Back when I was first inducted into the world of dancefloor music I loathed
disco. But this was the reaction of an ignorant neophyte. Disco, as many
have rightfully argued, is fundamental to the music we enjoy and discuss
today and should receive the respect it deserves. That said, there is an
important distinction to be made between disco as the soundtrack to the
black, predominantly gay underground of the early to mid 70s and disco as
appropriated by a white, mercenary music industry. Incidentally, the
infamous rally Pace mentioned was above all a display of intense homophobia.
Disco never entirely shook its gay roots and the signs proclaiming "Disco
Sucks" had more to do with middle American prejudices against gay culture
than considered criticisms of disco music.
So many of the clubs that served as sites for disco's evolution provided the
blueprint for the clubbing experiences this list values. Take the early
years of the Paradise Garage. Larry Levan's incredibly eclectic sets
blended everything from Fela to the Talking Heads to 4/4 thumpers.
Ironically, Levan's eclecticism seems lost on contemporary DJs who consider
'garage' to mean terribly monotonous sets of 123bpm melodic house.
In addition to the ones already mentioned, there are dozens and dozens of
disco era tracks that still sound fresh and blend well with current sounds.
Check out the Erotic Drum Band's "Jerky Rhythm" for an incredibly percussive
number. Candido's "Jingo" is also stellar along with LPs by Merl Saunders
("Do I move you") and the Players Association ("Turn The Music Up!").
Also, check out Ulf Poschardt's "DJ Culture" for a good discussion of the
disco era. The English translation from the original German is terrible and
some of Poschardt's cultural theorising is tedious, but it's a worthy read.
Dan
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-----Original Message-----
From: Wm. ERROL PACE [mailto:wm_errol_pace@hotmail.com]
Sent: May 13, 2002 11:07 AM
To: acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
Subject: Re: Acid Jazz and Disco
>--- Eric Kitel <eric@ayalounge.com> wrote:
> > Paul Berger wrote:
> > > I hope acid jazz doesn't go the way of disco.
I am seriously trying to comprehend any redeeming qualities associated with
Disco and its culture. Unless one held a huge arse holding in the polyester
industry maybe that could be one. Music-wise? I'm still trying to think of
one almost redeeming quality. Every once in a while I'll see this interview
on VH-1 with Niles Rodgers complaining about that baseball game in the 70's
where it turned into a Death To Disco Rally. I can usually find something
redeeming about almost anything but living during that era just turned me
against it all. Hey wait before I flush Disco down the toilet I just
thought of something redeeming about it, Louis Johnson's Bass Playing on
Strawberry Letter 23. I have to say that was friggin' awesome and I have
recently heard it on a T.V. Commercial. Always end on a positive.
Semper Motociclismo,
Pace'
> >
> > You mean go underground and morph into a variety of
> > fresh new sounds like
> > house and techno, like Disco did? I think it's
> > already happened, though
> > acid jazz was always underground, now it has morphed
> > into NuJazz and Broken
> > Beats.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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