----- Original Message ----- From: "marc christensen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "313" <313@hyperreal.org> Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 5:56 AM Subject: Re: (313) Fw: Techno: Detroit's Gift to the World
> 2) the whole group of people who were actively making music > significantly in and around this scene. Which means that not only > should Fowlkes be given due, but so too should Mills & Mojo & a whole > bunch of other folks. Including Chicago artists, since Detroit and > Chicago ended up being musical siblings to a great degree. Just as > "Detroit House" was not merely Detroit simply "stealing" the Chicago > sound (as a few books on music have foolishly mentioned and argued), > so too the Chicago sound wouldn't have been the same without some > Detroit influence. So 'nuff said -- it's bigger than the Belleville > Three. To clarify, it sounds as though all three of these groups are being justly represented. The thing that impressed me was this quote and the accompanying picture with all four men in front of the museum: "Learn the straight story of how Juan Atkins, Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, four young men from metro Detroit, created and developed this electronic style of dance music and trace its early beginnings from local Detroit clubs to its emergence as a global sensation." All of this can be found here: http://www.detroithistorical.org/exhibits/index.asp?MID=368 I feel I should clarify one thing: In my mind (as an outsider who was too young to be there for the '80s portion anyway), too much spotlight has been given to the Belleville Three, and this is just my opinion. I already made my arguments for why I think EFF should be mentioned in the same breath as them, and I absolutely agree that any history has to stretch beyond them, to Germany, Chicago and New York (and to pre-house roots), to the influential DJs in Detroit like Ken Collier, Alton Miller, The Wizard, Alan Oldham, Mojo and others. What I was pleased with, is that we are accustomed to seeing the Belleville Three as figureheads for Detroit Techno, and I think that's almost a reasoable short-hand if a short-hand needs to exist (and clearly it does). You can point to the people who made the first records as a creative nexus for the sound. BUT, I think if you're going to do that, you need to include EFF, b/c I think the discog tells that history accurately. I mean, it's silly to debate this stuff too fiercely. I could ask why A Number of Names isn't sitting beside them in front of the museum. The point for me is that *I think* EFF has had the same sort of definitive role as the other three (albeit without a label as Dan Sicko mentioned the other day). I can only assume this is the reason the museum saw fit to include him in the same breath and picture. And before anyone yells at me, I'm only trying to clarify an off-the-cuff comment founded in EFF's under-representation. I don't pretend to be a historian, but I'm sure most can agree he's overlooked far too often, even if you don't agree with all I'm saying above. Tristan ===== Text/Mixes: http://phonopsia.tripod.com Music: http://www.mp313.com Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] New Mix in mp3, 'Live in Iowa City' available for a short time from http://phonopsia.isoprax.com
