fw: from env Hi 313:
I was forwarded the 313 comments on our newsletter's promo text for the new Metro Area record. I wanted to respond. The last thing I'd want is people thinking we don't know our place, and anyway, some interesting issues came up. First, it should be noted that a promo sheet is not a serious document. It's basically something distributors use to spit their gum out in as they listen to the 12" it comes with. Nonetheless, nowhere in ours was it said that Metro Area "lay claim" to a sound beyond its own - and to be fair, I think it's well within an group's rights to claim its own music. We work extremely hard to try and make ours distinctive and something that will last. I think the flat rejection by many distributors of our first record (hatched in 1998 - "Atmosphrique") has a lot to do with our unfavorable perception of recent productions that people compare to ours. When we started MA, with rare exception, it was not normal to talk about the 80s R&B or boogie in most circles (certainly techno and house). Disco seemed to exist purely to be filtered, cut up and 909-ized. Even older people into Garage and classics had a very strict cannon they adhered to. I remember a major distributor, rejecting our record, asked "what was up with the disgusting label" (neon pink and green). We sent our first stuff to a few favorite classics DJs at NYC's KISS-FM to no response (a few monthsago, a bootleg of our track is being played on the station during prime time). Very few shops showed support. While the next two records weren't as tough, but still were variations on the "Atmosphrique" theme until our fourth record in 2001. These early experiences inform my perception of so-called "similar" records today: it's not a real struggle to make or sell them today since the sound and influences are now accepted. If anything, it's considered passé or institutionalized due to overexposure by the "homage" records. A recent interview in Keep On magazine with Nick the Record crystallized it for me when he said "I love Metro Area, but they seem to just be repeating themselves." And I thought gee, we haven't put out a 12" in over two years! I guess the point is: isn't asking about "decent Metro Area ripoffs" or "decent (insert name here) ripoffs" indicative of a general musical problem? This is the 313 list - so people should remember all the "decent Basic Channel ripoffs" or "decent DBX ripoffs" of the 90s. Was that musical advancement? Did that help precipitate exciting new music in general? Were those records a respectful homage? You can guess my opinion! (Although I do think we were a pretty good BALIHU ripoff!) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 13:51:42 +0100 To: 313@hyperreal.org From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: (313) FW: Environ Newsletter - metro area 5! Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED] om> >Curious to know if anyone can name and shame some of these! >Plus, are there any decent Metro Area rip-offs out there? >Kerrier District springs to mind, but it struck me as a respectful homage, >rather than a rip-off. You know what, I nearly asked the same Q yesterday. I guess there's a few, and it's all a matter of opinion. I can't add to Putsch/Kerrier though. Someone said to me recently that they really like a couple of the Kerrier District tracks - more so than the Metro Area stuff. (which I didnt agree with). But, and here's the thing. Can Metro Area really lay 'claim' to that sound? Given, they were the first to update stuff in that manner, but I wouldn't have said it was a 'new' sound, there's alot of records from the early 80's that sound a lot like Metro Area in my opinion. David Keaton's "Space Control" on Roulette sounds very Metro Area I think. There's flippin loads, I can't even think of them off the top of my head, I'll have to look through my records. I dunno, electronic boogie records are what I call 'em. Having said that, I do think Metro Area is a very ace project. I'd like to see it go further now, I reckon vocals and song stuff would go brilliantly like this, and those two would make pretty great producers of that sort of stuff I think. Blah. Alex =========================================================================== This electronic transmission contains confidential information intended only for the person(s) named. Any use, distribution, copying, or disclosure by any other person is strictly prohibited. If you received this transmission in error, please notify the sender by return e-mail and delete all copies of this message. ===========================================================================
