pointing and laughing at dance music part 4912

There is very little writing anywhere about Soca, on the web at least, and even mags like Gargamel don't give it very much coverage. I've been trying to find some in order to help me refute Tracer's broadside on NYLPM!

Because I am trying to write about it for a living.

It really bugs me to see people saying who cares if dance is taken seriously, especially people who like it. Don't you see what a lazy easy option it is to take digs at dance music? Wouldn't you rather it wasn't that way? It just feels like peoples brains slotting back into a comfy niche and it's annoying.

Also if you've any experience of trying to write then it's doubly annoying, reviews sectioned off in the "dance page" just in case anyone reads them, constant misunderstanding of the basic ideas of dance music, total lack of comprehension of the volume and amount of dance music that exists, or the differences between it all.

And this isn't at all about "courting opinions", I feel passionate in such a cliched way here when really this just makes perfect sense, no need to be passionate about, it's just logic. It's not courting opinions to want dance music to be given a fair rap, I'm not saying dance music should change to be given respect, I'm saying that dance music should be given respect, it's almost the exact opposite.

I think Gareth's answer is proof enough of the extent of the problem, people who like dance music don't even think it's worth talking about. Either that or it's just a question of why bother writing about music, which is as good/bad a question here as ever.

Dance music doesn't need the validity, but crap writing is crap writing and crap writing about dance music isn't worth letting go. I don't understand how this isn't so obvious.

Matt may have a point about dance getting praised but lets face it DJ culture and 12 inch culture has long been a whipping boy for the usual hoary old earthy rants likening it to big macs or capitalism, or basically moaning cos the performers look a bit swish.

And I'm fairly sure "dance music is fine in a club" is about as far as the acceptance goes.

Surely this doesn't just apply to dance music though? Actually, you could argue it applies to rock music just as much (excluding the 30 or so favoured bands of the moment). But if dance music isn't being documented properly then the blame lies at the door of the dance press, not the rock press.

(x-post)

But how do you do it? I mean, generally speaking writing about dance music is still really fucking hard. Do you review every record that comes out regardless of whether there is actually anything to say about it or anything you can say in print that would actually differentiate from the hundreds of similar records to the listener? Or do you only review the distinctive/outstanding records, in which case you're back to 90s NME Square One.

I think the basic premise of this is that dance music fans, unlike rock fans, don't NEED a press to get exposure to the music. That's what clubs are for, surely?

NOBODY deserves that much money for six hours work.

It doesn't solely, the dance press itself is constantly in second place because it writes about dance music. Rock music is the critical centre of the universe to such a great degree, if singles were given the prominence they deserve both pop and dance would benefit, it's no excuse that they're only played in clubs or whatever when indie acts who never play anywhere are being sought out.

Also a major part of this is the bare truth that no magazine anywhere ever would print an article mocking rock music. And alot more people would attack it too, someone hating rock music is eternally a bitter reactionary who loves another genre, someone hating dance music has some intellectual ground to walk on. Ie its not seen as possible to dislike rock music because it's engrained in you.

The above is not something which can ever change I accept, but that doesn't mean it's ok either, and small victories are possible.

yeah, but i also think there were some funny moments in this. This article is not even asking to be taken seriously and in fact he's always written (funny) shit abt dance music and lots of stuff I like such as psych or whatever.

I mean, its so damn cartoonish.

There should be writing abt everything even if its 'hard' to do there are ppl out there who like a challenge.

(actually wasn't nowhere near as funny as his anti-NME rant that was linked to here a few weeks ago by DJ martian).

B-b-but... it ISN'T. Or at least, it wasn't. For YEARS the UK dance press completely oldsold NME, Kerrang, etc.

if singles were given the prominence they deserve both pop and dance would benefit

How would you like them to be given more prominence? What is the radio/MTV for if not to publicise singles? Why aren't you lambasting Radio 1 for not playlisting more dance music?

I get the feeling you're vastly overestimating the influence of the rock press, or the music press in general, and there are tons of failed NME Great White Hopes to back this up.

I'm also getting the feeling that everyday musical culture is far more rock-biased in Ireland than it is in the UK.

Also, laying the blame on the rock press is a very convenient way of avoiding the question of WHY dance music is less popular than it used to be (if it is).

I think the rock press are what look back and say "this is what happened" and you know well it's always going to be rock acts. Why put a dance act there when you can't continue to mention weirdo depressive singers, political movements, brilliant guitar licks, cliched "attitude" quotes to interviewers etc etc etc.

By prominence I mean if a great single was given more praise than a 4 line review, there's no ability but also no desire in the press for talking at length about anything except rock music. I've listened to my favourite singles of last year more than any of the albums, whatever way you look at it.

It may be about everday culture being more biased here, but it does go way beyond that too.

Why dance is less popular? No dance act is making dance music for rock fans.

In fact, I'm willing to walk down Oxford Street at lunchtime purely to test this.

when did i ever say this?

upthread i said im very interested in reading stuff abuot dance music, but i dont know why it matters about it being in bang or the independent or mojo. i'm not sure those publications are suited to dance music, unless it is of album/artist based stuff that can give outsiders a way in, or possibly from a cultural/sociological angle (though of course this is the angle that gives us lazy dance is dead pieces like the one linked in this thread). i dont think non-specialist press has ever successfully managed to engage with ground-up based musics.

what if some kinds of music progressively adapt themselves to favour the aspects which GET written about (well/at all) and other kinds of music adapt themselves to favour aspects which are hard to write about/elusive/rebarbatively jargonish?

the serious press should be the dance press should be the pop press, it's not getting wells to love dance, it's getting dance to love dance.

maybe these ideas like "canon" and "respect" (and "history"?) are intrinsically anti-dance?

tom's point is totally pertinent, even if his judgment is on its head (i don't know if it's on its head or not)

(eg one of the loose assumptions of ordinary political journalism is that a mass of "bad" writing can have good political effects => i am agnostic abt this, though i think you can point to eras when it's arguably the case, like the decades in the UK up to the first great reform bill)

i used to work there < / potentially devastating confessional >

this sentence has never been in th bizarre column! sean paul is the new shaggy tho, apparently...

ans = of COURSE it has an effect and not all "bad" either (necessarily)

actually the fact that eg the nme is paid unquestioning attention by eg bizarre columnists (and radio one djs) is an even more extreme example of HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED BUT HE LOST WHAT HE HAD

ha ha, sorry - add the word 'Jordan' in there somewhere

It reminds me of a thread I started last year "is dance music starting to have a heritage every bit as irritating as that of rock music".

I am a bit lost here because I went to lunch and then had work to do. Matt's point about broadening what's written about is good but I'm not sure people understand DJ sets enough.

On reflection Gareth's questions were getting at one thing I was thinking about at lunchtime, sort of why doesn't one (or don't I) just write about dance for dance people. It feels like preaching to the converted I guess, I'd rather be working towards something rather than just doing the job.

And yeah I see the obvious "but if you achieve it you'd have nothing to do" thing but that's true of any life.

But I thought your whole rationale behind this was stopping all these great records you've heard from disappearing? In which case, surely writing for an audience you KNOW would like them is perfect?

but also there's tom's point that unless you think quite hard about what the achieved goal is to be, you may end up with something you can't bear

(*ie not publishable only in slim volumes of poetry handprinted in vilnius)

need to be given room to make these manoeuvres

What are the chances though eh? At least in print anyway.

What are the chances though eh? At least in print anyway.

you need to write for american magazines who don't pay!

NOBODY deserves that much money for six hours work.

Nobody deserves than money for 1 months work.

NOBODY deserves that much money for six hours work.

Nobody deserves that money for 1 months work.