So yea, where on earth do we start for something of this large of magnitude? Still whiny from jet lag, we set off for a heck of a day 1. For that, we had to have house…
Gotta Have House Panel
We started off with a trip over to the De La Mar Theater, which is a recent addition to the ADE conference grounds. This beautiful theater ached with high style and post modern modernism, and was overflowing with the black hat/black shirt/black shoes/black jacket clientele of the European music industry. At the front of the room were some of the heaviest in the genre: Tommy Sunshine (moderator), Simon Dunmore (Defected Records), Deron Delgado (Dirtybird), Riton, Austin Kramer (Spotify), and Todd Terry. This humorous, hopeful, and nostalgic talk about the house music genre and it’s future, was simply incredible. Some highlights:
Todd Terry shows up late, dressed in bright red – a contrast from the other black and white clad panelists – apologizes for being late and said he “had to do his gangster shit,” then promptly knocks over a glass of water.
Austin: The problem with dance music is the many adjective that people associate with it. Genres are omnipresent, however electronic music is omnipresent throughout.
Tommy: You don’t want to make music for something. You have to just do it and if other people like it it’s incredible. Don’t make them for the label. If you make a Defected record, it’s probably the last record they are wanting to sign. They want a fresh take. Making records for the algorithm can be successful but that’s not the best.
Simon: EDM was an amazing thing for the dance scene, but it really confused people. People started making music on laptop instead of studio and music suffered. Social media happened at the same time. Pop records came into the dance world and it confused people. Calvin Harris making house music is great thing for the scene but underground people are happy to still be underground and doing great things as well. There’s nothing wrong with playing a Calvin Harris record if it’s the right record for the right moment.
Deron: EDM was the gateway drug but we are the real drug now!
Tommy: Chris Lake is doing incredible in America and who has had a long career in dance music and it now making tech house that is resonating in us. Playing in Topeka Kansas and other places that DJs don’t normally go. It’s connecting so well – long tour.
Simon: Croatia festival was massive, 4,000 people attend, with 300+ from the US (about 8%). Top American influences: Masters at Work, Todd Terry, Strictly Rhythm (record label), Detroit techno, Frankie Knuckles.
Todd: Talked about his first ever mashups., first ever mash ups. Didn’t know what he was doing he was just playing around, and was feeling it out since it was all new to him since he was into hip hop or funk and soul at the time. Didn’t know his first house record was even house. Some of this influences were Arthur Baker stuff, Marshall Jefferson, Kevin Saunderson. D Train!! Had a Casio rg1 machine, Kiev sampler, Yamaha 800 board. Mom was so mad at him (laughs). (The panel then toasted to Todd Terry)
Simon: Todd does live mixing in Glitterbox in Ibiza. The kids know their parents records, and it’s a sing along. You end up with 2 distinct audiences; older clubbers (45-50 y/o), and then you get kids. Dance music is a great way of people coming together of all ages and sexes. Dance Music is absolutely a democracy now; no more waiting 30 minutes for a track you like to come on a radio show. Most of the kids at Defective do not start listening to house music – the start out with drum n bass, happy hardcore, or dubstep.
Riton: Why did House not catch on as much in the US as in Europe? Tommy answers: Politics. Within 5 years, everyone was signed or fighting. Lots of false starts of dance music in the US (like Electronica). All good moments in dance music happened when a republican was heading the country. Democrats make people lazy. Obama was EDM. Clinton was Electronica. Regan was acid house. Todd: “Tommy sunshine for president!” Deron: “I guess then the music will suck.”
Simon: Kids don’t listen to the radio anymore. It’s irrelevant to them. Radio needs to be worried because they’re losing their audience.
Journalist/blogger since 2009 and music lover since 1980. Bex now travels the world and writes and takes photos of dance events, creates art in various media, sings quietly to her cat in the shower, and occasionally builds something that tends to involve a blowtorch. She can usually be seen hiding behind some sort of camera rig.
