Article Response: Futurism

Two things I find interesting about this piece:

- the "how can you feel a physical connection with rock" bit?

- the fact that it is the only piece on this record I've read which does not mention the 1980s!

ronan, you are king mentalist, but we love you anyway.

Really nice work, Ronan. RE: physical reactions to rock, of course they exist, but maybe aren't as musically-dictacted/universal as they are when it comes to dance tracks. There seem to exist methods by which Ronan and others are able to discern how a certain person should be dancing to a certain piece of music (other than "well"), but not when it comes to "Last Nite". Swaying and fist-pumping are apparently k-uncool. Are there corresponding ways our bodies should be moving when we hear a certain bassline? But not when same bassline appears in a rock (even disco-rock, in the case of Tom's Strokes) song?

1. I used "frenetic" twice.

With regard to what Mitch said, I wasn't trying to have it come across as a form of snobbery, I just think physically rock music is harder to dance to than house for example. Of course "harder to dance to" is a completely personal thing, but I do believe that what if you play a house track people will find dancing to it alot easier, if only because of its reliance on repetition.

However I stand by my comment but stressing the "universal" part. I mean sure you can feel a physical connection to rock, but I'm not sure it lends itself to common reactions quite as well. That is to say you can have a favourite lyric in a rock song, or a favourite lick which only is at one part of the song, whereas in most dance tracks there are climaxes which almost demand that everyone react favourably. Rock is more open to individual interpretation than dance, is my opinion. I should have been a little less lazy with the point though.

Oh yes and I didn't mention the 80s because (a)I wouldn't have done the artists in question justice and (b) I fucking hate reviews where something is painted to be exactly the same as a load of influences, if you like the "new" thing it's pretty irrelevent to you anyway. And it's NEVER as similar to the "originals" as is implied.

( I didn't mean to insinuate that you are some kind of dance snob, Ronan, I just meant that there's a good chance you know something about this that I don't know)

Very fine article. It has a disdain -- not for the music or the readers, but for something else, for expectations -- that I like.

fat truckers are generally rubbish.

I do believe that what if you play a house track people will find dancing to it alot easier, if only because of its reliance on repetition.

not in america. house or other "dance" music (beyond the slickest handbag remixes of Your Favorite Pop Hits) will clear the dancefloor of a "normal" bar or club (esp. outside major cities) right quick. even i feel vaguely alienated by the demands of dancing to Dance music sometimes.

Excellent article, thanks.

I first heard “Sunglasses at Night” last night on Radio 1, and thought "I bet that's on the Futurism album everyone's going on about", and was right. I'm instinctively a bit snobby about neo-electro - I've already got "Reproduction" and "Man Machine", thanks - but "Silver Screen" and the Felix half of the "Bugged Out" mix (well worth getting by the way, Justin Robertson is in top form on the other CD) could change my mind.

Early Human League is the pinnacle of pop music, and anything that dares to use that style had better be good. We need another "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" if this isn't going to be "look, synths, ha ha!"

Yep that mix cd is a good one. Justin Robertsons half is something special, I'm looking to see him later this month. I'm not sure the Felix side is representative of his electro stuff. But then I'm not sure Kittenz and Thee Glitz is the whole way down the road to electro either. There's a big gulf between it and Futurism without a doubt.

"how can you feel a physical connection with rock?" == You should've been at Pulp in the Ambassador last year.

It's only while reading the article (and hearing a voice) that I realise that I know you: you're Peter's brother, yeah?

Er, also: top article.

Yep that's me.

Small old Dublin eh?