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There's still plenty of fresh underground music and the 'kids' are doing just fine. Yeah there's loads of mainstream garbage out there, but there always was.
by louthy 2y ago
There's still plenty of fresh underground music and the 'kids' are doing just fine. Yeah there's loads of mainstream garbage out there, but there always was. The main difference is that this stuff was being invented, whereas most electronic music now is derived from those early 90s invented genres, but even saying that there's still plenty of creativity.
There's a night in London called Cartulis (which is usually at Fold), when I go there it feels very much like the early rave scene to me (this is just one example, of course). I think there's a tendency when we get older to not be as exposed to the bubbling undercurrent of music, so it's easy to just say "it's not as good as it used to be", but that would be a mistake imho. It's there if you look for it.
- dylan604 2y agoI didn't intend someone taking away from that no fresh music was being made. I simply said that the parties of old are no longer happening, so that experience isn't available to them. I'm constantly listening to new music, and I've come up with lots of new tracks that will make a helluva set list, one day. Problem I have is only owning 1200s, and none of the gear to let those drive digital files. My discretionary funds for gear has evolved into other things so buying the right equipment gets pushed lower on the priority list
- stanleykm 2y agois serato no longer a thing?
- dylan604 2y agoIt is. You want to give me your or buy me one? ;-) I never said it wasn't a thing, only that my discretionary fund for such things prevents me for purchasing them.
- lewispollard 2y agoSerato Lite is free (as in beer) and you just need to buy a pair of timecoded vinyl records, which are pretty cheap.
- stackghost 2y agoEhhh, raves are definitely still a thing in Vancouver at least
- MivLives 2y agoPNW in general. Seattle is for sure active. They're not even that hard to find if you go looking for them.
- WaxProlix 2y agoI've not found that to be the case, though I'm only casually interested these days (too old to feel comfortable at most events, worried I'm more there to relive the good old days than a 'genuine' interest etc). With dB festival gone, do people just hit up showbox or monkey loft shows and try to make friends?
- MivLives 2y ago19hz has a good listing of events. A lot of it is announced on Instagram or Telegram (or the old classic of looking at the fliers on the telephone poles of cap hill). Renegades still happen (the bridge has been a super popular spot) but that season is sorta over. I more favor the Kremwork (that's more my scene) or digital hardcore shows which seem to just pop up everywhere.
- WaxProlix 2y agoAwesome stuff thanks, as to kremwork I wasn't aware they'd survived little marias closing - glad to hear some culture is left in the city. Funny to hear of it via HN but hey small world.
- wintermutestwin 2y agoThis comment would have be so useful to me if you could have at minimum dropped some breadcrumbs. As an oldster who has only recently gotten into edm, I am clue free on where to begin finding anything underground and mainstream venues suck.
- Blahah 2y agoRave culture is alive and well in the UK - free parties several days a week around Bristol and south Wales. Old heads and the younguns collaborating usually.
- Gud 2y agoYou are simply disconnected. The rave scene is thriving.
- Nursie 2y agoProbably depends where you are. Here in Western Australia there still seems to be a “Bush Doof” party scene. I’m way to old to know the details of that though.
- pfannkuchen 2y agoWas it being invented or discovered? I feel like with each new wave of music technology, people basically search the space for a while until the fruitful sub spaces are identified. The novelty of the exploration is what is there the first time and not there in the future. You don’t know what’s going to sound good until someone happens to bump into it. You get surprises.
- dylan604 2y agohey, you got your drum-n-bass in my trance! no, you got your trance in my drum-n-bass. that new wave of technology meant that anyone with access to warez could create music for $0 instead of the thousands on buying synths and samplers. no more renting a truck to haul that gear to a gig; now it's just a laptop and/or tablet. new choons level achieved
- CuriouslyC 2y agoI'm interested in a lot of subculture music, and it really isn't there like it was for the most part. Most families of music seem to have stagnated or regressed. The early 90s gangster rap is definitely superior to mumble rap/emo rap, the 90s IDM/jungle/trance is superior to modern EDM/house/trap and the pop mainstream now is just garbage compared to the the mainstream from the late 80s/90s. Mixing and production are worlds better and musicianship has improved compared to where it was for genres where people care about musicianship, but the actual music is mostly either painfully derivative or actively worse because it's trying too hard to be "different." Modern metal is amazing compared to the stuff from the 90s though.
- dylan604 2y ago> Mixing and production are worlds better Long gone are the days of "shoes in the dryer" mixes where guys were just slamming two DATs together with no pitch control. Sadly, I think we've gotten to the point of those tight mixes being less of the skill of the DJ and the result of software. With everything being done on laptops with cool software, I really wonder how many DJs are even mixing and just performing while a premixed file plays. But as you say, the production quality has definitely improved. The music is just clean with no quality loss from layering/multi-tracking/bouncing. The concept of the space between notes has never been so distinguished.
- wileydragonfly 2y ago99.99999% of DJs have been performing a premade mix since iPods have become popular. The knob twiddling DJs are hilarious. Ukraine, oddly, seems to be pumping out tons of attractive women dancing off beat behind setups that aren’t even powered on half the time on YouTube. I enjoy the mixes in the background while working and occasionally watch some footage for the laughs. Shake it if you’ve got it.
- magic123_ 2y agoAs always, it depends on what style you're talking about. For mainstream EDM? Sure I won't fight your figure. But for underground techno (among many others), you're delusional if you think the majority of djs play pre-recorded mixes.
- miek 2y agoGiven when/where you were, you might be familiar with Global Underground. I was excited to learn recently that they relaunched in the past couple years www.globalunderground.co.uk
- PrismCrystal 2y agoGlobal Underground never entirely went away. However, the famous label run by the “Boxed brothers” ran into severe financial difficulties in the early millennium. Since then, I have assumed that Global Underground is a mere brand that any prog-ish DJ can pay money to use, to aid in promotion.
- helboi4 2y agoFold is the place to be