h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

One last thing (sorry!). Rave. Why are we talking about rave music? Rave is long dead. It exists now only in old school nights. It was a form of electronic music in the late eighties and early nineties, and it is over now. The early prodigy stuff certainly classifies rave, but you have got the wrong album. Their first album "Experience" is definitely a rave record, with sped up vocal sapmples, breakbeat basslines and stab sound melodies. However (and this bit is important) "Music for the jilted generation" was a backlash against that. The style of the album is very different to that of "Experience." The reason for the change was the single "Charly." This record sampled a road safety advert, with a cartoon cat advising kids to stay close to their parents in the street (you couldn't make it up!). It was a huge success (number one in the chart?!), but lead to a string of tunes released with similar silly vocals, sampling sesame street, trumpton, rhubarb and custard etc. It was this overload of novelty records which killed rave music, as it was then seen as silly, cheesy and embarrasing. The "rave " producers went more underground, moved away from the top 40, and produced darker, rougher music. It was at this time that Drum & Bass really took off, most likely as a reaction to the changing scene.

The record that was blamed for killing rave was in fact "Charly" by the prodigy, and so they changed their style to get away from this. They then re-invented themselves with the release of "Jilted generation."

*laughs into his fist to muffle laughter*

Got to be part of it eh? what do you have to say about this LCF?

Does sound a bit poncey doesn't it? But it's true. I would never comment on, for example, Indie Rock, cos I know nothing about it, just assumptions and half formed ideas, so I'd probably be completely wrong. Same deal here.

No, but knowing te guy personally I'm just waiting to see what he'll say...

He's on holiday atm but he'll be back soon.

Fair enough.

I'm not sayin' nowt.

Ohhh! Please!

Did you know that what you type comes out sounding a lot like what ben says in RL?

Odd. I wonder why you type differently from your real speech style...

Hows this getting on ? Its nice to get a bit of explanion on stuff, and am looking foward to the next entry as well, however it is not nessicary to add a comming soon as when they are both in the edited guide, it would be nessicary.

cheers

tjm (scout in deadline panic)!

Thank you. It's nice to get a praiseful post to this thread. I haven't done any work on it recently as such, but I'll get right on it, say, now.

We are talking about Rave music (see post 21) because it had a pivotal role in changing the face of electronic music. If you remember your history correctly, you will recall that there was quite a large scuffle between the government (then Tory) and dance music, because thay thought it would encourage drugs. Therefore peoples' way of revolting against this was the setting-up of illegal "Rave" parties, which when music was played extremely loud, disturbed the neighbourhood nearby. The Tories subsequently realised that dance music was not the cause of the drugtaking, but it was the people themselves.

Therefore this music is not still alive, but is such a pivotal genre that I had to include it. I agree that I have got the wrong Prodge album but there you go, mistakes are made.

I don't believe that. (see post 20)

(see post 16)

I used the term "Techno" to encompass more than one genre of dance music because, if I had created an article on dance music as a whole, it would be incredibly long. I apologise for my mistake with Dane Bowers and Chicane, and I understand that you may have been quite offended by this umbrella-ing, but it was infact necessary (I think it a bit pedantic to include the Spice Girls at this point). Maybe I should have made this distinction more obvious. Of course you understand that these genres are not crystal-clear (there is much grey area), because the genres can be moved between and mixed. Thus Drum & Bass and Breakbeat can be confused, because they are quite similar. Breakbeat did not originally start out as a genre, it was a way of making music from ill-fitting drum samples. Of course I acnowledge your analysis of my mistakes, but I feel I could have been given some praise to make up for it (got my eye on you, BLT!)

LCF mate, my comments were not intended in a negative way, and I tried to make that clear in my first post. The idea of this whole forum is to improve upon entries with constructive criticism, right? So please don't take anything personally.

You are, of course, completely right about the rave movement. It was as a result of the rave scene that the government came up with the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) giving police the power to break up even small gatherings in public places if they suspect the people of planning a rave. My issue was that you described rave as if it were a current genre, rather than a piece of (very formative) history. Just need to make it clearer that it is in the past, but a very important period all the same. And yes, use the earlier Prodigy album as the example.

I think a major issue here is using the term techno to describe the many genres of "dance" music. Please don't do this. Techno is a form of dance music, not a term to decribe dance music in general. Techno and trance are both forms of dance music, but they are very, very different, in style, sound, atmosphere. Even the people are generally different. In an average trance club you will find a lot of "cyber kids" - people dressed in very bright colours, often with face or hair make-up, and glow in the dark accessories and lightsticks. Godskitchen used to be famous for this. An average techno crowd dresses much more plainly, more of a jeans and t-shirt/hoodies affair. I've never seen a cyber in a techno club!! This too reflects the differences in the music.

They could both fall under the loose umbrella term of "dance music" (as seen in HMV) but trance is by no means a form of techno. Neither is drum and bass. These are all distinct genres. That is where the main problem lies. Maybe back in the day, in the late eighties and early nineties it was one big melting pot, and all styles were more interlinked. Today that is not the case. They are all very much seperate styles, and should be recognised as such. As such, maybe change the title of your piece to say "Music genres:Dance" , rather than techno, and have techno as merely one form of dance music; one amongst many.

I fully agree about the grey areas thing. I'm not a big fan of pigeonholing, but it can be necessary, to define sounds and styles. If I go to a clubnight described as Techno, then I know what I can expect to hear. Believe me, if I went to one of the Techno nights in Liverpool (such as T-Funkshun or Voodoo) and the DJ dropped a Chicane track there would be a riot! Even so, there are lots of tracks that I would find very difficult to pigeonhole. A good example of this is "Energy Flash" by Joey Beltram. Nowadays it is seen as a Techno classic, but according to a friend who was a DJ in the early nineties most people at the time saw it as House. However, I once heard a mixtape with the tune on (from fantazia I think?!) and the MC was shouting "Hardcore!!"

I'm glad you have thought about my analysis, and that you appreciate some changes are necessary. I'm sorry you think I am atacking you, I'm not. Ironically, I found out about this article on a Techno forum, where people were ridiculing it for it's confusion and lack of knowledge. I didn't think this was very productive, so thought it was better to post you some advice and tips to help you improve it.

This still needs a lot of work mate, but it could turn out nicely in the end. Just please don't expect only praise. If people only ever tell you nice things then nothing will ever get changed, so the article won't be improved. Go forth and prosper!!

On a lighter note, hope you enjoyed your holiday!

Sorry, I did go a little off track there, didn't I?
I'll be improving this article in a little while

Right ho

Thanks for the pointers though, I'll take those into consideration.

Probably annoyed because LCF was taking the p a bit

Sorry, what am I talking about? I mean BLT

He he... think that school work is getting to you mate. Need to relax!