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Various Artists, "Grime"
Rephlex
We need another forced dance music sub-genre like we need more ironicmullets. Rephlex's press for this compilation talks valiantly about howit's just the music and not the labels to which we should be payingattention, but then it goes and hypes this new style dance music hybridcalled "Grime". Grime to me would indicate a real layer of dirt,menace, or sonic or thematic depravity, but none of that is to be foundin these polished dancefloor stompers that bridge the artificial gapsbetween electro, drum n bass, garage and just about every other clubmusic popular in the last five years. The fact that some of this stufflike MarkOne's "Raindance" is pretty catchy as far as club music goesis overshadowed by the presentation and the conceit that this is a newscene and new sound to be gobbled up before it's past its prime. Imean, isn't that the general modus operandi of nearly all dance music?Every innovation and genre splice is just a way to keep peoplelistening to what are otherwise thousands of tons of vinyl that isproduced with a strict formula in mind. Grimeis most certainly meant for the dancefloor as it lacks the variationand depth of contemporary electronic listening music. The patterns andrepetition are designed to make people move, and move they will untilenough records within this tempo range with these kinds of trademarkscome out. After that, we'll get a new bin in the DJ stores for"Post-Grime" or something. The problem with this record to me is thatit purports to pioneer something, but there's nothing here that wouldsound fresh to anyone but the most ardent genre-hound. It's music madefor a select audience, and in that I'm sure it succeeds as theproducers here prove they have plenty of chops for creating bouncybreakbeats and thumping bass. However, I find it unlikely that Grimewill interest anyone outside of the stuffy world of snotty DJ circlesand trendy club kids. It certainly didn't do much for me.
We need another forced dance music sub-genre like we need more ironicmullets. Rephlex's press for this compilation talks valiantly about howit's just the music and not the labels to which we should be payingattention, but then it goes and hypes this new style dance music hybridcalled "Grime". Grime to me would indicate a real layer of dirt,menace, or sonic or thematic depravity, but none of that is to be foundin these polished dancefloor stompers that bridge the artificial gapsbetween electro, drum n bass, garage and just about every other clubmusic popular in the last five years. The fact that some of this stufflike MarkOne's "Raindance" is pretty catchy as far as club music goesis overshadowed by the presentation and the conceit that this is a newscene and new sound to be gobbled up before it's past its prime. Imean, isn't that the general modus operandi of nearly all dance music?Every innovation and genre splice is just a way to keep peoplelistening to what are otherwise thousands of tons of vinyl that isproduced with a strict formula in mind. Grimeis most certainly meant for the dancefloor as it lacks the variationand depth of contemporary electronic listening music. The patterns andrepetition are designed to make people move, and move they will untilenough records within this tempo range with these kinds of trademarkscome out. After that, we'll get a new bin in the DJ stores for"Post-Grime" or something. The problem with this record to me is thatit purports to pioneer something, but there's nothing here that wouldsound fresh to anyone but the most ardent genre-hound. It's music madefor a select audience, and in that I'm sure it succeeds as theproducers here prove they have plenty of chops for creating bouncybreakbeats and thumping bass. However, I find it unlikely that Grimewill interest anyone outside of the stuffy world of snotty DJ circlesand trendy club kids. It certainly didn't do much for me. - MarkOne - Raindance
- Plasticman - Pump Up the Jam
- Slaughter Mob - Creeky Door
