DatA – This Genre Meshing is Relentless
I know I’ve done a lot of eighties revival coverage in the last couple weeks, and I hate to keep poking at a topic that’s probably long been dubbed “old news,” but I feel that this latest development has once again made a bit of commentary necessary.
DatA
By now we’re all no doubt quite familiar with the distinct post-retro style of Ekleroshock giant, Danger, and therefor it probably isn’t all too shocking that the saw-tooth electro label mate, DatA, has adopted a similar style. What is surprising, however, is the fact that the French producer has managed to summon the likes of Sebastian Grainger (former vocalist and drummer for Death From Above 1979) to take part in his latest (available as of last week) single release, “Rapture.” Upon listening, I immediately thought it rather strange that both former members of DFA79 have now officially converted from their previous distortion-happy endeavors to poppy, synthy electronic music; fortunately, I was soon after presented with the opportunity to ask JFK of MSTRKRFT (DFA79’s other member) for his perspective on the unusual conversion:
What do you think about Sebastian Grainger’s teaming up with Data? It seems rather unusual that both DFA79 guys would quit rock and move to electronic. But then again, I suppose the genre is pretty irresistible as of late.
JFK: “rock music in its present form is dead. pounding away at it is like going to university to study latin. like, its fine if that what you want to do but what satisfaction can a creative person derive from doing something thats already overdone?”
As sad as it is to admit, I’d be lying if I said I could deny any part of that statement. It seems that the reason electronic styles have become so popular in recent years is not because of some sudden massive public discovery of the fact that dancing is fun. Rather, (and please, if you disagree, I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts on this one) I believe that the migration between genres is due to a yearning for new sounds. As epic and emotional as the wail of a crying guitar sounds, fifty years of repetition has proven enough to dry up the past. I see a day, not too far into the future, where the guitar that used to lay under the Christmas tree has been replaced by a stack of software and a copy of Pro-Tools.
Strange? Yes. Sad? Yes? Exciting? You betcha.
And as for the actual track that’s sparked this digression: It’s golden. As much as I hate to admit it, Grainger’s vocals over DatA’s vintage synth sounds and pumping compression are *grits teeth* quite possibly better than they ever were in DFA79. The original DatA track unlocks emotional tones in his voice that I had previously never noted, and on top of that, the remix gives the track a bit of an interesting indie feel. Needless to say, they’re both well worth your time.
Note: The original track has a strong reputation of being torn down pretty fast from the blogs, so I suggest you grab it while you can, and once you decide you love it, that you pick up your own copy from Fnac music.
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DatA – Rapture (Pacific! remix)
Tags: danger, Data, Death From Above 1979, DFA79, Ekleroshock, Grainger, jfk, Pacific!, Sebastian Grainger
July 14th, 2008 at 1:18 am
I am a fan of electronic music but claiming that rock and roll OR music created and performed with instruments is DEAD is a ridiculous statement. This sounds like the myopic view of someone that is so wrapped up in their own world that they can’t see anything else. There is still a lot of soul left in rock music, and still a lot of unborn babies who haven’t heard Jimi Hendrix. I would say that it is FAR more challenging to infuse soul into electro music, and that’s why the greats are so great….they have achieved that human thing that makes a track relatable…I have yet to hear any soul in a MSTRKRFT song. Or anything “new” for that matter.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:17 am
I agree with Richard, it is extremely dense to state that rock music in its present for is dead. Rock, and the evolution of paved the way for most of today’s music. And Rock has what electronic music tries to obtain, the human element. As amazing as Daft Punk, or MSTRKRFT, or Justice, or any of the electronic greats are at a live performance, there is somthing that isnt achieved.
To be enticed in a frenzy of music creation is a sensation that can be shared through out all genres, however it may not always be on the same stage. For electronic producers it can be at home working on a track and finally finishing a project, or for a rocker: nailing that solo that is ridiculously tough to play. Some people would say that musical bliss is at its peak during a live performance, but that would lead me to ask the question: can a live DJ set bring about the same musical excitement with human element as that of a Rock show?
My answer is yes, it can but only to a limited amount, and some people could argue this point till the end of time. However, think about this: Why would people pay to go see a live DJ rather than listen at home streaming it off the internet? The answer is in fact the human element but only limited to what they can do with a computer that isn’t set up for playing music in real time.
Saying modern rock is doomed, is like saying that regular mail is doomed to be ended by e-mail. Which we alllll know is never gonna happen.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
I can most definitely see where you both are coming from. I agree wholeheartedly that rock music will never truly “die” in the literal sense of the word, however it seems that both of you have overlooked the most important portion of JFK’s response: He claims that rock music in it’s present form is dead. Take a look at the lineup for the Vans warped tour. There’s just no way that that manifestation of rock can last. In fact, a large portion of the most anticipated artists on the tour this year are the ones that have begun to infuse electronic style into their ideas. Yes, there will always be those who appreciate what is currently popular, but many will move on. Remember how only ten years ago, nearly 100% of the bands were SoCal punk bands? Now you’re lucky if you get to hear two.
And regarding the Hendrix bit. Yes there are generations to come that have yet to hear Hendrix, but if you were to place yourself in the 1700’s, you’d see people saying the same thing about other artists that have long since been passed over. “Yeah, Mozart’s good, but how could anyone give up Pachelbel? He’s where it all started. There’s just so much emotion and feeling that goes into his work.”
Hopefully you see where I’m going with this. Styles change. Music is never forgotten, but that’s not to say it cannot be displaced by something new and unfamiliar.