The irony of this situation is that in the big picture, even if the RA piece was produced in an unethical manner, it's still a decent introduction to Drexciya for many people, and in the US nobody has ever heard of Drexciya. Hell, I doubt many people in Detroit actually know who they are, trust me, I lived there. People know the song Good Life for sure, and old Cybotron records, but really people only know the first wave well.
Mad Mike has been clear in his interviews, in that what hurts him most is that the black community in the US has not embraced techno and that the music has not been able to play the positive role in the local Detroit community that he hoped over the long term. I understand the fundamental vision of UR as one of building local infrastructure so the community could prosper. There is a strong self-help and DIY ethos. Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5T0E6iLWhI The approach to race that I see in UR is to be proud of it, to confront racial issues directly, but combined with a belief in the universal power of sound to heal and to build bridges between people. The real reason you don't have videos coming out of the US and Detroit about Drexciya with a narrator who is actually from the community, is that nobody in Detroit actual gives a shit about techno in the US, and this is nothing new, and so there's literally zero reason to freak out about it in the year 2018. I live in Austin Tx now after leaving the midwest a year ago. Almost nobody I have spoken with, black or white, has ever heard of Detroit techno here. I have to try to explain to people what it is. There is slightly more familiarity with Chicago House. In most of the US, nobody has ever heard of "Detroit Techno" and they no longer have any idea what the term might signify as a genre. Furthermore, the US is a huge country. Detroit techno is simply one regional style in a gigantic country full of little regional musical styles. Although it was vastly important to the development of European dance music, the fact is that the US does not support musicians, and all musicians in the US struggle, even before you consider race. The average income for a full time musician in the US is $20,000. By the way, this is why it is vital for all musicians to work together to build our own infrastructure and work together to create sustainable solutions. As inspiring as UR is, it has not turned out to be a long term sustainable business model. Part of the problem really does seem to be the lack of local support of the music, because to run a sustainable local business you don't want all your customers to live on the other side of the planet. The real hard work of the future is in getting our hands dirty and building sustainable infrastructure from the ground up for the long term, that is resilient enough to withstand the next 100 years of slow energy descent as fossil fuels run out and we experience further instability due to the shifting climate. I want to offer a strong plea to all musicians and producers on this list to work together for the long term to create this kind of sustainable infrastructure, and actively work to build the community of musicians, especially if you are in the US. And anyone has any great ideas, I'd love to hear them. Nobody is going to create our future for us, if we don't build it, there won't be a future... A lot of people are losing their minds right now engaging in useless debates, but there is real work to be done and there is a need for good people who have the will and vision to continue the legacy of Detroit techno by not only making great music but also building stronger more sustainable communities. The survival of the human race in the future might depend on the existence of sustainable communities that are resilient enough to survive catastrophes. 313 email list, is a good example of a NON-sustainable community--dependent on a particular form of communication (email list), there was long ago some sense of community vibe but social media really destroyed that. I wonder, is an authentic community around the idea of "Detroit techno" something that is even possible in 2018, outside of living in Detroit and participating directly, especially given that the list no longer connects to the actually community of Detroit DJ's and producers. What IS the best way to connect with people around the music in 2018? Also, anybody have advice on promoting Detroit techno event in a city like Austin TX? How can I spread the word about techno in a place where the focus is mostly on country and singer-songwriters, and along with a lot of sort of indie pop and punk? ~David On Fri, Oct 19, 2018 at 6:25 AM <denisedalph...@gmail.com> wrote: > I do not. Maybe you should read my article about Drexciya and UR and > Moodymann in Black Lives Matter and Music: Protest, Intervention, > Reflection. It just came out. > > Denise Dalphond > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Oct 19, 2018, at 07:00, Martin Dust <mar...@dustscience.com> wrote: > > > > Yes it’s real, do you not see the logical fallacy in your argument? > > > >> On 19 Oct 2018, at 11:56, denisedalph...@gmail.com wrote: > >> > >> Is this a real question? Dan Sicko was a actual Detroiter. > >> > >>> On Oct 19, 2018, at 05:43, Martin Dust <mar...@dustscience.com> wrote: > >>> > >>> Hi Denise, > >>> > >>> Do you feel the same about Dan Sicko’s book? > >>> > >>> m > > >
