The invention of the radio completely changed the way we listen to music. It happened generations ago, but it’s still worth considering. The rise of large-scale broadcasting meant music could be consumed simultaneously around the world (or at least around the city) by a large number of people. Just adjust your dial to the proper frequency and you can listen to the exact same thing as your neighbors at the exact same time.
But therein lies the big complaint lobbied against radio: it’s a tool of mass media that, on some level, consolidates our listening habits. It makes us all listen to the same songs. Even if it was generally agreed that radio played good music (an unwinnable argument, since it’s really just a matter of opinion) the result wouldn’t change. If we’re all hearing the same stuff, then the music landscape is a little, well, boring. Even worse, great music is lost because it doesn’t have broad appeal. Radio caters to the masses, so small niches remain underrepresented or totally ignored.
But it doesn’t stay that way forever. Broadcasting is just the first step of the process. And as broadcasting becomes cheaper and easier, narrowcasting becomes possible. It’s an important and natural progression. Narrowcasting is the idea of a station that caters so a smaller market segment rather than the general public. A top 40 station broadcasts; it tries to appeal to as many people as possible. A jazz station narrowcasts; it appeals to jazz lovers and has a specificly targeted (albeit smaller) group of listeners.
Of course, radio isn’t all that niche-oriented today; and I’m not sure about the relevance of traditional radio in the modern world. So replace “radio” with “Internet” and the same logic holds true. After all, transmitting “data” (I use that term loosely on purpose) is even cheaper and easier over the Internet than over the radio. Decentralization takes some time and happens only in the long run.
It’s no surprise that the electro-loving community of ours formed when it did. Just look at this website as another example. It doesn’t try to appeal to the general public; rather, it caters to a specific demographic. The Internet is growing on the aggregate; on the other hand, it’s also becoming more fragmented. A quick Google search can find a website related to just about anything.
Now, back to radio for a moment. I don’t listen to it much. Honestly, I don’t know many people who do (at least not for the music, anyway.) But the one radio-related recommendation I can make is BCC Radio 1′s Essential Mix series. It’s a weekly radio show that plays two-hour long mixes from all over the dance music scene. It’s one more reason why part of me wants to move to the UK. The show has featured some of the biggest names in electro playing fantastic sets: MSTRKRFT, Hervé, Digitalism, Justice, etc. The list goes on and on. If you’re not listening to this show, you’re missing out on some great stuff. And the Essential Mix website posts the tracklisting for every single set. That means no trying to figure out which awesome song you just heard.
This Saturday’s featured guest is Chicago’s Felix Da Housecat. In honor of his upcoming performance– and his new CD that’s scheduled for release this on Wednesday– I’m going to post two of his best songs. Yeah, they’re both a little old (from 2001 and 2007, respectively.) So what? They still sound fantastic.
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Felix Da Housecat – Silver Screen Shower Scene
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