What the hell is wrong with modern dance music

[jasedee]

Originally Posted by Juho L

But reasoning the current state of "dance" music by a drug culture is a bit lame.

Well, I think that the dance culture and the drug culture go hand in hand. It's especially true with todays designer drugs like ecstacy, ice, speed, cocaine etc....where a persons night out to a club will in some cases, be without question that recreational drug use will be undertaken.

And I think dance music, techno, acid house etc was born under these conditions. Warehouse style parties in the 80's where ecstacy use was becoming huge. The use of methamphetamine and the growing popularity of dance music cannot by themselves be mentioned without the other one.

Originally Posted by Juho L

why we shouldn't make music that is danceable without drugs?

I dont think people make dance music so that people on drugs will dance to it...it is only where the music will end up. And by all means we should be making music that is danceable without needing to use drugs, but still the fact remains that when people go to a rave, or club, the use of drugs will almost be like a decision to have a drink at a bar. I think the use of recreational drugs is becoming more accepted. Decriminalisation, harm minimisation...these are being pushed instead of "zero tolerance". Amsterdam...for example.

Originally Posted by Juho L

Who knows what kind of kicks the junkies get when they hear good danceable music.

I think we need to seperate the term junkie, and recreational user.

Originally Posted by Juhu L

Edit: One reason for this issue could be that 99% of the dance music producers just don't know how to make danceable music.

Quite possibly

Edit: We could also go back to the 60's, Jimi Hendrix on acid etc....the dope smoking hippies expanding their minds to experimental, anti-govenrment psychedelic rock, using drugs as a means of recreation, rebellion, and we can administer the same reasoning there as is with dance music today.....it is the same thing, except now it is hard trance and ecstacy, instead of pot/acid and good ol rock n roll!

I dont think that the two musical genres can be compared, but the social and cultural aspects can be.

Edit 2: And I think that really, there has always been shit music, and there always will be. I think we can look at the advance of technology as one of the main culprits in the state of dance music today. the technology is so damn cheap now, and anyone has access to it. Synths are shipped with enough presets to make you sound like the dance record you bought last week, software can be downloaded free......The boom in bedroom producers and recording equipment means that anyone can start to make "dance" music.......I think the shit will always be there, and it is up to people like you and I to make the choice to not support it. We can turn to a different radio station when it comes on. We can change the television channel when these videos are played, we can stop even discussing it and make an effort to be the pioneers of the 21st century, like all those great musicians from the past. We can be creative, inspirational, dynamic and above all, different. We can be experimental, and push the boundaries continuously!

OK..better stop now. Am starting to rant and preach