While, I try not to get into too many general music observations, I could
not help but notice the increasing influence in some of the new wave
conceits in electronica/AJ.
<<<<
I don't really see it, but perhaps it's too obvious that I haven't seen it.
I, too am a musician who does mostly Acid Jazz, but was heavily influenced
by 80s new wave; I must say, that was one of the first kinds of music I got
into.
And I would guess that I'm not alone, being that a lot of these
AJ/electronica artists and scenesters are also in their '20s and '30s
(having enjoyed New Wave in their teens).
I haven't seen anyone sampling or covering the Eurythmics yet.
I do see similarities in the spirit of both New Wave and Electronica - both
obviously electronic musics, and both paradoxically experimental and
formulaic, and both made mostly by people who don't have tradiitonal (i.e.
schooled) music backgrounds...The Thompson Twins were art students and so
is most of Gus Gus, for example...
The differences, I guess, is that most of new wave was basically rock in an
electronic form; most electronica has more funk, jazz, world beat
influences (but that's not to say the 80s stuff didn't have it; Heaven 17,
The Human League and ABC, for example were influenced by soul music, and it
was much more apparent in the mid-80s acts like Simply Red, Swing Out
Sister and Sade)
>>>>
I got a free compilation recently and could only say "yecch" when I heard
such illuminaries as GusGus, Jimi Tenor and Sneaker Pimps (hey, there were
a lot worse drivel on this thing but I figured if I was going to complain
it might as well be on the people getting the most hype). I recognize it
could simply be a problem with song selection (I like Sneaker Pimps "6
underground")
<<<<
I really dig that tune, I found out the problem with Sneaker Pimps is that
their original material is so limp, but their remixes are what's down. I
just learned recently that the "6 Undergound" I've been hearing all this time
was the Nelle Hooper remix. I did get a chance to hear the original, and it
was rather, well, weak.
Same for "Spin Spin Sugar." (for once, an Armand Van Helden remix that I
did like! Note to DJs with a sense of humor: Mix "Whomp! there it Is!" with
the Van Helden remix of "Spin Spin Sugar" Trust me, it works)
>>>>
but the song on the comp (sorry I can't remember the name) stinks. The
Jimi Tenor song was boring and repetitive and GusGus's "polyesterday" was
imperceptibly drab.
<<<<
I have their "Polydistortion" album; I love it! I dunno bout you, but I
really dig the bassline to "Polyesterday" (any bassists in da house? I can
play it, but I might have the wrong fret positions), and the beat. It's
real minimal, but something in that tune just grabs me. The rest of the
album explores the whole electronica spectrum to some extent (no gabber or
jungle though), and there's even an "acoustic" tune ("Why") with just
female vocal, Fender Rhodes (okay, an electric instrument) and Roland 808
bongos.
Elson
-30-
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Elson Trinidad
Los Angeles, CA, USA
elson@westworld.com * http://www.westworld.com/~elson
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