Blackdown breaks down the ‘Nuum’
Several things about this post are kinda crazy. First, there was something like an academic conference about the genres loosely under the breakbeat umbrella, but apparently with as many magazine critics and actual practitioners than academics involved. Second, what is ideally and often in fact music to go out and rave to, has people passionately arguing about it in terms completely removed from the music itself.
I’m not criticizing, I’m just fascinated. There has been the odd dance music panel from time to time — they do that at WMC for example. And I know there are Ethnomusicologists and Communications Theorists who are doing academic work on techno. But this sort of conference/panel/talk what have you seems to be a matter of genres critiquing themselves in real time as they mutate.
real music movement can’t talk to decide where to go or what to do.
Yeah I think that navel gazing isn’t that productive. But magazines like The Wire have changed — at least in the UK — the seriousness with which vernacular musics are treated. Sometimes they’re a bit over the top, but music is important, and interesting, and worthy of serious discussion.
you should have seen it when they starting arguing what a “thing” was. bwoy…
A “thing” or a “fing”?