Music isn't selling as it used to, period. The market is in transition and no one knows where it's heading. I think it's some kind of technological revolution that we don't completely understand as of yet. There does seem to be a trend for underground acts to set themselves up as bands, get a singer, and make something more organic, perhaps less 'faceless'. I don't think it's necessarily cynical as after all most grew up with bands like Depeche Mode or whatever (many techno types here are old goths, weirdly, who are rediscovering their love of bands like The Cure) and that's a genuine avenue of exploration for a maturing producer. But at the same time I hear a lot of tracks with vocals, not songs, and when the music is like that it's not especially memorable, doesn't stand out, doesn't click. I'm not sure what I'm trying to say - I'm not a slave to pop structures, but... I think Technasia make brilliant techno 'songs' with hooks and the vocals and everything - superb. The songs with Charles Siegling and their instrumentals are first-rate. I am sure with a different marketing strategy (and some money for videos, ha ha) they could have become a techno Daft Punk without changing their music at all.
---------- >From: "/0" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "Cyclone Wehner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "313 Detroit" <313@hyperreal.org> >Subject: Re: (313) Is this the new Swayzak sound? >Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 2:13 AM > > techno isnt selling how it used to. I'd hate to have relied on selling my > music(ha) for the past few years, as I'd imagine I'd have to make the choice > between getting a dayjob or releasing something suited a bit more for mass > consumption. > > enough of me and my recently jaded opinions, sorry. > -Joe > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Cyclone Wehner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "313 Detroit" <313@hyperreal.org> > Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 11:27 AM > Subject: Re: (313) Is this the new Swayzak sound? > > >> It is. I went to Japan lately for work and hung out with those guys at a >> festival I covered. They're not selling out, they're very underground in >> ethos. They didn't do the ad without thinking and were worried about >> appearing in it but deemed it a worthwhile outlet since it's hard for them >> to get exposure elsewhere. They do have a live band type set up now and > one >> of the guys doesn't tour. They have a singer. I think with the changes > over >> the albums they just don't want to get in a stylistic box. They were >> bewildered with the electroclash tag for Dirty Dancing, saying they'd > always >> done electro. I do remember them playing here years ago and it was very >> different to what they're doing now. >> The only small thing I have is if you want to do vocal music you need a > good >> song - a hook - of some kind or the music is in limbo and they need to >> develop that. Jeff Mills once explained to me and a promoter here that > even >> a techno producer has to have a hook, all music does, and that stuck with >> me. >> Hopefully I will post the Swayzak interview soon. >> >> >> > Weird - I just saw an advert on tv last night for a phone - there is a > guy >> > on a bullet type train and he's walking from car to car. He flips open > his >> > phone and it says 'SWAYZAK' on the screen. >> > >> > He then turns around and there is a full glam/garage rock band behind > him. >> > Drummer, guitarist, lead singer, etc. Very fuzzed out overdriven guitar >> > rock style. The band was looking quite glam in purple suits and sh*t. > Like >> > a very bright version of the Hives. >> > >> > the music was nothing like I've heard from previous Swayzak releases. > It >> > sounded nothing like the great deep dub house/techno from >> > "Snowbaording...", "Himawari", or even the last electrocash one. It was > all >> > heard-it-before garage glam rock crap. >> > >> > Can this be the same Swayzak?! >> > >> > MEK >> > >
