For some reason I have always been attracted to music that has a minimalist sensibility to it. The unfamiliar ear generally equates minimalism with mindlessly repetitive crap. However, with true minimalism (or should I say good minimalism?) the repetitiveness is intentional and, when handled well, never boring. Compare, for example, the mind-numbing dullness of any song by Prototype 909 with the brilliance of Orbital's Remind. The difference is striking.
Orbital's Remind exemplifies the emergence in the early 1990's of the sub-genre of Trance. Arguably pioneered over a decade earlier by greats such as Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, Trance as an art form can reasonably be said to have found its best representative in Underworld. The above video is as good an argument for that contention as any. Watch it all the way through and focus on the journey that the song takes your mind on. There's a reason it's over 10 minutes long.
As a result of their inclusion on the Trainspotting soundtrack, in 1996 Underworld gained a modest level of commercial success - and even some airplay on "alternative" radio. "Trance" thus began its rapid decline, morphing from the cool minimalist techno it was into the Euro Trash it is today (I knew it was dead the moment I heard an acquaintance of mine who was certainly no music fan declare that "Trance was her favorite" style). Ishkur's Guide does an excellent job of chronicalling the evolution.
By the way, the title of this post is a joke. Here are the actual lyrics to the song:
Everything everything everything everything everything everything everything everything I'm invisible I'm invisible I'm invisible I'm invisible I'm invisible I'm invisible I'm invisible I'm invisible an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love why don't you call me I feel like flying in two? why don't you call me I feel like flying in two? why don't you call me I feel like flying in two? why don't you call me I feel like flying in two? I'm invisible I'm invisible I'm invisible I'm invisible an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love why don't you call me I feel like flying in two? Why don't you call me I feel like flying in two? an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love an eraser of love
I scream I scream I scream so much you know what I mean this electric stream and my tears and I live with wires and energy and my machine this is my beautiful dream I'm a hurtin' no one hurtin' no one hurtin' no one hurtin' no one I wanna give you everything I wanna give you energy I wanna give a good thing I wanna give you everything everything everything everything everything everything everything everything everything and one final scream of love who could climb this high she looks beautiful like a child i feel tears and I wanna scream you know what I mean this is hurtin' no one
An eraser of love
Why don't you call me I feel like flying in two? Why don't you call me I feel like flying in two? An eraser of love An eraser of love
Saturday, August 26, 2006
And A Razor of Love
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9 comments:
Yeah, Underworld did have some great material and they way they incorporated the repeating, stream-of-conscious lyrical content into their tracks really set them apart from the others. My personal fave is "Pearl's Girl" and the Pearl's Girl mini lp. In a sense you could lump Underworld into a "breakbeat-trance" caregory, since they tended to deviate from the 4/4 beat a whole lot.
hey, this video is great--don't think I've seen it before--very reminiscient of the Phillip Glass (speaking of all things 'trance") movie series--Koianastasi (?). Nice!
dubnobasswithmyheadman just came out of nowhere and broke new ground. I remember listening to that album and being blown away. Orbital's brown album was a similar experience. Just amazing. The only things recently that come close are Bluetech and WISP, but really, they aren't quite at the level of the Brown album and dubnobasswithmyheadman.
Very true about the Orbital and Underworld cds but I wouldn't compare Wisp or Bluetech with those, not because either is better but it's almost like comparing apples and oranges. Sure, they're all lumped into the electronica category but at least in my opinion, very different releases/styles. I'm really going to miss the extremely underrated Merck label. I've been stocking up on their releases lately before they go under. Just some of the most consistently solid material around, and the packaging and artwork--the total package sooo good. They'll be morphing into a new label focusing on music and design soon, not sure what it's going to be called yet. Anyhow, some releases from Merck that shouldn't be looked over by anyone into top notch, beat-oriented electronica:
Adam Johnson : Chigliak
Proem: Negativ
Proem: Socially Inept
Blamstrain : Ensi
Lackluster : Showcase
MD: Appelsap (thanks for this one !)
Deru : Trying to remember
Machine Drum : Now You Know
Machine Drum: Urban Biology
Merck mix 1
Merck mix 2
Merck mix 3
Merck mix 4 (Proswell mix)
Ilkae : Bovine Reaarangement
That's all I got so far from that label. The stuff I heard from Essem, Mister Projectile, and Secede (off the mix series) is pretty fantastic too. Too much great music and not enough $!!!
Ooops--substitute "looked over" for OVERLOOKED. :)
Very true about the Orbital and Underworld cds but I wouldn't compare Wisp or Bluetech with those, not because either is better but it's almost like comparing apples and oranges.
The only comparison I meant was in the sense that each of those CDs inspired in me the reaction, "Holy shit this is good!"
Think Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting when he's sampling the heroin they're trying to sell - "Really fucking good!"
Nonetheless, what is clear is that the Brown Album and Dubnobass have withstood the test of time. Who can say if Bluetech and WISP will do the same?
OTOH, sometimes it's easy to spot an instant classic. Seefeel's Polyfusia comes to mind.
Polyfusia is bliss and timeless. I think what made those releases classic is the fact that not many, if any people were doing that kind of stuff. Now, you've got so many people who do electronic music and have been for years. The past decade or so has seen such a flurry activity that, like you've said, it's difficult to sort out the bad from the good (when so much of it crap). I think Aphex, Black Dog, and early AE really influenced much of the Merck sound (though it is pretty broad) and though merck is high on quality control, there have been so many others who have been releasing sub-par stuff again in the vein of Aphex, Black Dog, and the like. If you think about it, as amazing as that Wisp release is, it would have gotten far more heaps of recognition and respect if released ten years agao but Aphex, Squarepusher, U-ziq, and WE (who I'm listening to now) have beaten him to the punch with the acrobatic d n' b drum programming, ambient atmospherics, and vibrant melodies. Not to dismiss Wisp, or anyone still doing such music now. The nature of electronic unfortunately can make genres and styles obsolete anymore. Currently we're seeing a slew of electronic music types either going retro or pop or exploring much more abstract and obscure avenues. I think the enormous output from the ninties hsa caused this and I too am still continuously playing catch up with so much material released years ago. I don't think electronica has run its course--far from it. I just think serious musicians who fall under that category need to dig much deeper now to create and release anything that will be dubbed 'classic" ten or twenty years from now. At the same time, I don't think they have to go the Autechre route and try and be as cutting edge as possible (though they are quite adamant about avoiding dsp effects and using much more analog and hands on gear believe it or not, even today). I mean, like jazz, just because so and so played the trumpet a certain way or drums with a certain style doesn't mean a new jazz musician can't play in the same style. In fact, I think of how Tommy Jenkens employed so many jazz styles in his Squarepusher releases but brilliantly assimilated them into his own material and vision. Again though, it's getting more and more difficult to release a "classic", WOW album anymore.
You make a good point.
There is definitely something to be said for the fact that the Underworld and Orbital releases weren't simply excellent, they were also innovative.
An important distinction.
I was just roaming through google searching for some old trance music from the 90's and came across this blog.
You guys made me stay up all night DLing all kinds of cool stuff. Thanks.
Have never heard of Merck, yet live right near them. You guys interested in trading? I'm getting ready to DL a bunch of their stuff. Let me know what ya have if you are interested.
cjfguard-general@yahoo.com
Cya
Glad you enjoyed our conversation, and thanks for the offer. I can't speak for Steve, but for my part, I think I'll pass this time around.
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