This is the last installment of Confinement Diary, as everybody seems to be behaving as if nothing strange has been going on since the middle of March. Well, we can’t go on like this forever, but the loosening up of lockdown has happened too quickly as far as I’m concerned. I suppose we’ll see any possible consequences of this over the next few months. Having said that, at time of writing, gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools are still to see action, while the reopening of clubs seems as distant as the Kuiper Belt. Although I am concerned about this, it doesn’t affect me too much on a personal level. However, apart from the music nothing is happening out there, that’s unless you’re a techno Twitter voyeur with its penchant for cancel culture. This is something which really annoys me. I’m not a participant in any online debate unless I can bring something worthwhile to the table. I agree and disagree with plenty on social media, but no matter what fresh perspective is brought to the argument, you can always count on someone to rubbish it. I’m guessing that we’re reaching an apex of online activity regarding electronic music per se due to an absolute lack of activity in the mediums natural habitat. I suppose what is most unsettling at the moment is divided between a few related cultural aspects: when will it return? When it does, will it be normal? How long can I survive without my livelihood? Even if my livelihood returns, will I be able to devote the time to it I did before, or will I have to work in other areas just to keep my passion alive? Will the environment be more controlled, not just for health reasons, but will it be the excuse many governments and other legislative organisations need to impose more controls? Is this situation going to drive gatherings more underground? What about drugs? In the case of some governments being better prepared and more tolerant than others, will this lead to a whole new dimension to international clubbing, maybe more affordable out of necessity, or more expensive because of liberty taking? It’s all in the mind, but the fear is real. Will socializing be more valued in the future and not taken for granted? Will the perfect DJ set exist anywhere except inside the home? What is the appetite going to be like for going out and dancing again? Obviously I hope the same as before, but it’s going to be a depressing situation if it’s the same as before. There are plenty of reports in the media of raves going off. A few weeks back there was the inevitable sensationalist story of rape and stabbings at one such event. Not to downplay obviously awful events, but how many parties have gone on and nothing bad has happened? I have to say that I still think it’s far too early to get back into the swing of things, in my opinion we need to wait until a vaccine has been found. However, with a waffling libertarian government like ours, we may as well give up on that being condoned by the state. Of course it won't be directly opposed, just skated around until everyone’s dizzy with unnecessary, bewildering choice. I remember when I lived in France and one cultural difference I noticed was the way the French government, regardless of political affiliation, would assume that the general population were (as far as I was concerned) thick, and would tacitly tell them what to do and how to do it all the time. Don't these people have any common sense, I would think. Of course they do, but assuming that everyone does is a very dangerous game to play. The British preoccupation with health and safety in every aspect of waking life is a far worse exercise in patronizing. All the way through the COVID 19 episode, I’ve been wound up by the fact that our leadership is incapable of leading, ie: telling people what to do. It’s ironic that this seems to be frowned upon by the UK government, yet we have one of the most servile populations I can think of. While in France, they get told what to do as a matter of course, but they’ll riot for Nutella. Of course I digress, so back to the music. How does it all fit in? Well, it occupies another igneous layer entirely. It’s always there but you do have to look for it. If someone were stupid enough to come up to me and ask what I am thinking about? I’d have to say, at any given time: “Long, rolling, groove-driven mixes of minimal, machine-edged funk wrapped up in a messy, druggy ambience. At any given time I’m in a packed, sweaty warehouse were the volume is being cranked up and the crowd are lost in the music. There’s a synthetic feel to the sonic atmosphere, but it’s imbued with soul. I’m clocking the people around me, as well as the clothes, and all of this contributes to the general scenario. Who’s DJing? No idea, it’s all about the music, maaan . . . As long as they’re in it for the right reasons and know their stuff, then it could be anybody. However, there are some who I think are/were better at creating such an environment than others: Andy Weatherall (Gone, I know. But always with us), Terry Francis, ‘Evil’ Eddie Richards, Nathan Coles, Derrick Carter, Ricardo Villalobos, Derrick May, Rhadoo, Raresh, Zip, Craig Richards, Eric Cloutier, Jane Fitz, Theo Parrish, Dietroiter, Eli Verveine, Ze Salvador, Pedro Inspirescu, Alex Downey, IF, Ivan Smagghe, Nicolas Lutz, Rubsilent, Harri & Domenic, Stacey Pullen, Claude Young, Finn Johannsen, DJ Stingray, Objekt, Call Super, Ben UFO, Cosmo, Sean Johnson, Harvey, Aisha, and the shitloads I discover on a weekly basis on Soundcloud and Mixcloud. Mozghan, Solar, Magda, DJ Python, Bake, Z@p, Jensen Interceptor, Craigie Knowes, CCL, Eris Drew, adab, Lena Willikens, Vladimir Ivkovic, Russell E.L. Butler, Surgeon, Steffi, Jeff Mills, Helena Hauff, Echo Inspectors, Ciel, Daylomar, Mark Farina, Magda Bytnerowicz, Roger Gerressen, Janeret, Rick Hopkins, Andy Green, Andrew James Gustav, Gwenan, DJ TLR, Alienata, Barac, . . . . . However, in spite if all of this, I’m seeing lots of pessimism online at the moment, with some DJs and other scene members fearing that they’ll never see the inside of a nightclub again. It’s weird, but the further we move away from the initial lockdown, the more fraught the uncertainty seems to be. It wold be interesting to know if tis is a situation mirrored in all countries, not just The UK. Taking stock of the situation generally, yesterday I realised that since the last week of March, I’ve left my town no more than ten to fifteen times, and with each passing day normality seems as out of touch as ever. The decision to slap a new quarantine ban on those coming back from Spain smacks of overreaction, and it won't end there. I suspect countries that rely on British trade will be under the cosh more than others as we see a Brexit endgame being played out by stealth. Is this a conspiracy theory> Nope, just a theory. Hardly in the same league as what I have been subjected to over the past few months, on both the Internet and by real people who should know better. And living in a vacuum as I do, the music keeps on playing without a second thought as to the fate of its creators. That’s nt me by the way, I don't stop thinking about how people are going to come out of this mess. I guess we’re in the process of seeing just how much clubs and similar spaces really matter. They do, of course, which is why they will rise again, but not in the same forms or functions. I predict that the change, once it gets underway, will be a positive one by and large. The corporate element will disappear and it’ll be back to basics. A more egalitarian front will emerge because it has to. Another conspiracy is that this is the calculated death of art and expression, because how will it flourish in its own vacuum? I think the kids will be alright. Art favours adversity over comfort and compliance. It’s position is in opposition. There are different levels to this, and keeping it real has many interpretations, but I’m hopeful that we’re moving towards a more ingrained sense of community and togetherness in all aspects of life. It’s always been here, it’s never gone away. Music will be incorporated into other interests and a cross-cultural front will start to gain momentum. We can already see this in the way certain aspects of this scene better incorporate lifestyle choices than others. This is a chance, ironically, to break free of lots of commercial interests, not remain shackled by them.
