Re: Seperat

Ashwin Tumne (ashwin@visgen.com)
Fri, 6 Sep 96 12:51:41 -0400


> I am just rambling at this point, but I would like to bring up a
> proposal to standardize certain terms so that we could be able to
> distinguish music that is more instrumentally inclined, using all
> real live
> instruments (ie. the Greyboy Allstars), and then the stuff with the
> sampling technology (ie. US3), and then the very heavily hip-hop
> laden/rhythmically driven stuff. Acid jazz is such an incredibly
> vague
term now that it could include practically anything that has
> a distinct
> beat. Whenever I check out something that was recommended by an
> acid
jazzer I have no idea whether it is going to have rap or not;
> whether
it will have real (acoustic) instruments such as a sax and
> real drums; or
> if the only instruments are going to be a synthesizer and a drum
> machine.

If "acid-jazz" was seperated like that, then what would we do with
COURTNEY PINE jungle tracks, SADE Remixes, Proceed II by THE
ROOTS/ROY AYERS and crate loads of House Music tracks? Not to say
it's bad to experience music in different contexts (live, sampled,
imitation farting noises, etc.) but the kool thing about tracks like
these (real gems IMHO) is that different people will see different
things in the same song - which may explain why people who are into
this thing called "acid-jazz" form a very diverse crowd (you can see
this reflected in the topics posted on our list) and I think that's
the koolest thing because I feel there is a lot more to learn from
a diverse crowd than one that lives in a bubble (the Yuppies who
hang out in posh Yorkville pubs). A lot of diverse musical
recommendations are given on this list. Unfortunately I don't have
the cash to check it all out - but the kool thing about this kinda
scene is that if I don't have it, it's almost guaranteed that
someone in my locality has it so we just go to their crib and chill,
listen to some phat tunes, jam a little, grab a bite to eat, and
then wtch a Hindi or Kung Fu film - to me that's "acid-jazz" -
(KRS-ONE: "I am Hip-hop. Hip-hop is me...." or from the Spike Lee
film: "I'm Malcolm X...I'm Malcolm X...I'm Malcolm X...You are
Malcolm X" or Chaka Khan: "I'm every woman, it's all in me..." Would
it be safe for us to say "I am acid-jazz"? OK I'm getting WACK).

shanti,

ashwin

ashwin@visgen.com