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inter-nation/race/class -ial
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| nefardec |
| quote: | | And you see, no one man owns House, because house music is a universal language spoken and understood by all. You see, House is a feeling, that no one can understand really, unless you're deep into the vibe of House. House is an uncontrollable desire to Jack your body. And as I told ya before, this is our house, and our House music. |
So my girlfriend and I had a debate about electronic music the other day when I was trying to tell her why I love it so much. She's really unfamiliar with it, and only listens to it basically when I play out, listening basically to reggaeton and spanish pop (she is from puerto rico)
Look, I know the discussion has probably occurred before, but it doesn't hurt to talk about it some more.
The debate started when I told her I love electronic music because I think of all music today, it does the best job of uniting people of different races, classes, nationalities, etc. My point was, while other genres are *sold* internationally, electronic music is, and from early days has been understood on a large scale internationally and interracially.
For instance, Shakira, to whom my girlfriend listens a lot, sells her albums to many races and classes, but do these people then go about producing shakira's sound in their respective communities?
Whereas electronic music has always been so universally human and phenomenally full of humanity, because it is in reality so devoid of humanity. I mean, it has no real racial significance or class significance, sterotypes and prejudice like say reggaeton or rap does. Guys from britain in the early 90s were loving, deejaying, and producing the same music as the guys from chicago. Because a TR-808 doesn't have a cultural history like a Cuatro or a Marimba or a Tonka has. Phuture - Acid Trax - what the hell is that sound? It's not human, it's not historic, and therefore it's completely, universally human.
For example, there are all sorts of comments about how Marshall Mathers is white, and how that is significant to the fact that he produces rap, but who gives a what color Erick Morillo is or a skinny white kid from Detroit who produces techno. It just is irrelevant.
Whereas in hip-hop of today (but not hip hop of yesterday, which was ironically more related to the house music of the time than today), I feel that race is essential the sale, marketing, production, content, meaning, etc of the music. I mean that's why people always make comments about white suburban kids listening to black music and like that.
It doesn't matter with electronic music.
And that was my point to her, when I told her that electronic music was special to me, and why I think it maybe has more importance culturally than other forms of music (though i believe musically one can't compare because it's art). And that's why I told her that the world international carries more significance with Electronic music than with other music.
Now, I'm just interested in what others think about it - am I wrong? Are all types of music the same in their unifying power? (at least with regard to race and class) Or is electronic music indeed something different, something special that has the potential of changing our concepts of race and economic class completely? Is it revolutionary in that regard? Am I blinded by subjective enthusiasm for the music, or is am I enthusiastic for a good reason? My girlfriend said that I am saying this because I have prejudice about other types of music. I can sit here and tell you that I've played jazz alto saxphone and classical piano for like 12 years, and that I dance salsa and bachata, and grew up listening to soft rock in my mom's car, and that I never felt this way about other kinds of music. I think it is indeed special, and I don't think I'm being simply subjective.
What do you think? |
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| stevieboy32808 |
| quote: | Originally posted by nefardec
Whereas electronic music has always been so universally human and phenomenally full of humanity, because it is in reality so devoid of humanity. I mean, it has no real racial significance or class significance, sterotypes and prejudice like say reggaeton or rap does. Guys from britain in the early 90s were loving, deejaying, and producing the same music as the guys from chicago. Because a TR-808 doesn't have a cultural history like a Cuatro or a Marimba or a Tonka has. Phuture - Acid Trax - what the hell is that sound? It's not human, it's not historic, and therefore it's completely, universally human. |
You say that electronic music does not fit a stereotype, but I disagree. Let's face it, electronic music does fit an obvious niche and that is that mostly white people listen to it just as most spanish people listen to reggaeton and mostly black people listen to rap. Sure each genre has touched other races in the process but that's the general trend I notice through basic observation.
Now I was only talking about the listeners or fans. Let's move on to the producers. Again, mostly white for electronica, mostly black for rap, and mostly spanish for reggaeton.
All in all, to say that electronica does not fit a stereotype is wrong in my opinion, but I do agree that each genre has diversified in its own way. |
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| PETRAN |
| quote: | | You say that electronic music does not fit a stereotype, but I disagree. Let's face it, electronic music does fit an obvious niche and that is that mostly white people listen to it just as most spanish people listen to reggaeton and mostly black people listen to rap. Sure each genre has touched other races in the process but that's the general trend I notice through basic observation. |
Hmmm i think thats an over-simplification. House has started from the chicago guys who in their majority were black. Techno was pioneered by Derrick may and co. and these people were all black.Drum and Bass was largely made by black and white guys alike. Still a considerable amount of todays techno, tech-house,electro is made by black guys and generally by people of varied tribes and cultures. Now i'm sure that a considerable amount of these individuals to that music although you are right that they don't form the majority.I will agree with the threadstarter that EDM with it's many genres and sub-genres has touched humans who belong to various cultural backgrounds and races, whereas styles like hip-hop are more limited to target groups. This doesn't mean of course that they are restricted to these groups, hip-hop can be made by white U.K., french and even greek (yes lol) guys but maybe not to the same extend as EDM. Maybe ofcourse it's because of quantity though and not quality.
Many things can be grouped as "EDM" and the quantity of "EDM" that is coming out in a given month is much higher then "Hip-Hop/rap".Also "EDM" is much more varied and mixed. Some genres that can be labelled as "EDM" are ambient, funky house, tech house, trance, electro...etc. etc. etc. These genres largelly differ between each other,they have quite considerable qualitative differences e.g. house can be more soulfull and also encompass musical elements such as "of the wall" jazzy sequences, which are more typical of "black music",whereas trance follows more traditional "classical" elements which are more typical of "white-music".(Although this is still an over-simplification) Concluding, electronic sub-genres maybe more limited to target groups and cultures, whereas the electronic music as a whole(more specifically EDM) has touched almost every listener and musician on earth despite his/her background, tribe or culture. |
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| evelon |
I think your perspective is genuine, but similarly to what stevieboy said, I don't really see (at least from my vantage point) the global unification happening. Electronica is a bit dependent on the people who love the genre. If an electronica DJ went to Spain, then that will attract the Spanish crowd who love electronica. If one goes to London, it will attract the British crowd who love electronica.
There's something for everyone, everywhere. Go to any country, poll the demographics, and you will probably find somebody who likes something. Driven by interest, it will bring together those who love it under one roof. That's about as far as unification I can see.
People who like electronica are a demographic of people united by their interest in that genre. I don't think it's powerful enough to topple cultural barriers on a macro scale, but one can market a message effectively by exploiting the interest in such a way so that it's appealing and persusaive (like Sensation White '06 had "Dance for Life"). Supposedly we are to think that through this genre, we help the world. Commonly associated with the stereotype of drugs, drinking, and raving, the public interest and humanitarian issues seems to best apply to those who love electronica.
Electronica race-wise? again, something for everyone, everywhere. Although, I live in Dallas with a huge mix of race, and any trance event/party I went to here mostly attracted a white crowd. Blacks have their own world, whites have theirs - that's just how the dynamics of society is. Marshall Mathers is white and he simply filled a niché - a hole in the market. |
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