So techno is boring. Or atleast that's what I'm hearing..
mnmlssgs probably present the
best or most indepth argument, and although I agree with a lot of what they say, it doesn't mean that techno is boring or bland or uninteresting.
They are right about many things, but I just don't reach the same conclusion as them. So this is my personal opinion on why some artists/djs/writers are a bit fed up with things..
I only buy vinyl, I only listen to vinyl and I have no interest in any digital releases - I couldn't care less if my favourite artists are now on bandcamp, or if they are giving their music away for free, I just don't see the point in having mp3s/wavs on my computer.
If you're digital and that works for you then that's cool, but I think by not exposing myself to every single release, and every piece of information, it helps to keep things fresh.
I buy most of my records from record shops like
Rubadub,
Clone or
Hardwax, they represent high quality labels, and are famous for the quality of music that they stock and distribute. It's not exactly a struggle to find interesting, new music, and more often than not I find myself removing up to 20 or so records from my crate due to financial limitations.
How can techno be boring, when there's more good music than most people can afford being released?
I'm not saying that being a digital DJ or artist is causing the problem, but the exposure to higher volumes of music, in a market that is oversaturated by similar sounding tracks, makes it harder to find the quality. The amount of new releases in somewhere like Hardwax just doesn't compare to Beatport, so looking for good music quickly becomes a chore and something that isn't enjoyable..
I can't imagine how many new releases there must be on Beatport in 1 month, how is it possible to listen to them and to find stuff that you like, without going back to tried and tested labels or artists? How do you find new artists?
Do you rely on charts/top 10s? Just the thought of looking for good new music on Beatport is enough to put me off techno.
Then there is also the dangers of promo, where people are receiving hundreds of tracks each week via email. There is absolutely no quality control over the releases you receive, and you have to spend you're time downloading them and perhaps reading the PR bullshit that comes with it - then skipping through them all until you find 1 or 2 that you actually like. Of course techno is going to be boring if that's what it involves, how can anyone go through that process on a regular basis and maintain enthusiasm for it.
My solution is to stop wasting time with all the digital promos, the ridiculous PR, and the absolutely worthless comments from DJs A,B & C saying how great the record is. Stop looking for music in the wrong places, get back to record shops, and pay £8/£10 for an EP.
How many mp3's do you own that you would pay £8 for? Or How many do you own that you would have never paid £8 for?
People need to learn to take criticism or simply avoid complaining about it publicly. Too many times you see arguments on RA about what rating a record got - who gives a fuck? Atleast it's getting reviewed.
The embarrassing fanboys on RA are another post entirely, but I think there's a lot of people who are *into* electronic music that could do with growing up a bit and learn to take things with a pinch of salt.
And lastly, support your scene, get involved, run a night, run a label and go to parties. Make things happen.
Techno/electronic music is to be enjoyed - by all means take it serious, and be hardcore/purist/whatever, but enjoy it.
