Never count on us to tell you that
everything was fine when so much has to be done as demonstrated this year during
our week in Florida. Well, guess you've understood that this x-tra issue of In
Da Mix will mainly focus on what happened (or not) during the so called Winter
Music Conference in Miami with a bit of ups but also a lot of downs as already
felt on some of our live reports…
LAST WEEK SOME DJ FUCKED MY LIFE
Already a year since the creation of this topic, priorly launched as a
weekly newsletter, before becoming one of our rendez-vous on IDMW.com
and thanks again to all of those (they know who they are) who've helped us to
grow and become who we are today. This said, what
we've noticed during the Conf'
makes us realize the enormous amount of things that reminds to be done, not only
for us to become an absolute reference, but more widely for a niche on its whole
to end up having the maturity in order to survive while reaching a necessary new
step.
Yes folks, some of you may have the best
parties, the best records, flyers and all the stuff that goes with, this won't
help making us think that the whole scene is in a real danger if keeping on
acting the way it generally does…
I Remember what many of you told me throughout
the years while ending up giving us the will to create a new tool for the
community ; that thing which, to what I came to understand at the time, was
hardly missed by the true music lovers. Well, we at least have respected our
word while putting our energies in that space of expression dedicated to no one
but YOU and what happened ? Not much if not nothing (nichts, nada, niente or
rien) as demonstrated by the usual reactions which we've been opposed by some of
you throughout the years.
Yes folks, we've launched IDMW.com
while listening to your wishes and remarks from a year to another, telling us
how you would like to have a medium that would support your works and actions
and if I'm personaly refering to the reactions of some of you when we've met in
Miami, I would be tempted to say that YOU don't deserve such an effort. Not only
on what concerns us as a (new) medium, but most of all on what concerns the
enormous amount of dedicated people who, while joining us, either being
supporters, partners or simply readers potentially supposed to be YOUR crowd.
Don't be surprised then to see them turning their backs on you one day, while
marking such a disrespect as keeping on reacting the same way when being kindly
asked to provide us with your infos for doing nuttin' but our job to spread the
word and feed their appetite !!!
Could it be that last nite a DJ fucked my life ? Well, not mine at the
end of the day, but the house music's one, while keeping on having nothing but
that f***** up short term view. Could it be that the DJ's who gave life to the
dance music culture will end up being the ones that'll cause its death ? Seems
like the global situation speaks for itself, doesn't it ?
Once again, I can understand that the key DJ's
are a top priority target for the record promoters during an event of such a
size, but what about the very few people that put their guts to support the
genre in the press ? The ones who, with their writings, spread the word on a
much wider scale that a single nite in the biggest club in Miami ! The ones
who'll provide the readers – in others words the people who buy your music –
with the titles and the credits of what you're putting out ??? NOTHING !
Been myself around for what could well be
considered as an eternity and keep on being said the same bullshit from a year
to another like : Sorry man, but we have to give our records to the DJ's,
when the same people would tell me when back home that mailing records is too
expensive !!! And ironically enough, I would find their records for sale by the
local store in Miami a few hours later… Either, coz' they finally had too many
and wouldn't like to bring them back home, or simply because some DJ which has
been provided with their material would find a way to gain extra dollars while
selling it easily as it's reputedly hot.
Also got this kind of reaction saying :
Don't worry Frederic, we'll keep you posted as soon as we're back, then
nothing happens… So let me tell you something boys : How much do you think it
costs us to run a website, filling it with regular contents and expanding its
size with the launch of new sections ? And how do you imagine we feel while
being provided with these kinds of reactions when crossing the Atlantic and
honouring you with our visit ???
Don't count on us neither to quote names as
these people will recognize themselves while reading these lines. This reminding
me for some reason a reaction of a DJ which I've known for quite a while and
eventually booked for some event where I was spinning myself, who didn't even
think about making sure of having my name on his guest list for a nite he was
having. Not to mention some new stuff he was releasing for some label… Could
finally think that he doesn't give a sh.. about what we're doing as well as the
managers of the aforementioned label !!!
Yes folks, guess you would agree that a thang
can't work without strong foundations and consistancy and we're unfortunately
far away from this for what concerns us right here. I Remember a conversation
which I've had while having a breakfast with late 80's house champion Kraze
the day of my departure. He then mentioned to me a chat which he recently had
with a DJ/producer while asking him how it was for him nowadays. Well, the
people in question said to him : Done a hit with my last record, man. 'Ve
sold 2,500 copies !!! Quite revealing of today's situation as our man
approached 900,000 units sold with his famous "Party" back in da daze…
This DJ thing we're living nowadays in the
house scene is the main reason why house doesn't work,
he states. They have put aside the essential while playing mainly
instrumùentals ; this key thing being their collaborations with artists. If hip
hop does it the way it does today, it's simply because the DJ's have understood
that it was their interest to work with the artists. When a DJ plays some
music to what an artist is committed, the latest will be tempted to bring his
posse to the club where the first is spinning, this adding a new crowd beside
the regular clubbers. On the other hand, when an artist sees his music played in
the clubs, it may carry the attention of some festival organizers who'll book
him and subsequently display the music made by the DJ to an audience that he
would have never reached otherwise. A very few of them have understood this and
funny enough to see that they are the ones who last while having their works
critically acclaimed, like Masters At Work, Blaze. Not to mention the former
Body & Soul residents who've regularly had some artists and
musicians coming live to their club. This being also a reason why rock oriented
music has got some serious credibility in the clubs recently. Other elements of
response being given by singer and Trax label CEO Screaming Rachel
pointing out the excitement of some people with the perspective of some hip
house revival like back in the days…
What we've finally end up having at the
Conference – but is it really appropriate to call this a Conference ? - is more
of an exhibition than a summit in itself as already pointed out on these pages,
and I would specify a multi-space exhibition as opposed to what the WMC' was in
its primar form, supposedly dedicated to the house music before making
everything to catch some other scenes ; this resulting in the giving birth of a
parallel mouvement – the M3 Summit – at the same period…
You give, you receive,
said to me A Guy Called Gerald one day… And vice versa, I would be
tempted to add. So don't be surprised to see one day your very rare allied
definitely ending up turining their backs on you if following this path and
keeping on having this sort of arrogance.
Would be very much tempted to advice you to
follow the exemple of Mel Cheren and his heirs (Blaze) of West End
Records who showed us what to me will be reminded as the best illustration of
what life can be while gathering some of the true members of the community,
should they be coming from NYC, Jersey, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, D.C., L.A.
or even further at their Cocktail Party in Miami where there was nothing but
great people and great music for great sensations and souvenirs.Love will save the day (and subsequently house
music)… MFSB
INTERVIEW
