[Dancecult-l] Dance Music Project

[hillegonda at zoo.co.uk]

Hi Clyde,

For your project, to succeed, the questions need to be dwindled down to 
just one, or two at the most. That way you'd gain a clear focus to the 
project. You could use a specific case study, (such as an event, a 
venue, a label, a production studio or a subgenre) before getting 
started with any research and writing.

Avoid sources that are theoretically too speculative, as they may be 
frustrating to read and are not always based on sufficient evidence to 
underpin its claims. Readable factual histories are available. For a 
general introduction, I'd start with a well-researched journalistic book 
that makes connections between disco, hip hop, house, techno and trance:
Brewster & Broughton's "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life".

And then there are the more specialized journalistic publications:

For a good history of raves and house music, including engaging anecdotes:
Collin's "Altered State"
and
Garratt's "Adventures in Wonderland"

A focus on house music including (like Garratt) original Chicago 
interview materials can be found in:
Bidder's "Pump Up the Volume"

For a solid history of the Detroit roots of techno:
Sicko's "Techno Rebels" (which inspired the film 'Modulations')

If you want to address rave, jungle and drum & bass:
 Reynolds'  "Energy Flash" , aka "Generation Ecstasy"


Academically, for a well-considered sociological study of underground 
sensibilities in UK club culture, try:
Thornton's "Club Cultures"

For a more musicological, readable, and much more recent approach to 
EDM, try:
Butler's "Unlocking the Groove"



For the purpose of a focused school project,  I'd read any selection of 
these recommendations before further engaging with the dance scene in a 
critical ethnography or history.

Best,

Hillegonda
www.myspace.com/hillegonda




tobias c. van Veen wrote:
>
> Hello there,!
>
> I would go rent the movie 'Modulations' -- that will get you started. 
> These are huge questions, kinda' like asking 'what are the influences 
> of rock music and how is it made?' -- the answers being: almost 
> everything & almost every which way, but you will never understand 
> rock without the blues and you will never understand its production 
> without the electric guitar. For electronic music, I guess one could 
> answer that you will never understand contemporary dance music without 
> disco and Kraftwerk, but one could also say, Detroit & Chicago & 
> Berlin -- hip hop, electro, house & techno -- and you will certainly 
> never dig the production without grasping two Technics SL1200 
> turntables, a mixer, and a sampler, but one could also say, a Roland 
> 909, 808 and 303. But somehow it just doesn't work the same, as 
> contemporary dance music has morphed considerably, and I have 
> completely neglected to mention dub, for which most dance music would 
> be left out in the dark were it not for Jamaica.
>
> Then I'd go clubbing, and then as in yer in Australia, go find a 
> 'doof'. There's some Aussies here, perhaps they can crawl out from the 
> woodwork to send you in right -- as in weirdest -- directions. At 
> night, under the stars, there ya' go, it clicks.
>
> [ http://dancecult.net/ ] has a growing database of books to read but 
> methinks that Simon Reynolds' _Generation Ecstasy_ will do rather 
> nicely, followed by Kodwo Eshun's _More Brilliant than the Sun_.
>
> good luck,
>     and let us all hear the restuls,
>
>     t
>
>
>
>
>     I am looking to do a project for my final year of music in school
>     on electronic dance music. I have found some information on the
>     internet, but i would like to get the opinion of other people that
>     are interested in the genre.
>     I am looking for any personal opinions on the music, history,
>     answers to the questions below or even websites or books that
>     would be of any help to complete this project.
>     i am planning to explore the following questions below.
>
>         * technological and social advances and influences in the
>           music, and how these changed EDM throughout the genres
>           history, and musical examples of this
>         * exploring its origins
>         * how the music is created
>               o how synthesizers and drum machines became an integral
>                 part of dance music
>               o how these sounds are synthesized and created
>         * Look at how social and musical developments contributed to
>           the creation of several sub genres and associated sub genres.
>
>     i am also looking for any other topics that i should delve into or
>     changes to the questions i am examining for this project on EDM
>
>     any help is gratiously apprecitated.
>
>     with thanks
>
>     Clyde Altschwager
>     /Student
>     Prince Alfred College
>     South Australia
>     /
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> tobias c. van Veen -----------++++
> http://www.quadrantcrossing.org --
> McGill Communication & Philosophy
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