The new Luomo: can you dance to it?

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I finally bought "Present Lover" and liked it a lot, but I'm not sure I could ever dance to it... I love Mr. Delay's sounds, but the whole album is very cool and detached, and it seems to lack uplifiting melodies/sounds/breaks; I really can't imagine any of tracks getting the dancefloor excited (well, maybe the last one). It feels a bit odd, since "Present Lover" is full-on vocal house, not some decidedly undanceable genre. I'm having a DJ gig next week, so I have a question for you professional DJs out there: does Luomo work on the dancefloor? Should I even try to play it?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 29 September 2003 06:44 (twenty-two years ago)

how do you not dance to it? by ignoring the beats and basslines?

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 29 September 2003 08:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, it is kind of passive (and that's not an insult). I think it would be possible to use it for the dancefloor, but seems like it might work better as some pretty hip dinner party music.

― dleone (dleone), Monday, 29 September 2003 08:18 (twenty-two years ago)

now THAT is damning with faint praise!

― Dave M. (rotten03), Monday, 29 September 2003 08:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Not really. I also play Miles Davis and Messiaen at hip dinner parties. Not my dinner parties, but hip ones...

― dleone (dleone), Monday, 29 September 2003 08:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Didn't SR start the 'microhouse' = music for dinner parties in his year-end review a couple of years ago? Again, I don't think he meant it as an insult, although perhaps in a 'is this really the future of music' kind of way.

― alext (alext), Monday, 29 September 2003 08:56 (twenty-two years ago)

B-b-but the new Luomo is hardly microhouse anymore, is it? That's exactly what's weird about "The Present Lover"; stylistically it seems to belong to a highly danceable genre (vocal house), but the sounds and the compositions lack the joi de vivre that usually make this sort house music unimaginable not to dance to. It's more like dance music for home listening, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least Luomo has avoided the IDM fallacy that home listening music must also be "intelligent".

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 29 September 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

i have played this ablum at dinner parties and i know exactly what you mean - it's not really that danceable at all and i love the bones of this record. it's lovely, sweet pop music and absolutely adorable but it doesn't rock...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Monday, 29 September 2003 11:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the title track definitely has its place in a house set, preferably situated between two more uplifting tracks. I think one reason why we might not appreciate the dancibility of the album is because we haven't actually listened to it at club volume. (well, I have, and it kicks :)

― Andrew (enneff), Monday, 29 September 2003 12:39 (twenty-two years ago)

You could dance to it, but you would face the danger of falling asleep mid-pop and lock.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 29 September 2003 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's more stay at home potsmoking music myself. My guess is people who haven't heard it before would not dance to it, but big music fans who know what it is & understand the "theory" part of what makes microhouse cool would. In other words I think it is ultimately a big more geared toward the head. Contrast this w/ a first listen to "Romeo."

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 29 September 2003 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Unfortunately, the crowd I'm going to play to won't probably be big house music fans (it's an university freshman party). I guess I'll try Luomo at the beginning of my set, when most of the people aren't dancing anyway. By the way, I think the last track of the album is the one that rocks the most, mainly because of the bassline.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 29 September 2003 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

it's not pot-smoking music at all!!!

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Monday, 29 September 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm seeing Luomo live here in Madrid, october 10. I'll report regarding people's movement there.

― manuel (manuel), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

That's what we need, a dispatch from the field. HOWEVER, I don't think a live Luomo set will tell us everything -- these are V. Delay insiders.

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

i ance to it at home - i havent been to a club good enough to play it out. i think "so you" is good to dance to.

― jed (jed_e_3), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

It's doing-115-MPH-in-a-Porsche* music.

*not to denote elitism or nothin'; you can probably get a used 944 capable of such speeds for about $5000 US used

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

(doing-115-MPH-in-a-Charger music = Chemical Brothers)
(doing-115-MPH-in-a-'71 Pantera music = Basement Jaxx [not Pantera])

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i.e. precise European engineering vs. unbridled Detroit-powered muscle vs. bizarre hybrids of both + Italo-style

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

You're joking, right? Of course you can dance to it, sure it's not Hi-NRG, but it's perfect for eyes-shut staggering. Infact I can't think of anything else I'd rather hear at zero o'clock when they're puttin stools on the tables and the bar staff are clearing up.

― nick.K (nick.K), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 16:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Trust me you can dance to it! Jeez have you guys not seen people dancing to deep house? Most of The Present Lover is much more energetic, driving and danceable than the majority of deep house - ie. it's more danceable than 90% of what city clubs and bars play.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 04:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean this is like saying "Daft Punk's Discovery: can you dance to it?"

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 04:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I've DJed out 'The Present Lover' track on Digital Disco and it got a good response - some guy actually came up and asked what the hell it was. That said, a lot of 'deep house' is not particularly jump-up; depends on the venue and people, etc...

And Matos - sure, the comment is utterly rhetorical, of course you can 'dance' to anything, even Tim Hecker if you tried (I've actually seen this is action). But there are certain restrictions of what will get people moving and what won't...

I think I'd smoke pot and listen to this, Dave - what would you rather hear? (dub/dancehall?)

― MchoMiko, Wednesday, 1 October 2003 04:47 (twenty-two years ago)

if nate is saying microhouse is really really really great music to drive to nate is otm. it's good to study to also I find.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 04:48 (twenty-two years ago)

(just an aside - grime is fantasically informed by weed-smoking, but you won't think so sonically w/ the angular industrial riddims, and frantic 'anti-musical' character. you'd probably get the gist of it listening to some of the rhyming, and following structure - the complexity of the 8-bar, requiring an expansive concentration on shifting beatscape; mental aerobics)

― MchoMiko, Wednesday, 1 October 2003 04:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Trust me you can dance to it! Jeez have you guys not seen people dancing to deep house?

I think the main difference between Luomo and more danceable deep house is that the sounds are vocals are kinda cold and detached and non-melismatic ("non-black", if you like it). The sounds are kinda cold and passive too, they lack the sort of uplifting feel. Comparison to "Discovery" isn't very good, because that record has exactly that uplifting quality.

This isn't to say "The Present Lover" is a bad album, it just isn't the first record I'd dance to.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 09:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I can hardly think of anything in reggae, house, hiphop, that isn't brilliant music to drive to. My car has a cool stereo though.

I heard the Luomo album once or twice, Tim is otm, it's no weirder than lots of other stuff people dance to, and also it's alot catchier and more fun than some of the deep house people step to.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 09:42 (twenty-two years ago)

i think what myself, nick gabba and tim f are saying is that it is great music to *sway* to...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 09:56 (twenty-two years ago)

On the whole I'd rather dance to Enigma.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Dan's post is making me imagine him dancing to "Sadeness, pt. 1" in a style similar to Bobby Brown's in the "Every Little Step" video. I'm extremely grateful!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm so going to do that when I get home.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

i got this album a week or so ago after waiting patiently all summer for a chance to get it on cd and honestly I am a bit disapointed. Maybe its cause I got it at the same time as the Rapture and that is really a bit more jumped up, but I love Present Lover on Digital Disco and this seems somehow colder, nice but not as vigerous as I wanted.

― hector (hector), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 23:24 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

this has got to be the dumbest thread topic ever

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Thursday, 27 July 2006 01:50 (nineteen years ago)

It becomes a legitimate question when you try to play it for people in Athens, GA though.

― Jena (JenaP), Thursday, 27 July 2006 02:37 (nineteen years ago)

in that case you may as well ask, "house music: can you dance to it?"

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Thursday, 27 July 2006 03:49 (nineteen years ago)

again, a legitimate question when you try to play it for people in Athens, GA

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 27 July 2006 03:57 (nineteen years ago)

lfam is right.

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/finalfantasy7x/dumb%20question.JPG

― trees (treesessplode), Thursday, 27 July 2006 04:58 (nineteen years ago)

Haha, I guess the question shouldn't have been "can you dance to it?", rather than "would most people dance to it?". My DJ gigs are mostly at drunken student parties, and I can tell you they sure as hell wouldn't.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 27 July 2006 06:12 (nineteen years ago)

Even though the guy is Finnish, no one here except hipsters knows about him.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 27 July 2006 06:18 (nineteen years ago)

"My DJ gigs are mostly at drunken student parties, and I can tell you they sure as hell wouldn't."

Drunken students probably wouldn't dance to Luomo, no. It's all about choosing yr audience.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 27 July 2006 06:44 (nineteen years ago)

Hey, your Finnish hipsters sound alright to me, Tuomas.

― Jena (JenaP), Thursday, 27 July 2006 21:06 (nineteen years ago)

the drunken students i know have danced to it, enthusiastically. hipsters, yes, some, but mostly bad ones

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Thursday, 27 July 2006 21:28 (nineteen years ago)

there are good hipsters?

― Mallory L . O'Donnell (That Bitch Camille), Thursday, 27 July 2006 21:39 (nineteen years ago)

Even though the guy is Finnish, no one here except hipsters knows about him.

-- Tuomas (lixnix...) (webmail), Today 3:18 AM. (Tuomas) (later) (link)

tuomas, i skipped ahead in this thread and for a sec seriously thought your were talking about yourself.

― mark grebt (sanskrit), Thursday, 27 July 2006 21:51 (nineteen years ago)

I wish the hipsters in San Francisco were more like their Finnish counterparts.

― Chantilly Bass (ChantillyBass), Thursday, 27 July 2006 22:31 (nineteen years ago)

i meant that they dressed like hipsters and were assholes like hipsters but didn't know anything about music at all and had thus never heard of luomo

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Friday, 28 July 2006 00:23 (nineteen years ago)

If you google "fuck hipster house" the only result is Vahid saying it in relation to Luomo.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Friday, 28 July 2006 00:44 (nineteen years ago)

how about if you google "fuck vahid"

;)

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:00 (nineteen years ago)

and i didn't realize luomo was for hipster. i only continued talking about them because in ohio, only hipsters listen to dance music.

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:01 (nineteen years ago)

Is there are a type of house one can be into (excluding hard house) which wouldn't be considered hipster music by somebody?

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:02 (nineteen years ago)

50 Cent, with his personal genre 'ho use'.

― Louis Jagger (Haberdager), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:06 (nineteen years ago)

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD: STOP USING THIS WORD.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:10 (nineteen years ago)

Mark Farina Mushroom Jazz

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:17 (nineteen years ago)

"Mark Farina Mushroom Jazz"

Is that supposed to be an example of not-hipster house????

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:31 (nineteen years ago)

My joke was evidently not 'in' enough. I hope someone laughed...

― Louis Jagger (Haberdager), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:40 (nineteen years ago)

at what?

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 28 July 2006 08:08 (nineteen years ago)

eighteen years pass...

one of the weirdest thread questions ever

― ok (D-40), Tuesday, 18 March 2025 18:12 (seven months ago)

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