The exploitation thing is certainly something, and that's probably the reason for the animosity. It's not this isolated thing, but stealing from the cultural heritage - I think I can appreciate that. 100% agree on the slavery thing. Very well put. Also, with respect to art. Top marks. No further comment. On Thu, 18 Oct 2018, at 7:27 PM, David A. Powers wrote: > 1. Stealing by RA is terrible. Remember that along with the fact of > black innovators not getting credit, there is an even more common > story of exploitation in the music industry: musicians and creators > who get ripped off, whether it's theft by a manager, record labels > stealing, or this current example. This kind of exploitation goes > on all the time, and I do believe musicians, writers, and artists, > need to work to take whatever steps they can to stop such theft. > Let me tell you, I lived in the D, if someone steals from you > there, they better be prepared to get their ass beat. I'm just > saying...> > 2. It's racist to make assumptions about race and cultural background > based on someone's accent.> > 3. All civilized societies to this day, use slave labor in some forms. > In the global economy, slavery is simply pushed to the margins: > slaves still work in mines to get stuff that goes into our high > tech gadgets. As long as civilization uses slaves, there are going > to be ideologies that justify the exploitation. US racism is rooted > in the history of slavery, but also in the economic competition > between north and south, and the fact that the industrialized north > didn't need slave labor because it had found a more efficient way > to exploit human labor.> > 4. The meaning of work, slavery, and exploitation is going to change > in a society run by machines.> > And #4 is why Drexciya and techno are relevant--we live in a society > of machines, and slave labor is embedded in the very machines we use > to communicate with each other and to create techno music.> > Drexciya's music reflects the experience of the people who made it, > including being black, growing up in Detroit, the history of US > slavery and racism, etc. But SLAVERY is not a "black issue" it's a > human issue, which is explored from a particular viewpoint rooted in a > particular cultural experience.> > Music is not ABOUT ideas. Music is a living experience that cannot be > put into words.> If it could be put into words, then the music would actually > be > redundant!> If you want ideas, read a book. > The experience of listening to a Drexciya record is totally different > than talking about it.> Nothing you could say about a Drexciya record, would > exhaust the > potential wealth of meanings and experience that the record contains.> Art is > open ended, that's what makes it art and not propaganda... > > ~David > > On Thu, Oct 18, 2018 at 12:52 PM Steven Robertson <steve.r@k- > os.net> wrote:>> __ >> I'm all for positive discrimination. In order to achieve any sense of >> equality, it has to be done. It's the way to correct things.>> >> RA is a London-based website so far as I know. London is an >> international city whose residents are less racist than average. It >> seems that the most racist parts of the world are the parts with the >> least amount of diversity. This obviously because when you live and >> work with people from all over the world you see them as human >> beings. The narrator could be black, but from London.>> >> Not giving credit, clearly is unprofessional. The accent of the >> narrator, I don't think is a problem. I'd love to see and hear more >> talk of Detroit music from Detroiters, and for Drexciya specifically, >> well - an African accent could be perfect.>> >> I do wonder if race and racism entirely an artificial idea, that it >> is really down to a tribalism. It's something I think is often used >> to manipulate people in times of war (or conquest), and to sow >> division. Isn't race more a colonial idea, to justify the theft of >> land from its native people? These days we should know that we're all >> the same race, and that there are so many colours. Nobody is simply >> white or black. There is no black or white. Except, where positive >> discrimination is due.>> >> I'm lucky never to have experienced racial discrimination. I've >> rarely seen any racism, and certainly less as time goes by. However, >> things could change, but I'm thankful to live somewhere there is very >> little of this, with respect to people from many places. Things have >> been sliding backwards though, throughout Europe. Still, Europeans >> are not responsible for racism in the US. There are people that are >> responsible, and you'll find them in positions of power, using it as >> a tool, a method of control. IMHO.>> >> I'd be really disappointed if the music was _all_ about race and >> racism. I don't think that's a fair representation.>> >> On Thu, 18 Oct 2018, at 5:25 PM, denisedalph...@gmail.com wrote: >>> >>> We should hear the voice of a Black Detroiter narrating about >>> Detroit music. How often does that happen. That doesn’t communicate >>> that the music is only for people of color. White people are never >>> excluded from anything. And in 2018, unintentional? Please.>>> >>> Luis Manuel Garcia writes amazing pieces about intersectionality in >>> club culture for RA. They have the information, they’re just >>> choosing to be old grampas about it.>>> >>> On Oct 18, 2018, at 11:56, Steven Robertson <stev...@k-os.net> >>> wrote:>>>> As a white person who grew up in Scotland, listening to Public >>>> Enemy, and Paris, and reading the biography of Malcolm X, I don't >>>> exactly feel comfortable making comment here. I think here there's >>>> clearly a lack of sensitivity. It is likely to be unintentional, >>>> and in the case of the unattributed source, they have at least >>>> corrected this soon after the issue was raised publicly in the past >>>> few days.>>>> >>>> I appreciate that race and racism have a lot to do with the >>>> Drexciya story and UR. However, I do feel that the assertion here >>>> that it is _all_ about race and racism, should be challenged. There >>>> is a cultural context which is certainly important to remember. >>>> It's worth remembering too those that were lost in such terrible >>>> conditions on their way to America. I would argue that the music is >>>> not all about race and racism. The music has a soul and that soul >>>> is humanist, not racist. It's not racist towards white people from >>>> Europe. Drexciya stands against slavery. We are all human beings. >>>> We are each responsible to our own behaviour, and our shared >>>> futures. The music transcends race and racism. We fight the power, >>>> and the slavers wherever they may be. Drawing a line in the sand >>>> and saying that you don't belong here is not quite what I think is >>>> intended by the music either. We are all belong to the sea in some >>>> way. It's the strongest idea about it I feel.>>>> >>>> On Thu, 18 Oct 2018, at 4:14 PM, Andrew Duke wrote: >>>>> Sigh. I am absolutely disgusted by RA's handling of this at time >>>>> of publishing and since. Denise makes great points. Liz Copeland's >>>>> interview with James Stinson is also used. I am tired and cranky >>>>> and thus this post ain't eloquent. Someone just sent me this link >>>>> (below) re RA that was published Oct 11, just a few days before >>>>> the original--uncredited--Drexciya feature. The linked feature on >>>>> RA is especially relevant re the mess they made this week and how >>>>> the concerns of Denise and others were ignored and 313-moderator >>>>> Kent's concerns "downvoted":>>>>> >>>>> https://telegra.ph/Precedent-Advisor-10-11 >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Thu, Oct 18, 2018, 11:12 AM Denise Dalphond, >>>>> <denisedalph...@gmail.com> wrote:>>>>>> I told RA what I thought. They >>>>> ignored me. That's what usually >>>>>> happens.>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> *Denise Dalphond, Ph.D.* >>>>>> *ethnomusicologist* >>>>>> *schoolcraftwax.work* >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Thu, Oct 18, 2018 at 10:11 AM Callum MacGregor >>>>>> <callum.macgre...@gmail.com> wrote:>>>>>>> What about redubbing the >>>>>> audio with you narrating? Make a >>>>>>> corrected version....>>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Thu, 18 Oct 2018, 16:06 Denise Dalphond, >>>>>>> <denisedalph...@gmail.com> wrote:>>>>>>>> I love Drexciya. And it's >>>>>>> really cool to be able to hear from >>>>>>>> James Stinson still in 2018, thanks to Andrew Duke. And it's >>>>>>>> pretty amazing that Andrew Duke did that interview. It's a >>>>>>>> priceless artifact. I could go on!>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Resident Advisor didn't credit Andrew Duke when they first >>>>>>>> posted the video, and why is there a white woman's british >>>>>>>> voice narrating? It's off putting. They're using the voice of >>>>>>>> the colonizer to tell the story of brilliant, musical escape >>>>>>>> from enslavement and forced labor. Escape from the colonizer.>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Oh here goes Denise, making everything about race. But this >>>>>>>> actually all the way super duper is all about race and racism.>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> And how much electronic music culture coverage is based in >>>>>>>> europe, the birthplace of imperialism and colonialism? A lot.>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Music fans and writers should be more concerned about >>>>>>>> preserving and protecting and respecting the culture that made >>>>>>>> this music.>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Why didn't they ask Cornelius Harris to narrate? Why didn't >>>>>>>> they ask John Collins to narrate? That would be meaningful to >>>>>>>> artists and fans alike.>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Denise >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Denise Dalphond, Ph.D.* >>>>>>>> *ethnomusicologist* >>>>>>>> *schoolcraftwax.work* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Thu, Oct 18, 2018 at 9:47 AM Jeff Davis >>>>>>>> <j...@jeffreyjdavis.com> wrote:>>>>>>>>> Pretty sure most of you saw >>>>>>>> this already but I thought this >>>>>>>>> short>>>>>>>>> video did a good job encapsulating and contextualizing >>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>> concepts>>>>>>>>> behind Drexciya. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgG-QiChiA8 >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> includes a snippet from an Andrew Duke interview as well!! >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> thanks, >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Jeffrey J Davis >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> j...@jeffreyjdavis.com >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> www.jeffreyjdavis.com >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> 218.833.2847[1] >>>> >>
Links: 1. tel:(218)%20833-2847
