First of all: Hey. Good to see you again! I have been away for a while and did not feel the urge to post before now.
Over the past few weeks I have been pondering what a music blog is. You may think this sounds way too philosophical, and perhaps you are right. After a good two and a half years blogging, however, I did not see the point in posting yet another track for an audience that may or may not stick around to read what I think, before they realize that this site is a dead end for 320 kbps mp3 downloads. So why bother?
Will I still post music? Absolutely. This subset of the electronic music scene, however, has such a weird relationship with music blogs that they are unlikely to ever gain any form of traction as serious vehicles for music. What they can be, however, is vehicles of thought. Now, you may think I am losing it again, and you may be correct (and on your way to the next shiny mp3 blog). But think about it. When was the last time you read this far in any blog post? Are you even reading this? The only thing that sets you and me apart from any RapidShare link is the thoughts we bring to the table. If we bring none, where does that leave us?
Of course, this sphere is not all flawed. Once in a while, interesting discussions, thoughts, and ideas pop up to remind us that electronic music can be analyzed and interpreted by an audience that reaches beyond the 3-5am regulars. And, ironically, these are the very discussions that proves the relevance of the scene. Any stop to mnml ssgs or (on a good day) RA will show this. Which brings me back to why I posted this in the first place. As Jordaneke writes: “I don’t think I have EVER seen this many Techno heads with so much non cynical enthusiasm.” on the RA discussion on the new Sandwell District album. And he is right.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m reading this.
And I like reading this.
The big difference between your / any mp3 blog and a rapidshare link is that blogs are about recommendations, not just distribution. Good texts are just the icing.
Yours is a model site never mind blog. All content here is of the highest standard. But yeah, it is treated like any other site. People only come for what they want.
This community always did seem withdrawn to me but it really is a breath of fresh air when you come face to face with somebody else in it. Like a reunion with an old friend. Here the majority are more reserved, faceless while they privately stalk their favourite haunts. I don’t know why but it just seems to be common practice to keep your opinion to yourself. I could venture a guess and say maybe people don’t want to commit and just want something more casual to communicate. I guess that is kinda why Twitter is so popular and also why I dislike it.