A redundant question which I’m often asked is ‘Was it really (way) better before???’ And guess what? I’d be very much tempted to say ‘yes’ if ever it was possible, which is not as far as this matter is concerned, due to the fact that one can oly compare what is comparable…
Oooh I knaow! Some of you may say like ‘Yaow, dis guy intellectualizes almost every thang, which isn’t that wrong at the end of the day. But how dare could each of us make a comparison – and I mean an objective one – between periods which, bringing us to a 25/30 years time are in the meantime synonymous with so many changes on each of us’s day to day life??? I mean, we would have on one hand those who were up to party in the mid 70’s, currently in their forties early fifties for the youngest of’em and on the other those who the today’s clubbers who, for many of‘em, were not around at the time.
Course, me being in the first category, I’d be quite tempted to say that this was much better at the times but I guess this is nothing but the case of everyone on the planet in regards to its youth, as brilliantly demonstrated by the famous 50’s/60’s US TV series called Happy Days depicting the adventures of biker Fonzi & cohorts. However, let’s not forget how we first and foremost have to live with the current times and make our very best to make them the better, which is far from being the easiest at this precise moment due to the ever changing forms of our environment.
Things have without a doubt to be taken as what they are, not only as far as the current production is concerned, but first and foremost as far as the current times are concerned. And, once again, there’s no need to have a reputed University diploma to say how things have changed from the seventies til now. Starting with the fact that a vaste majority of the production is the work of people more geared towards trade techniques than pure artistry and more widely a whole system whereas we would find heavy interaction between record labels, media and technology providers, leaving less and less space for freedom, spontaneity and alternative. Also worth the mention is the fact that there’s no more need to be a trained musician to produce (when not reproduce) if not music at least sounds. An evidence probably for much in the fact that names are replaced by others at the speed of the trends, like any other said product of (mass) consumption I should say, havin’ us forgettin’ that it takes months if not years to establish a reputation and subsequently a name that comes with. And the result is quite significant, with not a single name havin’ been able to take Stevie Wonder’s seat out of the said house scene, as said to me by techno guru Jeff Mills in his Detroit hometown a couple of years ago. Not to mention the average amount of record sales, havin’ peeps happy when they sell a 1,000 to a 1,500 copies of a 12’’ which, as a matter of fact, would have sounded ridiculous back in the days with singles regularly reachin’ 35,000 to 50,000 units if not much more occasionally.
Not that surprising to see the latest finding new owners sometimes for real fortunes nowadays and quite ironical in the meantime to notice the poor performances of the said electronic music on the 2nd hand market apart from a very few exceptions. Once again, nothing here but the signs of the times we’re currently living (if ever we do so) with many of us thinking about tomorrow as opposed to really be concerned about here and now. And quite ironical once again to see so many current faces makin’ money on those same ancient vibes even though being unable to reach the same level.
One can only compare what is comparable as earlier said but the main prob is the absence of real references when not background of most of those in charge of spreading the word and the vibe nowadays. We’ve been hardly working on it over the last months and this is to be the next phase of our fight in the time coming with the aim to contribute to reestablishing a real scale of values based on skills as opposed to the usual hype around, as we think of it as the only way to be able to make objective comparisons.
More thane ver, get yourselves ready to find here nothing but what we think to be the best, as we ain’t got not a single second for the rest! MFSB
INDAMIXWORLDWIDE.COM: Only the best, No time for the rest!
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