Simon Reynolds on Grime and Dubstep. Jan 11 2009

[seckle]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicbl ... me-dubstep

[cyrusfx]

This is an interesting article, written by the guy who wrote the textbook for my undergraduate History of Electronic Music class at UCLA. His writing style is extremely heady, if not also unintelligible to anyone outside the club scene in England.

I like how he details the split between grime and dubstep, he is very poetic in his word choices, but seems to be largely ignorant of the fact that dubstep is currently exploding worldwide and is no longer a phenomenon local to the U.K.

[mondays child]

Hmm, Reynolds used to write for the NME in the rave era, he was fairly 'chuffy' and florid even back then. Nice to see some things never change.

What is he going on about 'The future the way yer Goldie's and Photek's did" ? what nonsense, I don't recall Photek mentioning anything about the future. If anything he was more interested in Japanese Samurai culture than anything else.

And what is a 'sodcast' may I ask. Oh well, i read the article It wasn't very good. Thanks for the share though. Interesting to see how Gaurdian Journo's are struggling to come to terms with electronic music.

[Littlefoot]

you mean 2010 i guess!

[Blue Patterns]

is this the same dude Caspa wanted to box in the face?

[cyrusfx]

is this the same dude Caspa wanted to box in the face?

Hahaha... I believe it is..

[Blue Patterns]

is this the same dude Caspa wanted to box in the face?

Hahaha... I believe it is..

[cyrusfx]

is this the same dude Caspa wanted to box in the face?

Hahaha... I believe it is..

This is what set the threat off:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicbl ... wobble-yob

"A scene I'd always thought of as a bit blokey but essentially affable, and perhaps restrained by scholarly reverence for its various roots. When exactly did it become a lumpen, lairy racket, a soundtrack for lads and ladettes to have it large?"

"Caspa might not be able to move on even if he wanted to. The massive's demand for wobble is unlikely to fade, coming as it does from dubstep's new contingent (those dreaded students, refugees from drum'n'bass, even free-party ravers)."

[hedmuk]

its not a bad article, but im getting lightly sick of all these noughties retrospectives

[Blue Patterns]

hahahahah that's funny that a journalist can annoy someone to a point where they make threats

[djfurness]

I started reading 'Bring The Noise' by him last week, I've gotten 150 pages through and I think I may have to give it up, the man writes like he has a dictionary shoved up his arse

[twentyOneDummies]

Didn't seem difficult to read to me. At least not to compared to some of the pompous crap they post on Pitchfork

(indie records mostly, obviously not talking about Martin Clark)

Interesting read in any case. I loved how his Hip-Hop article made a few rap bloggers shit themselves last month.

[bandshell]

Reynolds also did the wonky/ket thing too.

[stappard]

Reynolds also did the wonky/ket thing too.

To be fair, in terms of stimulating discussion about Dubstep the guys a master. It's just whether discussion really needs to be stimulated is the question for me... He seems to be on a constant battle to intellectualise a genre that, at its root, is more organic than he realises.

[cogi]

Reynolds also did the wonky/ket thing too.

To be fair, in terms of stimulating discussion about Dubstep the guys a master. It's just whether discussion really needs to be stimulated is the question for me... He seems to be on a constant battle to intellectualise a genre that, at its root, is more organic than he realises.

yeah he loves the drug connections, theres even a reference on wilipedia explaining how dnb got darker and techier because of the high thc weed producers were smoking as opposed to just popping pills.

he's great at conceptualising and articulating musics but he does come off as a little condescending and know it all to genres and listeners like myself. i mean who is he to tell me that dubstep raves aren't as dangerous/edgy as garage or jungle was? has he ever been to west indian in leeds ffs?

[wheelchairprince]

Not a bad article but not that great either.

Simon Reynolds writes well but he overrates his own understanding of things, constantly makes predictions that don't come true and continues to make new ones and a lot of his articles have a "I used to be an (original) raver, and whatever's going on is alright but it's nowhere near as amazing as dance music when I was experiencing it" grandad tone to them.