Comments on: In the market for some techno? http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/ the real shit for those who know Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:03:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Nightlight http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1061 Nightlight Thu, 22 May 2008 13:22:02 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1061 All well said, etc. But since you mentioned Drexciya and UR, let me make a point. I follow them closely for some time, I love their music and all this. Still, even though they promote a 'faceless', 'anonymous' profile they succeeded through the use of their logos and visual motifs to establish themselves so much that now they're selling more t-shirts than everyone else and Drexciya 12"s sell in three digit numbers. I don't know if Hawtin used to sell better when he didn't show off his face, when we knew him as Plastikman, when he did the acid-like sleeve, etc.(I suspect he did), he surely enjoyed a lot more of respect though. Techno traditionally sold better through 'underground', 'no-photos' promotion policies, until it turned into commercial club music and Ibiza was the name of the game. Now it's turning around once more. Everyone is rediscovering his 'obscure' (=self-referential & boring) roots and releases under alias (making sure to put his true name on the label or the press-sheet), while the truly anonymous stay truly unknown despite their work's quality. Who remembers Baby Ford? All well said, etc. But since you mentioned Drexciya and UR, let me make a point. I follow them closely for some time, I love their music and all this. Still, even though they promote a ‘faceless’, ‘anonymous’ profile they succeeded through the use of their logos and visual motifs to establish themselves so much that now they’re selling more t-shirts than everyone else and Drexciya 12″s sell in three digit numbers. I don’t know if Hawtin used to sell better when he didn’t show off his face, when we knew him as Plastikman, when he did the acid-like sleeve, etc.(I suspect he did), he surely enjoyed a lot more of respect though.
Techno traditionally sold better through ‘underground’, ‘no-photos’ promotion policies, until it turned into commercial club music and Ibiza was the name of the game. Now it’s turning around once more. Everyone is rediscovering his ‘obscure’ (=self-referential & boring) roots and releases under alias (making sure to put his true name on the label or the press-sheet), while the truly anonymous stay truly unknown despite their work’s quality.
Who remembers Baby Ford?

]]> By: Shaolinsoul313 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1059 Shaolinsoul313 Tue, 20 May 2008 03:47:04 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1059 Hahaha...that interview with Omar was AWESOME, def spillin the beans on those fake ass cats who don't know what "real" is. Who was that dude he was going bad on in the reply section?? "Your not ah boss"...class! Hahaha…that interview with Omar was AWESOME, def spillin the beans on those fake ass cats who don’t know what “real” is.

Who was that dude he was going bad on in the reply section?? “Your not ah boss”…class!

]]> By: theUbiq http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1057 theUbiq Mon, 19 May 2008 19:28:56 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1057 I reckon it's all about the money now for Hawtin; of course he will say otherwise.. I also agree that Musik was his last interesting release. How long ago was that! Wow. I reckon it’s all about the money now for Hawtin; of course he will say otherwise.. I also agree that Musik was his last interesting release. How long ago was that! Wow.

]]> By: gridface http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1056 gridface Mon, 19 May 2008 16:54:29 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1056 The sad thing is Hawtin was actually pretty good around '94 or so. His ability to construct an interesting track has steadily gone downhill since Musik. Consumed was pretty much a Basic Channel copy, and he really lost me when he started messing around with emo vocals. The sad thing is Hawtin was actually pretty good around ‘94 or so. His ability to construct an interesting track has steadily gone downhill since Musik. Consumed was pretty much a Basic Channel copy, and he really lost me when he started messing around with emo vocals.

]]> By: Platinumray http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1055 Platinumray Mon, 19 May 2008 15:24:06 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1055 I can’t say that I’ve heard Hawtin’s current output and I think that the PR / marketing that goes along with it is kind of sad, in a funny way, but I always find it weird when people get so worked up about things like this. Of course marketing is what the music industry does, it’s an industry. Villalobos is a PR phenomenon if you ask me. My guess is that he has a good team of marketing people behind him. Music hacks like him because of his poster boy looks and the whole Minimal bandwagon and I don’t think it has anything to do with his music. I checked out some of his tunes and they’re okay, not bad, not good. If other people like them for whatever reason, good luck to them. Why then have many of my friends and others stated that they hate Minimal and it’s awful that people are making this music? Is it insecurity, the need to define oneself by outlining what you are not, jealousy or sour grapes? My point being that there is bound to be music out there that other people like and that you do not. You don’t have to listen to it, so who cares? I can’t say that I’ve heard Hawtin’s current output and I think that the PR / marketing that goes along with it is kind of sad, in a funny way, but I always find it weird when people get so worked up about things like this. Of course marketing is what the music industry does, it’s an industry. Villalobos is a PR phenomenon if you ask me. My guess is that he has a good team of marketing people behind him. Music hacks like him because of his poster boy looks and the whole Minimal bandwagon and I don’t think it has anything to do with his music. I checked out some of his tunes and they’re okay, not bad, not good. If other people like them for whatever reason, good luck to them. Why then have many of my friends and others stated that they hate Minimal and it’s awful that people are making this music? Is it insecurity, the need to define oneself by outlining what you are not, jealousy or sour grapes? My point being that there is bound to be music out there that other people like and that you do not. You don’t have to listen to it, so who cares?

]]> By: Count Drugula http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1053 Count Drugula Mon, 19 May 2008 13:55:22 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1053 Awesome! Thank you very much! It's odd how Hawtin truly does seem, in a very public, branded manner, to have been wholly consumed by the tools rather than the craft. Admittedly, I have done very little probing of his back catalogue, but nothing has ever compelled me too. Part of me simply resents his everchanging evangelizing for whatever the hot, new, flashy shit happens to be when he produces music that elicits no real personal, human connection in this listener. Sometimes a concept is just a concept in concept. Awesome! Thank you very much!

It’s odd how Hawtin truly does seem, in a very public, branded manner, to have been wholly consumed by the tools rather than the craft. Admittedly, I have done very little probing of his back catalogue, but nothing has ever compelled me too. Part of me simply resents his everchanging evangelizing for whatever the hot, new, flashy shit happens to be when he produces music that elicits no real personal, human connection in this listener.

Sometimes a concept is just a concept in concept.

]]> By: seek http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1050 seek Fri, 16 May 2008 19:43:35 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1050 That cube may as well have been a 20-side die. That cube may as well have been a 20-side die.

]]> By: pipecock http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1049 pipecock Fri, 16 May 2008 15:55:48 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1049 oddly, that omar-s interview post was marked "private" somehow. i don't know how long it was like that, but it is up again now! i don't know if you want to call anything about that interview marketing aside from the fact that i wanted to kick off ISM with an interview with someone who didn't have anything out there who was making great music. the only brand we have is our attitude, that is what differentiates us and it is 100% authentic ;) getting back to this discussion about what makes interesting "marketing" for electronic music, it appears to lie in the artists' vision. it doesnt seem like richie has much of a vision anymore, aside from using technology (which he most times seems to have some sort of monetary invest ment in) which is quite unlike the more interesting concepts he had with the Plastikman material. Drexciya and UR are the same, they have an overall vision that supports the sound, feel, and look of their music. obviously one of the pioneers of this holistic approact was Kraftwerk who are masters at it. but i just dont see what this cube has to do with anything! oddly, that omar-s interview post was marked “private” somehow. i don’t know how long it was like that, but it is up again now! i don’t know if you want to call anything about that interview marketing aside from the fact that i wanted to kick off ISM with an interview with someone who didn’t have anything out there who was making great music.

the only brand we have is our attitude, that is what differentiates us and it is 100% authentic ;)

getting back to this discussion about what makes interesting “marketing” for electronic music, it appears to lie in the artists’ vision. it doesnt seem like richie has much of a vision anymore, aside from using technology (which he most times seems to have some sort of monetary invest ment in) which is quite unlike the more interesting concepts he had with the Plastikman material. Drexciya and UR are the same, they have an overall vision that supports the sound, feel, and look of their music. obviously one of the pioneers of this holistic approact was Kraftwerk who are masters at it. but i just dont see what this cube has to do with anything!

]]> By: Count Drugula http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1047 Count Drugula Fri, 16 May 2008 13:00:19 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1047 Well, while we are on the topic of identity (anti-)marketing, could someone please fill me in on what happened to the brilliant Omar-S interview from last year? Talk about someone who's not going to be accused of pandering anytime soon. I guess I should be kicking myself for not copying it earlier, but that struck me as one of the more remarkable and certainly most memorable interviews I've read in recent years. Now, was that someone's marketing choice? To get a bit back more on topic, personally I've never found Hawtin's or many of his compatriots' music particularly compelling, so I've always appreciated his overstretching of marketing personage to fill in for some of the blanks his m_sic leaves. I make dance music and do marketing for a living, so I'm a bit sensitive here. A purist I am not, but it's always been my personal sensitivity to allow the music to speak for itself; once I start finding the image of the artist seeping into the music itself, whether real or simply perceived, I tune out. Well, while we are on the topic of identity (anti-)marketing, could someone please fill me in on what happened to the brilliant Omar-S interview from last year? Talk about someone who’s not going to be accused of pandering anytime soon. I guess I should be kicking myself for not copying it earlier, but that struck me as one of the more remarkable and certainly most memorable interviews I’ve read in recent years. Now, was that someone’s marketing choice?

To get a bit back more on topic, personally I’ve never found Hawtin’s or many of his compatriots’ music particularly compelling, so I’ve always appreciated his overstretching of marketing personage to fill in for some of the blanks his m_sic leaves. I make dance music and do marketing for a living, so I’m a bit sensitive here. A purist I am not, but it’s always been my personal sensitivity to allow the music to speak for itself; once I start finding the image of the artist seeping into the music itself, whether real or simply perceived, I tune out.

]]> By: miguel http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1045 miguel Thu, 15 May 2008 09:34:15 +0000 http://infinitestatemachine.com/2008/05/14/in-the-market-for-some-techno/#comment-1045 I agree with some points here.... labels def. have to stand out not only musically these days. That being said, this new M_nus concept is a bit too cheesy and kitsch, and some claim they have completely forgotten about releasing good music and instead are focusing on the whole marketing bandwagon. For me their debacle started last year with the inclusion of Dubfire to their lineup of artists... surely not a move made only because of his "great underground" music productions. It's one thing to come across as a cool musical concept but it's another thing to be cheesy and cheap. To me m_nus has become the McDonald's of music... I agree with some points here…. labels def. have to stand out not only musically these days. That being said, this new M_nus concept is a bit too cheesy and kitsch, and some claim they have completely forgotten about releasing good music and instead are focusing on the whole marketing bandwagon.

For me their debacle started last year with the inclusion of Dubfire to their lineup of artists… surely not a move made only because of his “great underground” music productions.

It’s one thing to come across as a cool musical concept but it’s another thing to be cheesy and cheap.

To me m_nus has become the McDonald’s of music…

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