WHO SAID IT WAS GOOD TO SWIM IN ABUNDANCE?
It's nothing new to us that more and more tracks topping the charts are based on other songs, whether from the same electronic genre or other musical disciplines. There are already many examples, such as 'La Mezcla', the song of the summer according to the 2009 Ibiza DJ Awards. However, to what extent is creativity affected by the new global order of our digital age? The truth is, at the very least, amidst so much abundance, it may be difficult to find quality…
In last month's issue of this same section, I discussed what the song of the summer had been. We observed that there seemed to be no consensus on the matter among DJs, the media, and the general public. In my case (without wanting to sound pretentious…), I already mentioned in the June 13, 2009 edition of Sutil Sensations Radio Show that the song of the summer could be Michel Cleis ft. Toto La Momposina's 'La Mezcla' [Cadenza/Strictly Rhythm]. 'La Mezcla' has been confirmed, according to the 2009 Ibiza DJ Awards, as the best song of the summer. Of course, if it's the song of the summer in Ibiza, it naturally becomes the song of the summer everywhere… I must also admit that most of the people who commented on last month's post also chose 'La Mezcla'. I'll leave you then with some of the comments we've gathered on www.davidgausa.com (Reflections) on the subject, as they are more than interesting and will give me an idea for my Editorial this month.
Pedro986:
‘'(...) I think technological innovations have made it possible for more and more people to produce music, so if before x tracks were produced per year, now 10 times more are produced. (...) there are also plenty of tracks of questionable quality (...) If I had to give it a title, I would probably say Michel Cleis 'The Mix'.
Enric:
‘'Actually, I think it's only been THIS summer where there hasn't been a clear winner. (...) What I do think is that electronic music, in this case, is becoming increasingly ephemeral. Hundreds of releases appear every week, which means a track has a shorter lifespan. (...)'.
Esteban Fdez:
(…) the electronic music market is so saturated that not all DJs play the same records. (…) from my point of view, I think the track I listened to most this summer was 'La Mezcla'‘
and the numerous remixes of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean.
I must extend my sincerest thanks to Pedro986, AbelpuntoG, Enric, Jose Jorge, Dr.Pitudo, Esteban Fdez, and others, as they have given me the opportunity to share their opinions (as I promised) in this magazine. I have to admit that many of them have surprised me with their arguments and content. Indeed! The Spanish online community has many discerning individuals.
MY (SUTIL) EDITORIAL
It's always said that things were better back then… During my time as a resident DJ at one of the most important clubs in the country, L'Atlàntida (Sitges), they said that things were better before, when I wasn't there. The people were better, the music, the doormen, the bartenders… Even the drugs! 'It's not what it used to be,' they told me… Of course, the club opened in 1980, and I started as a resident in '96, until 2001. Now that my residency is over, they tell me today that L'Atlàntida isn't what it used to be, that things were better back when I was a resident… Come on, do things always get worse? I doubt it, or we'll never get anywhere! Or is it that nostalgia is so powerful that it makes us believe that things were always better back then? Maybe…
But if you notice, some of the most frequently repeated arguments are that there's more of everything now, but of lower quality. So, to what extent can the global nature of our digital age be destructive? The fact that anyone can now be an artist and sell online (whether it's short films, books, or music tracks) means that quality suffers amidst such abundance. Given this, do you think the level of music production is good now, or is it simply harder to find? Is quality valued in a production, or is it just about it being a hit? Does the audience in a club value the quality of the productions? And most importantly, do DJs? I think it's interesting to take the pulse of the current state of music production, especially after the comments sent to my blog regarding summer tracks, since some of them touched on this very issue.
Personally, I believe that if a track is truly good, it lasts a long time, but only time can determine whether it becomes a classic. Of the thousands of tracks released each year (I'm talking about electronic music), only a few become hits, and far fewer become classics… Another very important detail when evaluating the song of the summer is that it's an adaptation of a classic Colombian song, originally performed by the singer Totó La Momposina. In other words, it's a mashup that's been legally released. But the song of the summer is NOT an original track, let's be clear about that. The same thing happened last year with 'The Men With A Red Face' (originally by Laurent Garnier); in 2007 with Samim's 'Heather,' which was a sample of another classic, and I could go on mentioning the hundreds of tracks that make it onto the Top Downloads charts, not to mention the countless versions of Rolando's great track, whose title is self-explanatory. So, what's happening to electronic music creativity? And to the public? Since this topic has a long way to go, let it be clear that this will be Part One…
Don't forget to leave your own reflection here!
These
Articles are published monthly in the Spanish magazine Deejay.
I invite you to get it at the newsstand of your choice or its edition
digital if you click here