OT Re: DEFINING CULTURAL YEAR of the DECADE

[Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>]

I can think of one very significant thing that the 90's and perhaps this 
decade
has produced in world musical culture:

The rise of the DJ as Rock Star or Cultural Icon.

It used to be that someone would play music between DJs and nowadays I 
see more
and more shows where you see bands opening for prominent DJs.

In the Goth/Industrial Scene that I frequent , recreationally,  the DJ 
has surplanted the
live musician as the dominant force.       Nowadays if you want to play 
live in these
scenes you practically have to beg the DJs , who now completely control 
the scenes
to let you play and feel grateful if they will let you play (and for now 
money).

We don't need to go to the 'are DJs musicians' argument that we've had 
multiple times on this list'
There are obviously DJs who are wonderful musicians and go on to careers 
as composers and producers.
I just think that it's telling that the vast majority of DJs that I 
encounter are not being particularly creative
(with the exception of choice of sound and beatmatching for regularities 
sake) and that this
has completely dominated a lot of music on the planet.



It's also kind of amazing to me that
the birth of the world wide web/internet and the proliferation of
inexpensive methods to produce high quality music and there existence
for the last 13 years  seems to have not produced very much
notable or long lasting music.

I know that wonderful music has been created (and I think of our 
community as being
really stellar in the production of that music)  but it's interesting 
that none of it seems
to be having very much impact on the culture at large.

Everywhere I go,  I hear oldies music playing...............every single 
bar I frequent,  every single
restaurant.

In my life,  I"ve never heard so much 'nostalgia' dominating our culture.

Of course the democratization of media means that the paradigms will 
shift...............think the entire
recent thread on how to release a digital release in this day and age.

Ironically,   I feel connected to people all over the earth who are 
really creative and active in their own artistry
and the communalism of our own scene but at the same time,   I'm seeing 
less and less kids taking music
lessons.

All of this could be the rant of a bitter old professional musician 
who's lifestyle is ending after 30 years of hard work,
but I don't feel bitter for some reason.     

It's the most exciting time to ever be a musician on some 
fronts............certainly in terms of the kind of information that we
have................................look at this list...............I 
haven't had to go out and buy every distortion box on the planet:
I"ve just had to ask questions and then benefit from the collective 
wisdom of this list to make my own choices
with limited budget to spend.

I'm just musing,  'tis all!!!!!

Looking forward to this year, creatively.  I think we are going to do 
amazing stuff.................who knows?
Maybe we'll define the decade when history looks back on us.     We 
certainly have all the tools we need to do so.
Now we have to produce.