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I was dicking around on Wikipedia yesterday, when I came across the entry for acid house legends, the KLF. Why this even matters is because the band's history is an interesting incorporation of popular culture and radical activism that isn't really replicated within American popular culture. Not only did they purport the musical concept of "stadium rave" whereby masses of people would be connected collectively by music, but they also did cool things like make music videos about Illuminati crop circles and set fire to 1,000,000 Pounds Sterling on an island off the coast of Scotland as a protest to consumer culture. Did I mention they were really popular and commercially successful in the UK throughout the 1990s? I am constantly astounded by how much I didn't know about the European music industry when I eventually find it out and this is just the kind of odd cultural experience that America missed out on by not buying into electronic music like Europe did. Take a listen. The music itself is a really a weird combination of trance, hip house, and vocal house that I can't even really describe, but can definitely appreciate. Kick out the jams!
The KLF - 3am Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.)/Church of the KLF
The KLF - What Time Is Love? (Radio 7")
Some personalities in the blogosphere are kind of worried about the impending (well, I say impending, but that's kind of generous) trend of trance-influenced hip-hop that's been floating around. Personally, I think any chance America has at establishing a club culture like the one we missed out on throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s (for the most part) is a noble effort although admittedly not a likely. Bloggers throw around the imagery of "arpeggiating glow stick euro trash raver" becoming the new hip house, but I'm completely fascinated by all this retro-rave imagery. Think trash fashion and nu-rave in the UK right now multiplied by the United States and dirty south hip-hop. The possibilities are endless. Either way bringing diverse influences into the kind-of stagnant hip-hop market can't be a bad idea. Look at Dudenem, they're getting all sorts of good press for "Watch My Feet" and incorporating the whole ghetto house sound into everyday hip-hop. I'm anxious to see anyone in hip-hop begin to recognize their roots in electronic music, even if it means we have some off hybrid genres in the process.
The article I was kind of reacting to: http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=7503More on Dudenem: http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=8680
Wes Fif - Haterz Everywhere
Flo Rida feat. Rick Ross - Birthday
