Why does no one in the US appreciate GOOD electronic music?

[Richpa]

Nobody mentioned Chicago house either. But I don't think anybody is claiming that the US hasn't had a massive influence on the development of dance music (obviously it has); rather the thread is about what kind of EDM is popular in the States right now, which Detroit techno isn't AFAIK.

I agree, but it's worth of mentioning that USA gave a lot of to electronic music in form of chicago house and later detroit techno, in the times when electronica as genre was still young. Indeed, nowdays people aren't focusing on mentioned or on psychedelic music but if we share informations, knowledge and stuff like that people might get interested in these genres aswell, so I tought, posting some interesting facts in topic where people disscuss electronic music popularty in States wouldn't hurt anyone

[Rotwang]

^ Indeed.

[Dolmot]

Disco scene gave us stuff like the 12", extended edits, dub edits and so on. US was churning out early house and Detroit techno while Europe was still largely stuck in hair rock, schlager and an odd Kraftwerk thrown in for experimental value. Many of my favourite house labels are still from the US.

 

1. you can make hiphop and reggea responsible for that. we had some reggea too over here (of course not artists, but listeners ) and instead of hiphop, punk was hugely popular here (and punk is more or less the antithesis of psytrance imho). and after all, while the u.k. was dancing to acid house at the time, techno did come from detroit

 

Strange, no body mentioned one of the most important styles of electronica - detroit techno, that emerged in late 80's by detroit producers such as Kevin Saunderson Derrick May, Juan Atkins, etc.

 

Woo, we're invisible!

[Rotwang]

Did someone just hear something?

[Richpa]

Woo, we're invisible!

Somehow I missed mentioned posts, thanks for pointing out.

[Sideffect...]

Strange, no body mentioned one of the most important styles of electronica - detroit techno, that emerged in late 80's by detroit producers such as Kevin Saunderson Derrick May, Juan Atkins, etc.

 

Indeed Dave Dave Clarke etc... the Detroit underground raves...

[Radioactive Sandwich]

Here's the thing with Americans. We have really shitty attention spans. We love what's hot at the moment and then we love what's hot the next moment. With electronic music, it doesn't quite fit into our culture the same way it does around the world. Our country is quite new, and we don't really have our own history or sense of community. "Good" electronic music is partially because of the communities that surround it. There are a lot of electronic acts out there worldwide that are popular that I think are no good, but they get their fans because of the community that is created around their music. Here in the states, we don't have that kind of community in the same way. It's all about going big or going home.

 

And what Dolmot said.

 

- Slice Two

[The Antiker]

the USA got chromatone...high level psytrance

[Sideffect...]

I really like this question. And as a U.S. citizen who has lived in Europe for a while and fully "experienced" psytrance to a level where I feel I "get it" and "understand it". I have some particular observations about my home culture and its difficulty to embrace Psytrance. Why is this so? People have given valid reasons on this thread but there are a few things no one has pointed to...

 

First of all, the U.S. is not full of overweight gun-obsessed, over-sexualized in sexually skewed manner, sleepwalking, shopping, zombies high on jesus and antidepressants. We are only HALF full of these people. Its a sad fact I know. It is difficult place to be and to make change, but to label this as 'America' is almost just as ignorant as the 'people', the diversity of 311 MILLON people, immigrants from all over the world and natives, you so easily to judge. America is a bizzare place I know. IT is a disturbing place. It is a difficult place.

 

But there are people here that are just like you. There are spiritual people, there are peaceful people, there are open people, there are psychedelic people, there are peaceful earth warriors and progressive change agents, there are artists, musicians, and cultural creatives. We listen to great music, we create beautiful festivals, we grow our own food, we cultivate community, we grow DANK weed, we dance, we sing, we throw great parties... we explore the many realms of experience just like you.

 

 

 

So, Why does our electronic music suck?

-this is just an opinion, I do not state to grasp this whole phenomenon, but from what I observe as a lover of music, dance and the psychedlic experience, within the american 'scene', I have to say, I venture to say, that our psychedelic culture comes from a different musical history than Europe's. So our psychedlic music, and culture surrounding that music comes from a different genre than europe.

 

TWO words : GRATEFUL DEAD

 

Our psychedelic culture originates with the 1960's band GRATEFUL DEAD, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters (west coast), Timothy Leary (east coast). I am not going to go into the wide and deep influence this band and this early Acid/spiritual movement had on our country, especially my home- the West coast. One can easily google this and find lots of interesting information, or read "the electric Kool-aid acid test". Therefore, our psychedelic culture has been majorly influenced by ROCK music, and the LIVE music experience, rather than the early hippies experimenting in GOA. Simply- I think so much of it has to do with history. This live music, with multiple skilled musicians, often high on psychedelics would take themselves, and the audience on psychedelic unplanned, present moment musical journeys which we often call "space jams". This is the hall mark of the concept of JAM BANDS which America has by the boat loads. The Grateful DEad charted this course but over the years the culture has expanded to include such well- known psychedelic-inclined jam bands such as Phish (funk inspired), String Cheese Incident (Bluegrass inspired),

MOE. (rock) etc etc etc!, where fans drop everything and follow their band around the country to festivals- similar festivals to the psytrance festivals- This subculture is a family- a tribe just like psytrance. The experience to be experienced is similar to the psytrance experience- the band and the audience co-create the experience. The jams-the interplay between musicians take everyone (awareness necessary for participation) on musical journeys where one, and many, fall into a trance like state of higher awareness. please do not judge the us and our musical depth before you attend a good Phish show. One element I like about this experience is it is co-creative, and relies upon a shared attention. The audience knows the songs, everyone is singing like a big family and that shared awareness is really powerful. These shows are a place for people to let go, freak out dance, explore... just like psytrance. The psytrance however, I've found is more of a personal journey inside- into your dance, into your self. ITs just different music, similar experience---HERE I do not imply this is the same in any way, but there are important similarities. And I think this is why the electronic scene is less psychedelic here- because there is so much alternative and fantastic psychedelic music in the US- Jam, Jazz, funk, bluegrass etc. Our psychedelic genre is many not singular so it is less concentrated within a sole "electronic music scene'.

 

Why is our electronic music more sexy, pop-esque, slow etc rather than psychedlic trance?Why do americans prefer this?

1. It comes from our musical history- once music turned electro in the last 20 years- what was here before morphed into its electronic twin. So what morphed into electronic music? Hiphop- reggae both of a slower bpm demeanor. ITs not necessarily worse then psytrance, there are some great artists- psychedelic in their essence from the US. its not all crap. But most of it is. So the electronic 'dance' is different as a result. Personally, psytrance transformed my dance experience. This is something that I think the U.S. electronic scene could really benefit from. The music is way too damn slow. I came back here and just could not hang with the slow dj's.

2. The electronic music scene here comes from more of drug culture of ecstasy rather than psychedelics I know this is a large statement to make, and I know I do not have the whole picture. But this is what I witness. The parties I've been to in california are full of coke and Mdma. This is not psychedelic! This is ego! This comes from someone who did not grow up as a raver, but rather grew up as a jam band tripper so I am biased. But it seems this way when I talk with my raver friends about this. Psychedelics are a huge part of the Jam band experience (but not necessary!) and I dont see the same with the rave scene here. BUt I do understand the role they play in the Psytrance scene in Europe and abroad. Comments?

 

Finally, I say this not in anyway to stress that America does not need psytrance- it does, utterly, deeply, truly!!!! but only I wanted to give my observations on WHY it is not yet a big presence here.

 

So my global psytrance friends, we need you!!!! Come here and blow our minds, our egos, our hearts! Free us! free our dance! Spiritualize our parties to a whole new level. Truly the simplest thing I can say about psytrance is that is a whole new level of experience for me. a beautiful experience. The U.S. needs this. Burning man should be full of psytrance not dubstep. Come to us!!!! SAVE US! S.O.S.! We need some psytrance missionaries!

 

Nice post about the music, most off it, recognizable, red it very fast...

 

Then again I would like to highlight that Goatrance was invented by hippies (especially from California)

Who left America when LSD was banned and went to Goa to live in "freedom"...

And started creating Goa, which became Goatrance later...