin Park song. As opposed to the shouty bits, or the bits with shit rapping.

 

[zhao]

well I've just recently discovered the Spectralists like Grisey and Dufourt and Radelescu and these people are blowing my mind with immense cosmic space and pleasure.

also exploring new electro-acoustic artists like Matt Shoemaker, Olivia Block, Bruno Moreigne, RLW...

tons of exciting new shit. or wait... are you people just talking about urban music? like, "the freshest dopest beats"?

 

[Torben Grut]

A small step for hip house...

The way I see and hear it, hiphop in these days is getting faster and faster with genres like hyphy, baltimore and grime for example. Apart from that, Busta Rhymes samples Daft Punk, Ghostface does dance music-remixes, Missy Elliott's into Cybotrons "Clear", Ludacris does a 2 Live Crew-remake etc.

This merging of hiphop and dance music, updated hip house if you like, will be a, if not the, way for hiphop to continue. I actually think the french are ahead of this game with producers/acts like TTC, Para One, Tepr and Grandmarnier, the eurocrunk-scene as a whole in fact share these tendencies.

Some other tracks:

Don Diablo ft. The Beatkidz ”Blow (Sébastien Léger Remix)”
Toktok ft. Mc Niro ”La Tactique”
Bodytalkers ”The Message (Hip House Remix)”
Asadinho ”Dis Is How We Run Tings (Asads Vocal Swing Mix)”
Crack Jack ”This Is Hip (Vocal Mix)”
Cassius ft. Ghostface Killah ”Thrilla (A Bass Day Remix)”
Three 6 Mafia ”Stay Fly (Tech-Hipster Remix)”