"However, I have to say that this particular musical evolution does worry me because, unlike electrohouse and minimal, this is very familiar territory for dance music."

Why does it worry you? Every mutation dance music goes through becomes familiar after a few years. That's what drives it forward. Also, I would say that right now the Electro/Minimal sound is rapidly becoming a dance monoculture. Everyone's doing it, its affected almost every genre going. UK Garage, Trance, Prog, D&B, its all got that 'must have' electro element in there somewhere right now. For a good while now it feels like there has been a continual stream of dj's and producers stating that they are going "more electro/minimal/tech now"'. Its getting a bit tiresome, this week its the turn of Chris (ex prog) Fortier! Don't get me wrong. There is loads about minmal, electro and tech that I love but it seems to be at saturation point right now. Almost over familiar you might say? In fact I would say that 'electro' is a pretty strong contender for 'the most over used word in dance music.' A word people use to describe alot of different music from breaks to house to trance and techno. If it ain't 'electro', the kid's won't wanna know apparently....

"It's not territory that is very likely to excite those outside the current club scene, and youngsters attention is more likely to be swayed by the dayglo fashion shenanigans of the indie-dance posse."

Why does this matter? Exactly who are we catering to here?

"the music that rocks the main vein of “underground” club dancefloors"

If this is the "underground" then why should we be concerned about whether those youngsters appreciate the sound of deep tech house? Obviously we all know that the dance music industry tree has had a really serious prune in recent years and there are people that have to make a living from music etc etc but should we be getting concerned about underground music not being well received by those "outside the current club scene" because it doesn't have enough guitars and isn't 'proper songs' and doesn't tick enough of the zeitgeist/fashionista boxes? I am all for dance music and culture being taken seriously by those outside of its own sphere of influence but I do get tired of the attitude that says

"please buy this dance music magazine, we have name dropped loads of people from the pop/rock world on the cover!"

or

"please buy this dance track, its got loads of great guitar riffs and 'electro' sounds in it"

or

"please come and listen to me dj, I will be playing loads of 'electro', rock mash ups, remixes of rock bands and of course some rock and electro classics thrown in to make it really eclectic like!" etc etc....

Its almost as if the dance music industry has become ashamed of 'dance music' in any sense that doesn't have the requisite tag of rock or pseudo retro sensibility attached to it. Let 'the youngsters' jump on the nu rave bandwagon, see how far it takes them. Its not like the industry hasn't had to contend with a comparative recession for the last 5 or 6 years anyway. Were all still here and obviously the 'electro resurgence' has done us all alot of good in many ways. Im not worried.

i get you point there nsysto
and i think everything is alredy said here, im a big fan of jamie jones and im pretty sure he didnt choose the track list thinking of the outsiders or trying to reach some electro kids so its all good i didnt expect something different from him
peace

Cool stuff.
More headphones than dancefloor, but very pleasant indeed. Classic!

xpost @nsysto

The reference to minimal/electrohouse in the above review is saying that WHEN THESE SOUNDS WERE NEW they represented a novel twist on dance music. I completely agree with you that these things now sound pretty tired.

As regards to who "we" are catering to, my view on this is pretty simple. I'm passionate about dance music and I want it to have a wide audience. To do this it has to have an exciting and vital culture that continually draws in new blood. Without this, the music stagnates and the clubs become empty.

So it's not about being 'ashamed' of dance music it's about wanting it to be all it can be. And for me, and this is just a personal subjective view, I believe it can be more than a functional, stylistic exercise in moving bodies. I think it can be deeply moving, emotive, gutsy and spiritual. I think the music that people want to dance to is the stuff that makes them horny, angry or ecstatic. Not the stuff that makes them think "hmmm, interesting flange effect".

There's a lot of anti-house sentiment in the    reviews I"ve read this week- in some there are blatant homophobic remarks (not yours). In others I believe the homophobia is there but more subtle- perhaps even by suggesting that "the kids won't like it" one might scratch one's head and ask what the author is really implying. These young kids have no memory of deep house because the last time good house music was credible and available "the kids" were in diapers. So what exactly makes it less credible than electro or (yawn) minimal? And, in my opinion minimal certainly does not have a more inspired style of mixing than house..nor is there a single aspect which could be seen as remotely euphoric. Maybe this DJ doesn't deliver, but the fact that warm music might be gaining some credibilty after 3 years of music that sounds the way ketamine feels is a welcome relief to many.

quote:

---

in some there are blatant homophobic remarks

---

examples please

from the Armand Van Helden review:

"but if you’re in the mood for unadulterated dumb fun and don’t mind having your entourage thinking you’re, like, a total fag.."

Hahahaha, that's clever unless you are one. Using the "n" word would'nt be funny either..

From the Kode9/ Space Ape LP review:

"We are a long way from the ‘gay gospel’ of life-celebration which backgrounds house music.."

We are? That's a relief! I would hate to think we were still stuck in that mess!

Excuse me? It is your reading that is presuming a negative inflection to that statement. I happen to like gay house... don't you?

I used the comparison there to draw into proximity an affinity that the often avowed homophobia of techno has against its others.

The fact that you presumed a negative inflection in something that was presented without a value judgement (or that you presumed I meant 'sci-fi gloom = good' 'gay gospel house = bad') says more about your internalised assumptions than anything I expressed.

Check your head.

I don't listen to "gay house" - would Kerri Chandler be able to define it? Would Ame? You're lost.

so you've freaked out because someone has mentioned the celebratory spirit of the gay roots of house, AND you don't actually know what that refers to.

down the rabbit-hole we go.

I know the homophobic statement isn't directed at me, but on account of being mildly boozed up I just want to say that I've got like a whole section on my record shelves devoted to hi-nrg and another one for diva house so I ain't a) homophobic or b) anti 'warm' sounds. Plus I danced to Dixon for 5 hours solid on Saturday and it was the best night out I've had this year.

Hurrah for warmth! But JJ still needs to try harder...

I love this compact and Jamie's a nice guy to go with it - that is all.....

Love the flowing grooves on this CD. Don't need drama in my life or mixes. Works well at home, in the car or iPod, any time of the day. 5/5 from me...

The cd is magic, very well chosen and put together.