ARE YOU ORIGINAL?
Jun 1, 2004 12:00 PM, The Remix Editors, Robert Hanson Erin Hutton Kylee Swenson
People express their originality in all sorts of ways, from outlandish couture and funky hair styles to quirky behavior and body art — and through the music they listen to, of course. That's all well and good for the average person on the street, but what about the musicians, producers and songwriters, the people supposedly helping others declare their uniqueness; how do they show individuality? The answer is obvious: through the music they create. Right? In a musical utopia, yes, that would be true. But in reality, that's not always the case, especially in our scene. The original music, it seems, is lacking.
Now, before you get all bent out of shape, listen for a minute. We said lacking, not nonexistent. But, overall, electronic music — especially that played in clubs — has been in stasis for some time. It's no longer effective to just increase a track's bpm, invent another genre title and call it innovation; real evolution, something new and special, needs to occur to reinvigorate these tired institutions. British DJ Tim Deluxe offers a poignant quote this month: “There's no denying that dance music is in a bit of a slump, but it's up to us to change that.”
And this isn't just a problem for the electronic-music community; hip-hop shoulders its share of the plague, as well. In this issue, Pete Rock laments that too many artists are just in it for fame and money, not for love of the craft. And Handsome Boy Modeling School's Prince Paul notes that hip-hop has become, for the most part, just pop, and that underground experimentation has pretty much come to a halt.
Innovative things are happening, for sure, but not en masse. And when an interesting musical idea does come up, it's often immediately bitten wholesale by the music community at large. Can you even listen to a chill-out or electroclash CD without feeling a little bit sick? How about obvious Auto-Tuning or munchkinized vocal effects? Blech.
Some might say, “Well, it's because any old schmo with a Mac G4 and Propellerhead Reason is suddenly a producer.” Well, a computer program might help slap a track together, but it doesn't generate talent. That's a fact. And aside from the legions of half-hearted beatmeisters, real talent does exist here, and that is the group that this debate should focus upon.
Think about the music that you are creating. Feel it. This is your opportunity to express those deep, sad, terrifying and ecstatic thoughts and feelings. People want to hear those emotions — they don't want to hear the same old shit. Use the tools and techniques present in these pages to do something entirely different; this month, you can learn to create unique drum sounds (“Personal Space,” p. 49) or add a live musician to your DJ set (“Line Check,” p. 60). It's okay to turn traditional working methods upside down; often, it's even preferable. Be fearless.
We know that defining individuality is tough. (Hell, it's hard enough trying to come up with a topic for the “Editors' Note” each month.) But the debate about musical originality is not new: To keep the music fresh and exciting, you have to continually take stock of what you're doing and rattle yourself out of stagnation. This much you know. Acting on that knowledge is another battle altogether.
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