Some quotes from the pioneers of Techno and how they still seem to ring true today.

[Johnson Knows]

Bear with me; I've had a few but this needs to be said.

One of the things that strikes me about the electronic music scene is the lack of integrity that goes along with it on a variety of levels (on this board this concerns the amount of people who are obsessed with the technical facets of their music without relative concern for their individual artistry; I acknowledge this is an inate aspect of the board).

When I first got into techno I read a book called 'The History Of House' edited by Chris Kempster. Many years later I've picked it up again and I'd reccomend it to anyone who's interested in making electronic music. I find these quotes incredibly relevant today and it's important to bear in mind the philosophy that goes along with making good music sometimes. Sometimes you need to check yourself. Here it is from some of the pioneers:

''I don't go in with the attitude that my music is only going to be played in clubs. I make my records in the hope that people will go and buy them to listen to as well as to dance to. It should be totally different from anything else that's happening but not so different that it's beyond people. Be right on the edge without going over.'' - Juan Atkins 1988

''These days any kid can buy a cheap sequencer and a cheap keyboard and make a track. It's really easy to lay down a drum track, a little bassline and some shallow chord line or whatever. So many kids know how to start a track but they don't know how to finish it, how to make it just right so that it's got every element but it's not overbearing. They don't care about the integrity of the business, or where they're coming from mentally. All they care about is putting out a record so that they can make some money. They don't see the terminal damage that the injection of a garbage track is going to do to society. What that does in the long run is degrade the whole concept.'' - Derrick May 1990

''Every song you hear now has got loud drums on it; I hate loud ****in' drums. They have to twist my arm to put loud snares and stuff on a record. That's what everyone else is doing and I hate it. All day? BOOM-kata-BOOM-kata. Everything just sounds so alike today. I just hear a commercial sound and it gets to me. People don't go for what sounds good to them, they go for what's technically good - like, say, a good clean snare or a good clean kick. I have to EQ all my tunes myself now because every engineer wants to get the kick drum to sound thin so you can hear it. But I want my kick to go 'bOOm bOOm' so you can feel it.'' - Marshall Jefferson - 1989

''Rather than trying to find their own style, too many musicians are moulding their music for the charts before they even start writing a track. Subconsciously they're thinking 'I'd better use this sample because it'll sound like so-and-so', and that's terrible.'' - A Guy Called Gerald 1990

[dashbad]

Good post.

Same shit different decade.

[Mr. Varaldo]

I also bought that History Of House by Chris Kempster when it came out and recommend it too (especially the chapters dedicated to the GEAR techno artists used )

There's a big difference from the era when those guys produced music, and today: there was a physical product to sell back then (CD, vinyl, cassette, what have you), and there's the Internet today... free music for all, all the time, at your wish... even the most exotic, independent white label record is out there on YouTube. Kids are no longer interested in having the physical medium anymore, they have the Internet and free music.

So I think the quote from Derrick May "kids only care about putting out a record so that they can make some money" doesn't apply anymore , I'm afraid. I hear this more and more: before, artists toured live just a bit, enough to promote (and sell) their records. Today it's the opposite, records don't sell, so the artists make (often free mp3 albums) records to promote their tours, which is where they make money. So it looks like to make it in music, these days if you have to tour / play out live all the time to make a living. Hard to do if one wants to have/has a family..

I might be wrong but it looks that way to me...

[Hazmatic]

Yawn.

[UCTION]

Originally Posted by Johnson Knows

"'Rather than trying to find their own style, too many musicians are moulding their music for the charts before they even start writing a track. Subconsciously they're thinking 'I'd better use this sample because it'll sound like so-and-so', and that's terrible.'' - A Guy Called Gerald 1990

I dunno, I agree on not trying to sound like chart toppers, but he sounds pretty stupid and bitter when he says we should try to find our own style and not try to sound like so-and-so.

How the hell do you find your own style without copying your favorite heroes? Everything you can ever think of has been done by someone else, so you'll sound like another without even trying. Imitate, then innovate, is what he should've said.

[jessem]

people bitching about other people's music is rarely inspiring.

[boon]

''Rather than trying to find their own style, too many musicians are moulding their music for the charts before they even start writing a track. Subconsciously they're thinking 'I'd better use this sample because it'll sound like so-and-so', and that's terrible.'' - A Guy Called Gerald 1990

[djugel]

"Bangin!!!" Frankie Bones

[boon]

Originally Posted by djugel

"133bpm forever" Frankie Bones

fixed that for ya.

[nms]

Originally Posted by Johnson Knows

Bear with me; I've had a few but this needs to be said.

One of the things that strikes me about the electronic music scene is the lack of integrity that goes along with it on a variety of levels (on this board this concerns the amount of people who are obsessed with the technical facets of their music without relative concern for their individual artistry; I acknowledge this is an inate aspect of the board).

Well what do you expect? Gearslutz is not a forum for developing your talent and artistry. It's a place for developing your technical ability and knowledge and navigating the gear end of it. You want to focus on your talent and artistry? Log off and go practice, play shows, make music.

The truth is if you want to make sonically great music you had better be ready to put in a hell of a lot of time to learn the technical side of things and the gear that will help you get there.

Music is an art, a hobby, a profession, a form of self expression, and a way to bang hot girls depending on who you are and how you approach it. It's nothing new and it's not exclusive to ANY one genre or scene. Accept it, because it is what it is and has been for a long time.

[djugel]

Originally Posted by boon

fixed that for ya.

damn right... so true.