Re: Portishead: whats wrong with Trip-hop

elson trinidad (elson@westworld.com)
Mon, 27 Oct 1997 11:09:51 -0800


At 07.48 AM 10/27/1997 PST, mark givens wrote:
> Dear List:
>
> I consider Portishead to be trip-hop (vocal). True they and ames
>Lavelle hate the term. But yet it persists. why? Because it fits.

I"m not as bothered by the term "Trip Hop" as most people are, so I'm in
the same boat with you.
I mean, slowed-down loops, minor key and the lack of rapping are a dead
giveaway.
It's true many artists don't like being pigeonholed, yet at the same time
many of them are simply following a trend musically, but when they get the
chance, they start getting all snobbish and holier-than-thou about "We're
not that, that's just a media term, etc. etc." There's a huge amount of
hipocrisy in that although they start blaming the media for spoon-feeding
people that term, they are *heavily dependent on that same media* to
announce to the world that they're all high and mighty. (Things that make
you go hmmmm....) If artists truly want the music to 'speak for itself'
then they'd better shut up first and *let* it speak for itself.

Speaking of media terms regarding music genres, I understand that generally
the whole fuss is about who said it first. If it came froma media source,
the artists will all resent it. But if it came from a musician, DJ, etc,
then it seems more acceptable. "Ska" was coined by a ska musician. And I
may be wrong on this, but
the much-more willingness by "Drum 'N Bass" artists to use that term
probably means it originated within the scene than from out of it. Then
again it also seems like most drum n bass artists have their own mission,
not just as an alternative to standard techno music (which really is a punk
version of disco on the most basic level), to make this music get a name
for itself, and earn its place in the history of music.

Of course, there are exceptions; "Rock N Roll" was coined by a Cleveland,
USA (that's why the Rock N Roll museum is there) radio DJ (that's
considered media) and for years no one had a problem with admitting to
playing "rock" music. Also, "Acid Jazz" was coined by the very person who
detests it the most today, DJ Gilles Peterson (But I do believe we've gone
through that road many times...)

E