- Joined
- Sep 16, 2004
Ok...wish I could take credit for this, but, alas I cannot. Winterman (one of the staples of the DC scene) has a blog.. http://www.eightyeightdc.com/88blog .. and on this said blog, his latest post was pure gold. I post this here because it brings up some amazingly relevant points. I've been in this game for a while and he puts alot in perspective here. Please read, enjoy, and post your thoughts!!!
***Originally posted by Dr. Moe/Winterman 05/23/07***
A tragic affliction is sweeping the underground. Many sub-genres starve and waste away every day. Your donations can help a starving genre like Drum & Bass to lead a full and productive life…
Can you imagine a commercial like that? If you can relate, you’re probably an underground music fan or DJ. If you’ve been wondering why your favorite headliner hasn’t visited your town in a while, or if you post on the Internet desperately seeking a solid Drum&Bass event to attend on your birthday to no avail, fear not… Change is on the way.
Many producers, both local and foreign are still in the game. Though it may seem like some are moving on to abstract genres like Dubstep and back to the cradle of comfort that House Music provides, many secretly yearn to produce and spin Drum&Bass once again.
Truth is, all genres of underground music in our local scene have been suffering for some time now. The smoking ban contributed to it as well. “What do we do now?!?” you may ask… Here are some suggestions, I cannot be held to:
1. Keep your sound levels under control. Most people go to parties to socialize; If the music is too loud, people cannot talk, and thus “score”… Its not fun at a party if all you can do is yell at each other while your ears bleed. Do not forsake a soundman, they have lots of value in the world of club entertainment.
2. Do not take your patrons for granted. Make sure your guest list is indeed a guest list, not some kind of coupon, get here early incentive, or a rebate for playing for free. A guest list means the person doesn’t have to pay because you respect them and/or they contribute to your sphere of influence… Not because they kiss your ass, or because their cousin is your roommate. Use this feature of your night carefully, because once you abuse it, it all goes downhill.
3. Support more than just your own dog & pony show and stop talking shit about other people’s work. We all know that there’s crap out there, crap is eternal… But who delegated you to be the sieve for it all? Exactly… No one! The consumer is key. We all know that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, opinions are like assholes, and you can’t polish a turd, but why do we keep being vocal on the Internet with our negative opinions? I dunno, but that time could be much better spent polishing your trophies of achievement or perfecting your craft. Downing the other man, reflects on you and your scene as well. Put on a good face America! People are always watching [at least 5 of them!].
4. Stop saying Drum&Bass is dead… Its not dead, its just in “Let me see how the economy and my day job goes” mode. Pretty much the way of everything right now. It takes a lot to work a day job and manage a career in D&B without going crazy. Before proclaiming an art that thousands worldwide are dedicated to, think about all of the hard drive space your thoughtless message board post will permanently waste.
5. Check out other music forms. Its a good process in the course of being a Drum&Bass devotee to check out other forms of music, and at other times even dub yourself a “insert genre here” DJ instead. Drum&Bass doesn’t worry, it knows you will eventually come back though, it is the pimp that keeps you on a short chain and takes all of your money first then returning your 20%.
6. Contribute to meaningful discussions. I know, spelling’s hard on the Internet… 9 times out of 10 no spell check is available and there’s always the nerd that points out your misspellings to you at your most vulnerable moments, but hey, they never type anything so someone’s gotta put their neck on the line and type stuff… Might as well be you. Ask all the dead horse issues, like; “OMG! Who is your favorite DJ Andy C!?!?” or “How many Pendulum threads are we gonna have to see this week!?!” or “Did you see that Winterman blog!?! What a wanker!?!” and include as many exclamation points as possible, it makes people excited!!! People should be allowed to talk freely its in our constitution. Unless they’re nerds.
7. Stop booking the same DJs. I know its hard, because you’ve already bought a summer house here for them, made t-shirts, and they know you on a first name basis at the golf course, but too much of the same makes a scene stagnant. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, and what do they end up doing? yeah, they suck your blood…
8. Throw the rule book out. Don’t listen to a word I’ve said, don’t listen to a word anyone has said, defy logic, think outside of the box, create something new, forget about critics, don’t worry about politics, make sure you’re in this shit for the right reasons and make it happen. No one’s ever made a name for themselves by doing what everyone else has done.
There you have it. I hope this advice has helped you to form your own opinions about Drum&Bass and instilled positive values in you that you’ll carry for the rest of your life and teach to your children when they ask “Mommy or Daddy… Whats German Bass?” You’ll know to tell them that “German Bass is dead!!!!”…
***Originally posted by Dr. Moe/Winterman 05/23/07***
A tragic affliction is sweeping the underground. Many sub-genres starve and waste away every day. Your donations can help a starving genre like Drum & Bass to lead a full and productive life…
Can you imagine a commercial like that? If you can relate, you’re probably an underground music fan or DJ. If you’ve been wondering why your favorite headliner hasn’t visited your town in a while, or if you post on the Internet desperately seeking a solid Drum&Bass event to attend on your birthday to no avail, fear not… Change is on the way.
Many producers, both local and foreign are still in the game. Though it may seem like some are moving on to abstract genres like Dubstep and back to the cradle of comfort that House Music provides, many secretly yearn to produce and spin Drum&Bass once again.
Truth is, all genres of underground music in our local scene have been suffering for some time now. The smoking ban contributed to it as well. “What do we do now?!?” you may ask… Here are some suggestions, I cannot be held to:
1. Keep your sound levels under control. Most people go to parties to socialize; If the music is too loud, people cannot talk, and thus “score”… Its not fun at a party if all you can do is yell at each other while your ears bleed. Do not forsake a soundman, they have lots of value in the world of club entertainment.
2. Do not take your patrons for granted. Make sure your guest list is indeed a guest list, not some kind of coupon, get here early incentive, or a rebate for playing for free. A guest list means the person doesn’t have to pay because you respect them and/or they contribute to your sphere of influence… Not because they kiss your ass, or because their cousin is your roommate. Use this feature of your night carefully, because once you abuse it, it all goes downhill.
3. Support more than just your own dog & pony show and stop talking shit about other people’s work. We all know that there’s crap out there, crap is eternal… But who delegated you to be the sieve for it all? Exactly… No one! The consumer is key. We all know that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, opinions are like assholes, and you can’t polish a turd, but why do we keep being vocal on the Internet with our negative opinions? I dunno, but that time could be much better spent polishing your trophies of achievement or perfecting your craft. Downing the other man, reflects on you and your scene as well. Put on a good face America! People are always watching [at least 5 of them!].
4. Stop saying Drum&Bass is dead… Its not dead, its just in “Let me see how the economy and my day job goes” mode. Pretty much the way of everything right now. It takes a lot to work a day job and manage a career in D&B without going crazy. Before proclaiming an art that thousands worldwide are dedicated to, think about all of the hard drive space your thoughtless message board post will permanently waste.
5. Check out other music forms. Its a good process in the course of being a Drum&Bass devotee to check out other forms of music, and at other times even dub yourself a “insert genre here” DJ instead. Drum&Bass doesn’t worry, it knows you will eventually come back though, it is the pimp that keeps you on a short chain and takes all of your money first then returning your 20%.
6. Contribute to meaningful discussions. I know, spelling’s hard on the Internet… 9 times out of 10 no spell check is available and there’s always the nerd that points out your misspellings to you at your most vulnerable moments, but hey, they never type anything so someone’s gotta put their neck on the line and type stuff… Might as well be you. Ask all the dead horse issues, like; “OMG! Who is your favorite DJ Andy C!?!?” or “How many Pendulum threads are we gonna have to see this week!?!” or “Did you see that Winterman blog!?! What a wanker!?!” and include as many exclamation points as possible, it makes people excited!!! People should be allowed to talk freely its in our constitution. Unless they’re nerds.
7. Stop booking the same DJs. I know its hard, because you’ve already bought a summer house here for them, made t-shirts, and they know you on a first name basis at the golf course, but too much of the same makes a scene stagnant. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, and what do they end up doing? yeah, they suck your blood…
8. Throw the rule book out. Don’t listen to a word I’ve said, don’t listen to a word anyone has said, defy logic, think outside of the box, create something new, forget about critics, don’t worry about politics, make sure you’re in this shit for the right reasons and make it happen. No one’s ever made a name for themselves by doing what everyone else has done.
There you have it. I hope this advice has helped you to form your own opinions about Drum&Bass and instilled positive values in you that you’ll carry for the rest of your life and teach to your children when they ask “Mommy or Daddy… Whats German Bass?” You’ll know to tell them that “German Bass is dead!!!!”…
