Sunday, April 29, 2012

Reactionary Intolerance



Maybe I'm overstating my case with the title of this post, but it's always got on my tits. The sneering and sometimes downright snobbery of certain writers and critics. Can you be a critic without having standards? No. Do these standards have to constantly resort to the uneccesary 

I read with interest the interview with everyone's favourite whipping boy, David Guetta, in last month's Observer magazine. He does move in other circles to most and, like the British Royal Family, he's not really one of us. So, without trying in anyway to justify any bollocks he might spew forth,  one quote stood out for me, which was lucky because it was headlined and, like a review grading system, negated the necessity to read the whole interview, even though I did:

 "I don't do this for the money, I don't really care about that, I just want to make beats."

Bollocks David. Anyway, let's move on, because what troubled me even more was this quote, substantiated by writer Luke Bainbridge:

"Listen, some people take themselves very, very seriously," Guetta says. "I'm not a politician, you know what I mean? You remember in the old days you had people like Underground Resistance?" [a late 80s militant dance collective from Detroit]. He pauses and smiles. "I never took myself so seriously."

Live and let live, but no. I can't let that go can I? I certainly don't want to turn into an argumentative chap with a penchant for pedantry who lies out-nerding and is the quintessential blog equivalent of Comic Book Guy. Having said that, that crown's already been won a thousand times over. The tip of the iceberg as far as that is concerned has been reached by the writers behind two very well-known electronic music blogs. I shan't go into any detail as it's different strokes for different folks territory. The blogs are very popular and those who helm them have done an excellent job of popularising them, also the journalism is of a very high standard. Far more care, attention and time has been lavished on them than mine, which is at best a random, impressionistic, stream-of-consciousness rant/ramble.

In any case, let's not kid ourselves. "The US dance giant" as it is referred to in the Observer article, hasn't reawakened, it never really existed. Resolotuely underground, black in the inner cities, white in the suburbs and countryside, (sweeping generalisations I know), it's roots  have never been truly acknowledged in the country of it's birth. As the article again makes clear, what is happening now is a world away from the counter culture. It's all about money, bling and who can sell the most tickets. What is singularly annoying though, is why lice like Snoop Dogg and Lil' Wayne are happy to be seen within it's confines. I thought these chaps liked "keeping it real"?

Has anyone asked UR for a reaction?

2 comments:

Cornelius UR said...

Nobody asked, but as I'm reading it now, I'll say that all I can muster for this guy is a polite yawn. I've stated that arguing against this guy is the equivalent of debating with a chipmunk. You may be right, but the fact that you're actually debating with a chipmunk makes you wrong. Next!!

Pollux said...

Many thanks for your comment Cornelius.

Long live the underground!