It’s weird to me that you’re justifying slavery because it occurs. This conversation is taking a fascinating turn.
> On Oct 18, 2018, at 14:27, David A. Powers <cybo...@gmail.com> 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 <stev...@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 >>>> >>
