03 - JUNE & JULY VOX
1
A s I have been in the past many years; an active spectator and participant in the community of electronic music; and recently it's critic and committee member; I have been witness to it's growth and decline, the wax and wane of good times and bad, the times I thought dancing all night would save the world, and times when certain official bodies were trying to save the world from our dancing... This summer, I'm letting go. This summer, I'm just dancing. The two festivals this summer so far have become intangible creatures that seem to move without the explicit consent of its organizers and no longer needs their constant supervision. This year's Detroit Electronic Music Festival performances were once again a variety en masse and phenomenal as a whole; the Reese Project was an unrequited smooth concoction of new jazz and funk, Ayro as always amazed me with the multitudes of layered noise, sounds and improvisational organ synth music one man could create, and of course the perennial favourite Stacey Pullen, for lack of better words, tore it up Sunday night. But it isn't the music itself which grabbed me this year, but the attitude. For those not in the know, let me tell you that the genre known to the masses as 'techno' was created in Detroit. Derek May, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and the boys have artistic license and merit over it (in my opinion anyway), I find myself now inspired by the fact that it's something they want to share, in their home town, to as many people that want to listen, and for free. During an impromptu press conference in a nicely lounged out sheltered area right behind the main stage, the question was raised by one of the press corps about a genre predominantly enjoyed by white people being created by African Americans. While few in the room actually agreed with that particular line of questioning, it did segue into a more important string of thought; it could have been possible to imagine from the outset the immense popularity of the genre, but now years later, what control do the 'godfathers' of techno still command? Saunderson put it most raw and honest when he admitted that he never really saw a black and white thing. The proof, he testified, is "watching people dance... all over the world, with their eyes closed". So at what point does one relinquish control of a thing? Though I would agree with needing to re-establish Detroit as ground zero for techno, and wholefully support it, the subter- raneous reasons seem to ring mush more poetically; that only given four months to do so, and despite the controversy, Derek, Juan, Kevin and the boys, alongside with Transmat Records managed to pull off the world's largest celebration of electronic music... simply because they felt compelled to. Where Movement is in ways the living description of how music becomes idea, then it is the OM Summer Solstice Festival that releases control of the idea. What started six years ago by a Toronto based collective as a celebration of the summer solstice in the wooded northern areas of Ontario has now come to the edge of phenomenon. Whereas the purpose in Detroit is to serve the music, at OM it is the inverse happens; the music serves the idea. Ranging from the ambient soundscape stylings of Michael Moon and the poetic trip hop of LAL, to the Asian dub sounds of State of Bengal, Telefunk Soundsystem and Intergalactic Faerie Funk, to the psychedelic trance that only the Black Light Activists can bring, the experience of the festival is something that perhaps is shared after the fact, but only as memories. The experience of that night is an indescribable thing that perhaps we keep for ourselves. The tailored music coupled with the workshops, lectures and key note speakers, plus the theme camps offering all sorts of services, from swimming pools to sensual healing and balancing, it is more than a party but a congregation of a large number of minds from our generation. Open minds. In the years past, OM has enjoyed the company of open-minded dreamers, seekers and spiritual wanderers from across the country, and as a result, grown in size and popularity. What appears to me is that the idea of OM so badly wants to hold on to its 'grass roots' status that it may in fact suffocate its progressive nature. The reality of the work of the Sumkidz (the collective who organizes the festival, as well as other events in and around the Toronto area) is that is seems to inspire, from young university students to entire towns to even young progressive designers. The people who have worked tirelessly at birthing this thing, this 'OM' should wean it, let it touch the lives of more. Let it embody that ancient Sanskrit syllable, and maybe then OM will occur not just once a year, but 365 times. Maybe in twenty years we'd all get back together and celebrate it with a free festival in a major urban center... It seems two of the three summer festivals which make this damn heat bearable are quite at odds with each other; where one needs a more human- istic approach, the other should adopt a more phenomenological repose; where music leads in one, it follows in the other; but share the most important common cosmic thread, the ability to inspire. And the third festival? The World Electronic Music Festival. For ten years running, it has witnessed the birth of the rave era in our country, contributed considerably to it's success and has kept it on life support for a few years. The incredible variety of just dance music from all over the world coupled with the uncontrollable urge to party, two sleepless nights and twenty thousand others make for sure that even if you can't enjoy yourself, you're gonna dance... Like the Sheep Man from the annals of the Murikami mythos preaches; "Yougottadance."... but I guess we can discuss that next issue... e-music: letting go photos and article by francis wong Enjoy an afternoon of beverages and hors d’oeuvres with Eye Accents and the supplier of Vanni & Art for Eyes while you browse our latest styles in eyewear and sunglasses from their entire selection. SPECTACULAR EVENT JULY 19, 2003, 12pm to 5pm Don’t miss out on your chance to win a pair of the latest Vanni sunglasses! Green Valley Plaza 13300 Tecumseh Rd., Tec. 519.979.1353 WINDSORVOX MAGAZINE JULY 2003 V. 2. 5
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Transcript of 03 - JUNE & JULY VOX
As I have been in the pastmany years; an activespectator and participant in
the community of electronicmusic; and recently it's critic andcommittee member; I have beenwitness to it's growth anddecline, the wax and wane ofgood times and bad, the times Ithought dancing all night wouldsave the world, and times whencertain official bodies weretrying to save the world from ourdancing... This summer, I'mletting go. This summer, I'm justdancing.
The two festivals this summerso far have become intangiblecreatures that seem to movewithout the explicit consent ofits organizers and no longerneeds their constant supervision.This year's Detroit ElectronicMusic Festival performanceswere once again a variety enmasse and phenomenal as awhole; the Reese Project was anunrequited smooth concoction ofnew jazz and funk, Ayro asalways amazed me with themultitudes of layered noise,sounds and improvisational organsynth music one man couldcreate, and of course theperennial favourite StaceyPullen, for lack of better words,tore it up Sunday night. But itisn't the music itself whichgrabbed me this year, but theattitude. For those not in theknow, let me tell you that thegenre known to the masses as'techno' was created in Detroit.Derek May, Juan Atkins, KevinSaunderson and the boys haveartistic license and merit over it(in my opinion anyway), I findmyself now inspired by the factthat it's something they want toshare, in their home town, to asmany people that want to listen,and for free.
During an impromptu pressconference in a nicely loungedout sheltered area right behindthe main stage, the question wasraised by one of the press corpsabout a genre predominantlyenjoyed by white people beingcreated by African Americans.While few in the room actuallyagreed with that particular lineof questioning, it did segue into amore important string ofthought; it could have beenpossible to imagine from theoutset the immense popularity of
the genre, but now years later,what control do the 'godfathers'of techno still command?Saunderson put it most raw andhonest when he admitted that henever really saw a black andwhite thing. The proof, hetestified, is "watching peopledance... all over the world, withtheir eyes closed".
So at what point does onerelinquish control of a thing?Though I would agree withneeding to re-establish Detroit asground zero for techno, andwholefully support it, the subter-raneous reasons seem to ringmush more poetically; that onlygiven four months to do so, anddespite the controversy, Derek,Juan, Kevin and the boys,alongside with Transmat Recordsmanaged to pull off the world'slargest celebration of electronicmusic... simply because they feltcompelled to.
Where Movement is in waysthe living description of howmusic becomes idea, then it isthe OM Summer Solstice Festivalthat releases control of the idea.What started six years ago by aToronto based collective as acelebration of the summersolstice in the wooded northernareas of Ontario has now come tothe edge of phenomenon.Whereas the purpose in Detroit isto serve the music, at OM it isthe inverse happens; the musicserves the idea. Ranging fromthe ambient soundscape stylingsof Michael Moon and the poetictrip hop of LAL, to the Asian dubsounds of State of Bengal,Telefunk Soundsystem andIntergalactic Faerie Funk, to thepsychedelic trance that only theBlack Light Activists canbring, the experience ofthe festival is somethingthat perhaps is sharedafter the fact, but only asmemories. Theexperience of that nightis an indescribable thingthat perhaps we keep forourselves.
The tailored musiccoupled with theworkshops, lectures andkey note speakers, plusthe theme campsoffering all sorts ofservices, from swimmingpools to sensual healingand balancing, it is more
than a party but a congregationof a large number of minds fromour generation. Open minds. Inthe years past, OM has enjoyedthe company of open-mindeddreamers, seekers and spiritualwanderers from across thecountry, and as a result, grownin size and popularity. Whatappears to me is that the ideaof OM so badly wants to hold onto its 'grass roots' status that itmay in fact suffocate itsprogressive nature. The realityof the work of the Sumkidz (thecollective who organizes thefestival, as well as other eventsin and around the Toronto area)is that is seems to inspire, fromyoung university students toentire towns to even youngprogressive designers. Thepeople who have workedtirelessly at birthing this thing,this 'OM' should wean it, let ittouch the lives of more. Let itembody that ancient Sanskritsyllable, and maybe then OM willoccur not just once a year, but365 times.
Maybe in twenty years we'd allget back together and celebrateit with a free festival in a majorurban center...
It seems two of the threesummer festivals which makethis damn heat bearable arequite at odds with each other;where one needs a more human-istic approach, the other shouldadopt a more phenomenologicalrepose; where music leads inone, it follows in the other; butshare the most importantcommon cosmic thread, theability to inspire.
And the third festival? TheWorld Electronic Music Festival.For ten years running, it haswitnessed the birth of the raveera in our country, contributedconsiderably to it's success and
has kept it on life support fora few years. The incredible
variety of just dance music fromall over the world coupled withthe uncontrollable urge to party,two sleepless nights and twentythousand others make for surethat even if you can't enjoyyourself, you're gonna dance...
Like the Sheep Man from theannals of the Murikami mythospreaches; "Yougottadance."...but I guess we can discuss thatnext issue...
e-music: letting gophotos and article by francis wong
Enjoy an afternoon of beverages andhors d’oeuvres with Eye Accents and the supplier of Vanni & Art for Eyes while youbrowse our latest styles in eyewear andsunglasses from their entire selection.
SPECTACULAREVENT
JULY 19, 2003, 12pm to 5pm
Don’t miss out on your chance towin a pair of the latest
Vanni sunglasses!
Green Valley Plaza13300 Tecumseh Rd., Tec.
519.979.1353WINDSORVOX MAGAZINE JULY 2003 V. 2. 5
