Re: Why jungle will never go mainstream!

Philip Cohen (DIGIT323@worldnet.att.net)
Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:37:36 -0400


----------
> From: feesh@asu.edu
> To: elson trinidad <elson@westworld.com>
> Cc: mark givens <markeg@hotmail.com>; acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
> Subject: Re: Why jungle will never go mainstream!
> Date: Wednesday, July 02, 1997 4:07 AM
>
>
>
> It's funny, all this talk about the new mainstream hype that has been
> going on for months and months and months now. All this talk about
> selling out etc.
> I listened to punk and independent rock for a damn long time (still do
> actually) and I've been noticing for a long time that all the headz'
> attitudes about electronica is evolving into the same attitude that the
> punk kids have had for over a decade. People are afraid to hear their
> music on the radio because then everyone will think you jumped on the
> bandwagon like them. Its a selfish act on the part of the fan.
> To say that you don't listen to anything once it goes mainstream, well
> that's just wrong. I know a lot of people on this list like the chem
> bros, but does the quality of their music actually get worse just because

> the kids that like 311 like the chem bros too? absolutely ludicrous.
> but anyways, elson is right on here. The mainstream is absolutely
> essential whether you listen to it or not. Music is and has always been a

> reactionary thing. Without the mainstream, no one would ever get sick of

> the stagnant state of music and come up with something new (ie punk,
> hip-hop, jungle, et al). I don;t listen to the mainstream (save maybe one

> or two groups every once in awhile) but I love it to death.
> scott
>
> On Tue, 1 Jul 1997, elson trinidad wrote:
>
> > At 05.01 PM 7/1/1997 -0700, feesh@asu.edu wrote:
> > >I'm not saying that jungle will go as big gangsta rap or grunge, but
it
> > >will gain a much bigger following than you seem to think it is capable

> > >of. I'm sick of all this crap about how American's don't understand
> > >techno/electronica.
> >
> > Yeah, man. After all, we invented the analog synthesizer, the digital
> > sampler and the personal computer.
> > U-S-A! U-S-A! Woo-hoo! :)
> >
> > Seriously, sometimes people get blinded about this "mainstream" or
"selling
> > out" business that they actually lose touch on what is the real beauty
of
> > it: Its artistic impact. What I mean by it is the genre's contribution
to
> > music, in this case, American music. As an example, take hip-hop; sure
it's
> > gone mainstream, but that only pushes the envelope further on the other
> > end. And if someone had the ability to stop hip-hop from going
mainstream,
> > there would be no hip-hop artists outside the US. No MC Solaar, etc. In
> > fact, it probably wouldn't even go outside New York City. Surem that's
an
> > extreme scenario, but remember, for better AND for worse, hip-hop has
> > influenced music all over the world, either in the form of rapping,
> > scratching or use of drum loops. Some hip-hop purists may call it
> > bastardization, but from another point of view, it only shows how
powerful
> > its influence is...something that grew out of the streets of NYC is now
> > enjoyed all over the world...Jungle has the potential to do the same
thing.
> >
> > Also, look how the progression of musical influence cycles itself -
take
> > for example hip-hop artists from Africa; hip hop's roots were from
Africa,
> > but developed from an American perspective (some would say
African-America,
> > but to the rest of the world, it's still simply "American."), and
brought
> > back to Africa. Isn't that amazing? Same for African jazz artists. As
for
> > Jungle, I don't know how big Jungle as we know it is in Jamaica, but if
and
> > when it does, same thing...
> >
> > Elson
> >
> > -30-
> > =============================================
> > Elson Trinidad
> > Los Angeles, CA, USA
> > elson@westworld.com * http://www.westworld.com/~elson
> > ====================================

Couldn't resist jumping in on this dialogue! A little mind-fodder from the
Brooklyn Funk Essentials (I heard this in concert, but hope it will be on
their new album - any release date info out there?)

"DEM CALL IT SELLIN' OUT. I CALL IT BUYIN' IN!"

Peas

Digit / Boston