Re: why the british succed at trip hop


Erik Gaderlund (erikg@macconnect.com)
Mon, 6 Dec 1999 01:48:12 -0800



Well, its how they view hip-hop through their 'cultral lens'. Which can
create some really amazing stuff. Just listened to the Abdullah Ibrahim
Trio (Dollar Brand when he played with Duke Ellington, whom he said sounded
the most African of the Jazz players/composer of the time--He's from South
Africa) Sunday afternoon, he just plays--with his classic melody as the
transition between tunes, never leaves less than one finger off the
keyboard (stream of conciousness playing from the SF Cronicle), difficult
to find a place to clap, so we save it for the end (1 1/2 hours laster.)
Utterly amazing. Find his "Autobiography" double LP set for the same
approximate effect. He has this amazing percussive feel to his playing,
but, can vamp with these amazing lyrical effects that do bring to mind the
African singing one hears (Ladysmith Black Mbazo, etc.). Jacky Terrasson
has a some what simmilar style. And his melodys, written in exile in
Europe and America have become anthems in South Africa (through talking
about him and his music I made a good South African friend.) But, the
coolest thing was that as a matinee show if you brought your kid tickets
were half off, therefore, there were kids from, oh, a few weeks or a month,
up through high school, college--grad school, to the old folks--who were
still probably younger than Abdullah, who's in his 70s or 80s. Great to
see them starting at a young age.

erik g

>Your theory for america isnt not totally true, becaus ethere are too
>many white hiphop Djs/producers (not as many MCs) in hiphop making some
>really dope stuff.
>Though I see what you are saying somewaht. i think geoff Barrow actually
>said something like this in an interview i..e he tried hiphop and it didnt
>work.
>
>
>On Sat, 4 Dec 1999, angedella isafella wrote:
>
>>
>> dear list: the reason Brits lead in Trip hop and Jungle is because they
>> suck at hop hip. Okay your a british guy you gotta sampler and some records
>> .You know the moves(dj) and you love hip hop and being white(mostly) you
>> like other stuff too. Now when you and your pasty friends go to make a
>> record with brit raps .... YOU SUCK! SUCK
>>Suck!
>> You hate yourself > your Momma wont even applaud.
>>
>> well what to do ? Given the UKS culture of band stuff
>> you form a band and incorporate the sound of hip hop into your band and
>> Sing.Or you make instro tracks and dispense with raps. In the states white
>> guys haven given up on trying to rap and they havent given up on metal.
>> Giving you KOrn . In the uk you get Portishead. And a fine thing that is
>> .TRULY! god love Necessity! itis the mother of (re) invention!
>>
>> >From: "Dirk van den Heuvel" <dirkv@groovedis.com>
>> >To: "Jason Witherspoon" <arzachel@best.com>, "Moonlight"
>> ><roesch@augsburg.edu>, <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
>> >Subject: RE: downtempo in movies
>> >Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 17:18:10 -0600
>> >
>> >Okay somewhere along here two different threads have crossed.
>> >
>> >Thread 1) Recommendations of good bands/artists. Yes they are many very
>> >excellent America, French, etc bands doing jungle, trip hop and the like. I
>> >never disagreed with this.
>> >
>> >Thread 2) Why are so many of the big bands used in tv commercials and the
>> >like British? Why not US? My response was that they are not a lot (if any)
>> >US bands doing music at the level respectively of Portishead/Massive Attack
>> >(for trip hop), Goldie/Roni Size (jungle), Chemical Bros/Propellerheads
>> >(big
>> >beat). Erik makes a good point with DJ Shadow (who I even mentioned in my
>> >original message as a maybe) and Thievery Corp are close (but no cigar
>> >IMHO). But I still stick to my guns otherwise. Yes there are many good
>> >American trip hoppers and junglists but no one has mentioned anyone at the
>> >level of the people listed above. So while Hive's records are very good
>> >they
>> >are not in the same league as Massive Attack's "Protection" and Soulslinger
>> >has yet to make a record anywhere near as good as New Forms. That's my
>> >point. I wish it weren't so, but it is. Sorry. And we weren't talking about
>> >turntablist music, where the US does indeed rule (just like rap and r&b).
>> >
>> >Okay there it is. I just want to make sure when I get flamed it's for the
>> >right thread :>.
>> >
>> >Dirk van den Heuvel (dirkv@groovedis.com)
>> >Groove Distribution
>> >www.groovedis.com
>> >Your Guide To The Underground
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: Jason Witherspoon [mailto:arzachel@best.com]
>> >Sent: Thursday, December 02, 1999 4:21 PM
>> >To: Moonlight; acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
>> >Subject: RE: downtempo in movies
>> >
>> >
>> >At 1:48 PM -0800 12/2/99, Moonlight wrote:
>> > >American downtempo musicians?
>> >
>> >Hive _Working w/Sound_
>> >Company Flow _Little Johnny from the Hospital_
>> >_NY Vibeology_ (forget the dj's name, but it's not on the package anyway;
>> >it's marketed as a comp).
>> >DJ Wally _Genetically Engineered_ (is that the title?)
>> >
>> >DJ Shadow maybe comes close to Portishead & Massive Attack? In my book,
>> >it's a different kind of music, if only for the vocal/instrumental split.
>> >AND he (& the rest of the guys on this list) kick their ass anyways.
>> >
>> >Q-bert? Would he fit this niche? He's great.
>> >
>> > >
>> > >American Jungle?
>> > >I like DJ SoulSlinger and 1.8.7, though YMMV. DJ Spooky. We's
>> >"sqrt(-1)."
>> > >Ming & FS.
>> > >Mocean worker is from NYC, right?
>> >
>> >Hive (again) _Devious Methods_
>> >Pish Posh (aka DJ Wally, again) _Up Jumps the Boogie_ (great, underrated
>> >album-- on a subdivision of Rawkus!)
>> >
>> >There's also a comp called Digital Dust on that same Rawkus subdivison
>> >(Rawkuts?) which is pretty excellent.
>> >
>> >DJ Spooky & We could both be quoted as excellent examples of US "downtempo"
>> >(sheez, let's go back to trip-hop) as well.
>> >
>> > >
>> > >American Techno?
>> > >Carl craig. Josh Wink.
>> >
>> >Not (thump) my (thump) cup (thump) of (thump) tea.
>> >
>> >No one's mentioned Taran's album as a "classic" of downtempo, which I'm
>> >pretty sure I'd rate it as. Lots of Compost stuff, though I was kind of
>> >underwhelmed by the A Forest Mighty Black full-length. Also:
>> >
>> >Vibert _Big Soup_
>> >Up Bustle & Out & London Funk Allstars
>> >Lionrock
>> >_Bombay the Hard Way_
>> >
>> >I'd best stop now.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Jason Witherspoon
>> >
>> > ---------
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>> > --- ---
>> > --- ---
>> > --- ---
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>> > com/~arz
>> > http://www.best.com/~arzachel
>> > www.best.com/~arzachel
>> > best.com/~a
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
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