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-- Seb Fontaine savages ‘progressive' house

Seb Fontaine savages ‘progressive' house

Seb Fontaine savages ‘progressive' house
26/09/2005



British big name DJ Seb Fontaine launched a ferocious critical assault on progressive house this week, branding the genre he was once associated with ‘dull nonsense’.



“There was a time when all these people would be sending me in progressive CDs and I’d be thinking ‘oh my God, if I hear one more CD like these I’m going to slit my wrists’, they were so fucking dull,” Seb recalled, “They created no atmosphere on the dance floor.”

His comments starkly contradicted those of Way Out West’s Nick Warren who this week told Australian magazine 3D World that he remains fully committed to progressive.

“I think I’ve always been a prog DJ. Progressive house is forward thinking dance music,” Warren suggested, “There’s this whole electro fad at the moment, I’ve never gone down that route. There’s a few interesting tracks but I think a lot of it lacks energy.” (3D World)

Chatting to Skrufff, Seb avoided using the term electro (‘If someone asks me what I play I say ‘electronic house’,”) though admitted his favourite producers of the moment are Tiefschwarz.

“Tiefschwarz are fantastic and there’s loads of great music out there at the moment, that electronic sound, certainly this summer, has got bigger and bigger, though some of it is too minimal for me,” he said.

“I think electronic house has really revived dance floors, people are smiling again and jumping up and down. A bass line is coming in and you get the whole club cheering. You don’t need all that dull nonsense.”

The ex Radio 1 DJ has been touring extensively since leaving the station last year, and performs his first gig in Thailand shortly, where he’ll be showcasing his new sound.

“Due to the internet the world is a much smaller place these days and musically it’s no longer the case of seeing somewhere like Thailand as being the other side of the world; clubbers, wherever they are, are listening to the same music online,” said Seb.

“With any new territory I always approach a gig with the knowledge that the set could go in a number of different directions but it’s not like I’m visiting virgin territory. Clubbers are clued up all over the world these days.”

Thats Rich imo from Seb Mundane

Seb is one of the biggest bandwagon jumpers in dance music who has gone from handbag in the mid 90's to trance with cream then progressive and now electro house

What a hyprocite

Comments?

Seb played Handbag? That I have to hear.

...because I like Handbag, actually. Not to mock Seb.

I 100% agree. His tastes may change from time to time, but I'm saying hes a hippocrite because his tracks produce the same "dull nonsense" energy.

he's playing tomorrow night here in Montreal, shall i talk to him about this ?

quote:

Originally posted by fastmp3 he's playing tomorrow night here in Montreal, shall i talk to him about this ?

do tell him what a joke he is

quote:

Originally posted by iammesol hippocrite

i agree with him that electro has revived the dance floor big time

but i think to say progressive is shite is rubbish

the great djs these days play everything

none of this allegiance nonsense

Just like digweed saying the same stuff about trance in 2001, anyone remember that thread?

Our scene is just in denial about the idea that we are just as vain and the kids in high school always chasing the next cool fad. We have to realize it eventually, our DJ's are not "moving forward" to new levels of musical substance, they are analyzing the market to see what is popular and exploiting the demand, just like any other common form of music that we hear on the top40 radio.

This article clip says what I think about the star DJ's:

quote:

Really, what else is the DJ, that icon of contemporary cool? He's part ultimate shopper -- the guy who always has the coolest, newest, most obscure records. He's part genius demographer and direct marketer -- he knows how to give the crowd what it wants. And finally, he's part brand name -- his endorsement gives a club night or a mix CD a stamp of authenticity.

It is the direct opposite of what initially attracted me to EDM, I started downloading this stuff thinking I was getting away from people marketing music to me and that I was now in control of what I enjoyed and what stuff was exposed to me. But now, DJ's are brand names and pop icons, and we are still stuck with the same mess of following the right form of music so we can sit at the cool table with the popular kids, and comments like this one from seb fontaine confirm it.

quote:

Originally posted by Zombie0915 Just like digweed saying the same stuff about trance in 2001, anyone remember that thread? Our scene is just in denial about the idea that we are just as vain and the kids in high school always chasing the next cool fad. We have to realize it eventually, our DJ's are not "moving forward" to new levels of musical substance, they are analyzing the market to see what is popular and exploiting the demand, just like any other common form of music that we hear on the top40 radio. This article clip says what I think about the star DJ's: It is the direct opposite of what initially attracted me to EDM, I started downloading this stuff thinking I was getting away from people marketing music to me and that I was now in control of what I enjoyed and what stuff was exposed to me. But now, DJ's are brand names and pop icons, and we are still stuck with the same mess of following the right form of music so we can sit at the cool table with the popular kids, and comments like this one from seb fontaine confirm it.

i agree with a lot of what you said. it seems like a lot of djs are trying to get in on the electro movement just so they can cash in. "hey look, im a big time dj and im cool because im jumping on the bandwagon." i like electro but i think that the reason that people like it is because its different from what the majority of djs were playing. its fresh and has a different vibe which is one of the aspects that first attracted me to it. if all the djs start jumping onto the electro movement then people are going to get sick of it and something new will come along. ive always thought that as a dj you should play what you love, what you like to listen to and if people like it then you'll start to make a name for yourself. if a dj, like seb fontaine, keeps switching genres like this then it leads me to believe that hes just in it for the money. im not saying that djs cant switch genres because peoples' tastes in music switch eventually but it just seems like seb is only switching so he can make some money on "whats hot".

I agree , Seb is DEFINITELY a hipocrite.

He used to play some bangin progressive and tribal house back in 2000-2002. His radio show showcased some of the best name prog and house djs around.

As for electro, i dont think its revived anything. Personally i cant stand the genre. Nothing but closed hats, the same frickin basslines and acid sounds in every track. Its more repetitive than techno but atleast techno gets me movin' .


Seb is yet another dj to jump on the electro bandwagon.


Big ups though to Nick Warren for keepin' it real !!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Zombie0915 Just like digweed saying the same stuff about trance in 2001, anyone remember that thread? Our scene is just in denial about the idea that we are just as vain and the kids in high school always chasing the next cool fad. We have to realize it eventually, our DJ's are not "moving forward" to new levels of musical substance, they are analyzing the market to see what is popular and exploiting the demand, just like any other common form of music that we hear on the top40 radio. This article clip says what I think about the star DJ's: It is the direct opposite of what initially attracted me to EDM, I started downloading this stuff thinking I was getting away from people marketing music to me and that I was now in control of what I enjoyed and what stuff was exposed to me. But now, DJ's are brand names and pop icons, and we are still stuck with the same mess of following the right form of music so we can sit at the cool table with the popular kids, and comments like this one from seb fontaine confirm it.

Thats a solid post. I agree with you %100.

quote:

Originally posted by Zombie0915 Just like digweed saying the same stuff about trance in 2001, anyone remember that thread? Our scene is just in denial about the idea that we are just as vain and the kids in high school always chasing the next cool fad. We have to realize it eventually, our DJ's are not "moving forward" to new levels of musical substance, they are analyzing the market to see what is popular and exploiting the demand, just like any other common form of music that we hear on the top40 radio. This article clip says what I think about the star DJ's: It is the direct opposite of what initially attracted me to EDM, I started downloading this stuff thinking I was getting away from people marketing music to me and that I was now in control of what I enjoyed and what stuff was exposed to me. But now, DJ's are brand names and pop icons, and we are still stuck with the same mess of following the right form of music so we can sit at the cool table with the popular kids, and comments like this one from seb fontaine confirm it.

I think it's unfortunate that the one of the main reasons to listen to a genre of music is to 'get away' from the mainstream. I'm under the impression that we should listen to music we enjoy, regardless of its source or influence by 'the man'. Personally, I got into EDM for the feeling the music gave me, not because I wanted to escape all the kids that were listening to the same top 40 stuff.
Don't listen to music in order to be different. Listen to be inspired, entertained, or enlightened. People change (DJ's are people ), and their tastes change more quickly... if you havn't realized that by now then you'll probably be disappointed for the rest of your life.

that was a misinterpretation

I am not one of those kids who dislikes something as soon as it gets popular, I mean just go back and read some of the shit I have posted on here in the past. I do dislike my music collection being under the control of other people besides me, and I consider the iconic DJ, the symbol of cool, the demographic analyst role that the modern DJ plays, as a way of taking away control of my musical preferences away from me and putting it back at the mercy of the bandwagon effect. I was also attracted to the energetic feeling of EDM when I first started downloading it, part of that feeling was the idea that I was actually enjoying something for its sound rather than because clearchannel was hammering it into my head. I didnt realize that the DJ's were rapidly adopting the clearchannel methods of music marketing, I think that has taken away alot of the feeliong that I once enjoyed.

I dont like to participate in scenes that are fettered by over marketing and aleigences to brand names, I would rather be part of something where the popularity happens because of the appeal of the sound rather then because the influence of the star DJ. So essentially I listen to music for the same reasons that you do, but I dont like when expert marketing analyst DJ's fetter that by jumping trends like this. I would rather not have my music collection at the mercy of whatever fad is in at the moment. Instead of paying somebody else to tell me what is cool I would rather decide for myself, and todays big DJ's do just that, dictate to everybody else what is the cool thing rather than letting the people decide. I am sick of trend hopping games I just want to like what I like without worrying about what people think is the cool thing, but parties are only thrown for the cool music, so if one wants to party then they have to follow the shit, sigh.

i'd agree that there is a lot of boring progressive house out there and that electro house has infused the dance floors again. i don't see what everyone is getting all offended by...when i would listen to a lot of ametuer mixes done in progressive house style before this electro craze hit here on TA, they are pretty damn boring.

i have to say i'm a big fan of good progressive house.

quote:

Originally posted by Floorfiller i'd agree that there is a lot of boring progressive house out there and that electro house has infused the dance floors again. i don't see what everyone is getting all offended by...when i would listen to a lot of ametuer mixes done in progressive house style before this electro craze hit here on TA, they are pretty damn boring.

I agree, at times prog house can be extremely boring. I haven't listened to what Fontaine have been playing lately, but if his taste has changed I don't see how that makes him a hypocrite. If he doesn't enjoy the music he used to play anymore, then what's the problem with that?

quote:

Originally posted by Snooper I agree, at times prog house can be extremely boring. I haven't listened to what Fontaine have been playing lately, but if his taste has changed I don't see how that makes him a hypocrite. If he doesn't enjoy the music he used to play anymore, then what's the problem with that?

well i see it like this. a lot of progressive tracks are great on there own...they are well produced and interesting...

but too many people load up sets full of the same kinda stuff...that's is what is boring...not progressive as a genre or on an individual track basis, but a lot of people spin a set and it's very monotonous...

I agree with unwordly in his first post too...

by the way, u all are talking about boring prog, so...
whats do u prefer'?
McProg or prog house'?

quote:

Originally posted by Floorfiller well i see it like this. a lot of progressive tracks are great on there own...they are well produced and interesting... but too many people load up sets full of the same kinda stuff...that's is what is boring...not progressive as a genre or on an individual track basis, but a lot of people spin a set and it's very monotonous...

thats where the skill and programming of a good dj has to come in


but my problem with seb isnt that his taste is changing or whatever, it seems that the reason that its changing is being motivated by $$$.

ok who the hell is seb fontaine to talk down on an entire genre of music. that is just rediculous. Even if he is on the electro bandwagon, most of that electro house still has tons of progressive influences in it. The sounds change and sometimes you have to go a little farther than just putting it into a prenamed genre, due to the fact that it can be mixes of several. I dont like what he did at all.

He is one of the most boring DJs Ive ever heard.

quote:

Originally posted by boi85 but i think to say progressive is shite is rubbish

use either shite or rubbish, not both.

From what I've read about him swtiching to what's hot.. well then that makes him a hypocrite for sure. I think it's arrogant and stoopid for anyone to comment on an entire genre like that. Granted the fact that electro house is taking over the dancefloors and it is pretty fresh but just like every genre it has alot of shite tracks that people wouldn't wanna touch until a big name dj puts it in his bag. Seb out of all people should know better that every genre out there is both good and bad. It's just what your tastes are like and what u listen to.

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