April 1998 ear candy by Leslie Harpold |
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Techno-Logic
If I hear one more time that the future of music is techno, my
pretty blonde head may fly off. One of the most disturbing
trends in popular culture today is the view that the future
only has space for answer per category, when a quick
glance around you will confirm the opposite is true. The
future is wide open with infinite possibility. Music is no
different.
Just as Lounge music did not take over the world (as I
predicted), Techno also will not. The first myth that needs to
be debunked is that techno is anything new. With it’s roots
in the late 70s, modern techno-dance-acid house - call it
what you will music owes a debt of gratitude to artists like
Kraftwerk and Thomas Dolby. Yes, that "Blinded Me With
Science" guy who invented a plug in for the Internet.
Before you send me more of that "You old geezer!" hate
mail, which I so dearly love let’s all take a deep cleansing
breath. This isn’t going to be one of those articles where I
go on and on about someone who really did something first.
Today, I’m talking about phenomenology and music. Mostly
music, although the two are very closely tied. Having them
tied is a good thing too, since without that I wouldn’t have a
column.
Back to my point about Techno and how it’s not taking over.
In the simplest possible terms it will meld and influence, and
already has. The advances in technology in the arena of
music production were felt throughout the 80s with the New
Wave scene. Synthesizer and drum machine driven, the
music was - to borrow from The Art of Noise "Looking for the
Perfect Beat". All that perfection was a little much to bear
too long, and that’s why things got grubby. I’m sorry,
grungey.
There is a law of physics that says "For every action there is
an equal and opposite reaction". There’s another natural law
called coincidentally called "The Law of Homeostasis" that
my chemistry teacher Mr. Heald impressed upon me
diligently in my youth. Roughly, it says that everything is
constantly trying to stay the same. Striving toward a
constant even state of sameness.
I don’t like hating records. I love loving them. Unfortunately
when music goes through an ugly teenage period, which it is
wont to do every five to seven years or so, it’s hard to get
excited while I sit around listening to one average record
after another, waiting for someone to break out of the box
with something to get my attention. It happens far too rarely
and I wish I could have it happen say - 26 times a year. Any
more and I would have my head explode for different
reasons, too much candy will make you sick. I need time to
obsess after all.
Near Bristol in England is a town called Portishead. Not
much happens there, as best I can tell without going
myself. So, I’ll take the rumors as truth for now. (Unless
you’d like to sponsor my journey, in which case I’ll be happy
to explore for you.) One notable citizen of this down is Geoff
Barrow who wasn’t all that enchanted with the extreme
homeostasis that that town was going through. So he
decided to start a band.
That’s where Portishead (the band now, not the town) was
born. With vocalist Beth Gibbons, and band members Dave
McDonald and Adrian Utley they form the foursome that
actually managed to break me out my recent “where have all
the flowers gone’ funk. As a matter of fact, it took me into a
whole new realm of funk altogether.
The eponymously titled album has shreds and innuendo of
older tech but not in the tired ‘drag out grampa for giggles’
sense. Shades of James Bond themes past, samples of old
half forgotten guitar riffs melt seamlessly under smooth
highly stylized vocals. Distinctly techno sounds meet rough
edged guitar riffs and create a new level of enlightened
homeostasis, the mixture of action and it’s equal and
opposite reaction to achieve the perfect state of
homeostasis necessary to shake up my hears and get me
humming something new. Finally. So, techno isn’t taking
over, but it’s getting added to the mix. No, no don’t use the
melting pot metaphor, grrls, they’re British, remember?
Just go get this record. Even if you hate Chumbawumba.
(Did you know he’s been making records since 1983, by the
way? Just another notch in my ‘techno isn’t new’ bedpost.
Chemical Brothers since 1982 hello!) I’ll remind you one
more time that it’s called Portishead and it’s by
Portishead. Buy it if you hate techno. Buy it if you hate to
dance. Buy it if you sweat that one day Zeppelin is gonna
make a comeback. Really. If you love techno and can’t
wait to rave, and you don’t already have this little gem, get
it. If you do, listen to it one more time and right at the point
your left hip slides out to make that little move before you
throw your head to the side so you can make your nose ring
move in that really cute way you do, grab on to your
bigpants and admit that this isn’t all about techno is it? It’s
about music and songs. It’s a good record, not just a
couple good songs with some other stuff thrown in for good
measure.
Can I give a more direct endorsement? No. Zero sum in the
world of science means you have a perfect balance.
Portishead, just like the town they named themselves after
achieve balance and homeostasis. The band just gets it on
a higher, more thoroughly modern plane. For all the whining
about records I hate and artists I am bored by, I am that
excited and that enthusiastic about Portishead.
All that science and no quiz? Of course, because I like you,
specifically - (your name here).
in the junk drawer:
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