Why House Music shouldnt be commercialized

[silverbull]

Was reading a certain topic on another board and began to think about HOUSE MUSIC and POP CULTURE, and hopefully HOUSE wouldnt reach the commercial value that is the garbage of POP right now. Cause if it did then it wouldnt be HOUSE.

Heres a reply by TOMMY BONES that i found very interesting:

Like the song says... “not everyone understands house music”. Reality is the masses don’t. Very few want to listen to an alternative music. Why??? Today kids are being spoon fed Hip Hop with no lyrical content (basically nursery rhymes). If it is dance music it has to have a simple beat so people with no dancing skills can jump up and down(If they are lucky they will land on beat). What’s even crazier is that most of these songs appeal to girls, so now you have guys going to clubs not to listen to the music, but to pick up girls. To me the generation coming up are lazy (my peoples don’t dance lean back, lean back). They will only listen to what everyone else listens to... If Ja Rule comes out with a song on Hot 97 the song is a instant hit. Why??? Because the media has brainwashed these poor kids, even worse the labels with money are paying them to play this garbage. Most songs don’t last more than 2 weeks and they are on to the next. It is very sad. Today’s radio music is all disposable. The only artists that last are the ones that are built for it, not the ones that have been made into something. House music is more real… We do have real artists… but for today’s media they don’t have what the major labels are looking for. “Image is everything”…It’s very sad, but that’s how it is in today’s world... It’s not going to get any better. Believe me... I have seen Hip Hop infiltrate the burbs. Being from CT I was one of those white kids from the early days of Beat Street, but at the time it wasn’t about this gangsta shit. I had doubtful feelings about Hip Hop's future when I saw a 6 year old Italian kid reciting the lyrics to Snoop and Dre's the Chronic... I felt like this kid knows nothing about what they are saying. I lost interest in Hip hop shortly after. This was back in 92! (I was just remembering songs like throw ya gunz in the air by Onyx, and shoot to kill being played when Funkmaster Flex first came on to hot 97). Clubs were wild back then. I remember being the only white kid in the clubs. Now if you go to any club in Manhattan it’s all white people listening to Hip Hop. I joke sometimes and call it “white man- hattan”… Times have changed, and Manhattan has lost its gritty feel. I personally feel things changed a lot around 95.(while writing i'm remembering another flash back of a young black girl singing rub your titties if you love Hip Hop). As far as Hip Hop today I still appreciate artists like Common/ De La etc, but if anything is to be changed the media has to change it. But unfortunately not everyone will understand. As for House music… Like a Mr. Fingers music mix... its “unique sounds for unique individuals”.

And heres an IMAGE that just doesnt feel right when it comes to house music.

[camafuzz]

well put. i agree 100%.

as house fans, we know we are apart of something special, apart of something that everyone else just doesn't "get" and i'm proud of that,

while i feel some inroads can be made on the distribution end, like iTunes Music Store having a better selection of house/electronic music... and also at dance radio (KTU needs to be reformatted) i ultimately think house music should stay relatively small and for those who truly appreciate it

[freddyboyd]

Of all of the music genres, House is geared towards drugs. Lets be honest about it. I dont mean drug "talk" or "sales" as is the focus of Rap music lyrics, I mean that House music attracts patrons who enjoy taking drugs to get into the mood.

That said, few clubs want to risk getting shut down because some patron overdoses or multiple X dealers run rampant in their club selling as much as they can carry and they get shut down for being a "drug haven".

This segways into why HM will never be commercial or big on the radio because the casual listener isn't rolling all day and night and if they arent, a very small percentage of HM listeners would bother just "listening". Certainly some would but, the vast majority would not. Plus, its got very fast BPM and the tempo makes you want to dance which also isnt condusive to casual listening at work or in the car.

[backupqueen]

> now you have guys going to clubs not to listen to the music, but to pick up girls.

"now"? For most people club is a social place to meet and pick-up girls/boys. The freaks who go out for the music (i.e. most/some of us) are (and always will be) a minority (The Garage/Loft/... were never mainstream places in the first place anyway).

> my peoples don’t dance lean back, lean back

As someone who can't dance for sh*t, I take offense in his rambling. So now there's a "dance requirement" to be able to enjoy Shelter (I assume this is the type of House he's talking about (not the Sasha stuff). Only those deephouse heads keep ranting about commercialism).

I am not sure there is a clear defined answer to this problem. Some good House tracks became hits: "French Kiss", Daft Punk (Homework!), ...

My final point is there is no need to worry, there's always been some things that never make it to the commercial (not everything can). And when it does, there's always some kids who think it's crap and come up with good stuff. The problem is to know where to find that. The same way commercial success does not define quality, it does not define bad music.

Peace.

B.

[silverbull]

oy yeah im not talking bout the music that is 130bpm and above, im talking bout house music that is 128bpm and its not all druggy, tell that to all the heads over at DEEPHOUSEPAGE.com . Yes the music and the clubs go hand n hand since the begining but the reasons why people do it and the drugs people use are much worse now than ever. B4 it was used to enhaced an experience now people use it to fuck them selfs up. And if you feel like arguing please do it over there cause they have been around since the beggining and are still partying just as much as i do. Matter of fact tonite is a perfect example of the differences between CROWDS. Tonite at SHOW from 7pm till 11pm you have LOUIE VEGA playing to a crowd full of househeads n dancers whose drug of choice would mostly be weed and the music. Then afterwards comes the asseteria party whose patrons have to many drugs to use to fuck themselves up.

So basically it depends on which side of the genre your talking bout and which crowd your catering too.

[silverbull]

http://soulshine.net/audio/WMC2005THlivePart3.mp3

start it at 33mins, and enjoy, to me personally thats what its all about, Listen to the words at 33mins and 47 secs.

[backupqueen]

oy yeah im not talking bout the music that is 130bpm and above, im talking bout house music that is 128bpm and its not all druggy, tell that to all the heads over at DEEPHOUSEPAGE.com . Yes the music and the clubs go hand n hand since the begining but the reasons why people do it and the drugs people use are much worse now than ever.

I am not so sure, back then they (kids at the Garage, Music Institute, Sound Factory) were dropping acid, that's a pretty powerfull one, no? I don't know why dropping E is different (i.e. not an enhacing experience compared to acid/lsd? --Crystal is a different story)

I just really don't like the moral high ground that some of the heads take. VERY JUDGMENTAL to me. Soon, they'll be saying that gays are evil...hold on, didn't this just happened with Glenn Underground (an amazing producer btw). This is just a road that leads to nowhere.

[silverbull]

the mess with glenn was some drama indeed, and i wasnt talking bout e, im talking bout the OTHER bad stuff ya know.

[backupqueen]

the mess with glenn was some drama indeed, and i wasnt talking bout e, im talking bout the OTHER bad stuff ya know.

He's a great producer though. Love the stuff he put out on guidance recording (I love whatever guidance put out anyway )

Oh, and to the poster who said you need drugs for HM, I listen to it at home too, haha. Give it few listening at home, maybe it'll work for you too.

PS: thanks for the link sb, nice mix.

[djmadness]

I have got to add my .02 on this topic, as a house music lover and DJ for more that 15 years.

Every point that was stated in the post is right on point. I will say this though, I don't care what your dance status is as long as you are enjoying the music.

His description is almost the exact description of my journey through music. Hip hop these days has no moral value at all. At one point in time it told a story of how things were for the artist, and what they went through to get where they are. Now it doesn't, most of it is pure ignorant noise. Not to play the racial card or anything but I will say that the increasing popularity of bullshit hip hop in my eyes just makes all black people look like shuckin & jiveing coons. It is not the image that was once portrayed by rap artist. If you notice, any intelligent portrayal of us in hip hop has been silenced, ie: Arrested Development, De La Soul, Common, Digable Planets and so forth. The only thing you hear all day long is ignorant shit like the wisper song, and songs like that, that make us look like fools, and people love that shit.

As a young black man in todays society, I would like for the people that represent us to have something more intelligent to say besides "Beat the Pussy Up". How Fuckin dumb does that make us look.

As far as house music is concerned, it will never be commercialized because it promotes unity among everybody, and it always has. One of the oldest house tracks out said it best.

"I am not so selfish, because once you enter my house it then becomes our house, and our house music. And you see no one man owns house, because house music is a universal language spoken and understood by all.

Jack is the one that can bring nations and nations of all jackers together under one house. You may Black, you may be White, you may be Jew or Jentile, it doesn't make a difference in Our House!!"

For as long as there has been music, it has been seperated. Each race of people has their own music that they should stick to.

House music is the only music that has ever promoted untiy among everybody openly.

I don't agree or disagree with the whole drug thing in clubs, it's just how it is. But I can say this to that fact, I have done my share of drugs over the years and I found that I had a hell of a lot more fun when I wasn't high and I knew exactly what was going on around me. The drugs did enhance the feeling of the music, but all it did was enhance a love that already lived inside me to begin with. So I realized that I personally didn't need any outside sources to have a great time. Just a good DJ playing good house music. Hell I don't really need a crowded place.

Maybe I am just too serious about my house music. But I am finding out that there more pople out there that feel the same way that I do.

Just my .02

[microtechical]

Of all of the music genres, House is geared towards drugs. Lets be honest about it. I dont mean drug "talk" or "sales" as is the focus of Rap music lyrics, I mean that House music attracts patrons who enjoy taking drugs to get into the mood.

That said, few clubs want to risk getting shut down because some patron overdoses or multiple X dealers run rampant in their club selling as much as they can carry and they get shut down for being a "drug haven".

This segways into why HM will never be commercial or big on the radio because the casual listener isn't rolling all day and night and if they arent, a very small percentage of HM listeners would bother just "listening". Certainly some would but, the vast majority would not. Plus, its got very fast BPM and the tempo makes you want to dance which also isnt condusive to casual listening at work or in the car.

I'll be honest with you. I never touched drugs in my life - never plan to. I get the highs in the rhthymns, the drum beats, the tribal-like ritual of people dancing their ass off! You give me some dope music, and I will be entrenched in it all night long. I'll be in a metaphysical zone from the time I entered to the time I leave. I am not here to preach, but can't understand why kids nowadays need that shit to get off. While it is true that drugs and house music goes hand in hand sometimes ( probably because house music attracts the younger crowd ), real music lovers can do without the X crap.

peace!

[argdiesel]

great post gabe.. micro and madness are both right we the real music lovers can do with out the use of any type of drugs i dont care if i getf lammed for saying that but i'm just telling it like it is. fuck ALL ya'll haters!

[backupqueen]

the real music lovers can do with out the use of any type of drugs

Yeah, they can do without or with.

I am so tired of those debates, (I'll repeat myself) what's your next step, to bash Larry Levan or Ron Hardy for their Heroine use? I really would like to hear what you have to say about this.

fuck ALL ya'll haters!

Oh! No! What happened to "The Love" house-heads talk about?

[djkevinj]

did not read anythign on this topic yet. But i disagree. Since house aint commercialised that means no money for alot of artists, which means many up and coming artist turn their back on waht they love becasue no money to be made. And yes even though they may love it to death , if no money coming in then many see no reason to pursue it. I mean i really would not like to see house build up so that they are making garbage tunes left and rite but i think it just derserves more respect.

I told this girl at my job other day i only listen to hosue, and she goes i knew u were a weirdo. So u go to clubs and do drugs and look at those lights. So i said do u go around talking about how much money , drugs and bitches or niggas u got

[shaka_zulu]

Yeah without drugs the kids wouldn't have their 12 hour JP and Boris marathons lol (and I'm talking about it from the DJ side, not the crowd)

[neptune1]

Tonite at SHOW from 7pm till 11pm you have LOUIE VEGA playing to a crowd full of househeads n dancers whose drug of choice would mostly be weed. Then afterwards comes the asseteria party whose patrons have to many drugs to use to fuck themselves up.

i hate hypocritical statements such as this one... Some people like to think they come off all "high and mighty" because they dont do "drugs," they only smoke weed. And thats OK for some reason, but other things are not... A lot of people on certain other boards are just like this, all "i hate drugs" and "drugs ruined the scene!" this and that bullshit, but need to be obliterated on weed to go out and have a good time. i dont know, i just dont understand where some people get off saying shit like that, and doing what they do...

[silverbull]

Yeah, they can do without or with.

I am so tired of those debates, (I'll repeat myself) what's your next step, to bash Larry Levan or Ron Hardy for their Heroine use? I really would like to hear what you have to say about this.

They did what they did and made it work.

And for the record neptune i dont smoke weed either, but know to to to to many people that do.

[backupqueen]

They did what they did and made it work.

Ok, good. So can we move on and stop jerking off at the ability to be sober?

[biscuits]

Pills and house go hand in hand and is a reason why alot of mine friends dont go to the same clubs I go to. They dont want it and I dont push it on them, its a bit rich to say only real lovers of house music dont need the drugs though. Some people will go overboard on Coca Cola if you let them so no need th look down your nose at everyone who wants that buzz.

[soj]

I'll put it simply.

Hip Hop used to use rhymes and lyrics to tell its story. Wery few artists tell that story like the hip hop artists of the past.

House music requires no rhyme nor lyric, yet tells its own story its own way. Its deeper when you don't have to be told the story through words. House music lets you conjure your own story for each track. It's a more personal form of storytelling.

[klubbheadsor]

I'll put it simply.

Hip Hop used to use rhymes and lyrics to tell its story. Wery few artists tell that story like the hip hop artists of the past.

House music requires no rhyme nor lyric, yet tells its own story its own way. Its deeper when you don't have to be told the story through words. House music lets you conjure your own story for each track. It's a more personal form of storytelling.

I agree with this too. I also think that a majority of people that don't go out often but occasionally go out here and there are the one's who stereotype people that listen to edm as "total junkies". Even though it seems like the majority of people that go out to clubs use drugs, NOT everyone does!! I don't use drugs, but it seems like that stigma is hard to get rid of if you're a house head. Just because you go out to a club does NOT mean you have to use drugs!! You can consume alcohol or choose to be sober. Maybe drink Red bulls? To each his or her own.

Those same people that criticize label house heads as "druggies" also label people that listen to Hip Hop as "thugs or hood rats". Do they have a point sure they do, but there also people that listen to Hip Hop that are pretty chill, not always the case though. Hip Hop has changed too, I like old school Hip Hop more than today's, but the substance of today's Hip Hop is not really that inspiring!! To some it is, but to most it isn't!! Most teenager's are Hip Hop's biggest audience, some really like Hip Hop and others are just followers and like it because everyone else does too. I'm househead, but have Hip Hop roots and like old school Hip Hop. I think that if you're a house head these days you're in the minority, but there are a ton in these forums and house does promote unity more than I would say Hip Hop does. Again this is my $.02 on this issue!!

[silverbull]

Thought i would bring this back also.

[cwa]

I don't think it can be marketed and the big record companies are what commercializes everything. This is America is about the almighty dollar. House tracks come out week after week and are old after a few plays unless it ends up being a timeless track.

[intrica]

I just gotta say that often stereotypes are there for a reason... certain things lend themselves to one another, but that doesn't mean that all, or for that matter, even MOST of the time the stereotype is applicable to a given person or situation.

In my experience, there have been very few events I have gone to where the majority of the crowd was sober. However, is it the music that creates this environment, or is it the individuals who choose to frequent these events? Who knows, and quite frankly who cares! I think way back when I was a little girl there was a huge hubub about Jimi Hendrix's music causing people to get all fukkered up on god knows what, and that the Grateful Dead were the reason LSD and all that crazy shit were being taken. Get over it people... Are we going to blame Willie Nelson on whiskey and cigarettes?

Beyond that, I can say that I was always the sober one in my group of friends - why? - because some people feel the music in their soul... and can close their eyes and be taken somewhere else just by the beats, the sounds, the life in the music. F'ed up or sober, it really doesn't matter - just have a good time and that's what's important.

And on the subject of "all purpose good to listen to at any time" - there is ALWAYS some beat or song stuck in my head... I don't care if I'm working with a high level client at work, or brushing my teeth, it's always playin in the background of my mind. Hell, when I get in the car at 8am to go to the grind, I turn on my car and the cd in my deck is almost always house, trance, or progressive.

I dunno... maybe I am weird in thinking this, but I am pretty damn sure house or any other kind of music moves people, irregardless of where they are or what they may have taken.

~h

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www.myspace.com/intrica

[silverbull]

Beyond that, I can say that I was always the sober one in my group of friends - why? - because some people feel the music in their soul... and can close their eyes and be taken somewhere else just by the beats, the sounds, the life in the music.]

coming to nyc soon?