Reggaeton

This this a while back for a MOBO competition, no expert on the subject but you might learn something, holla on what you think,

It has been in existence for almost two decades now, with a stable and growing audience. Even Carlos Tevez has recently admitted his love for it. But what, exactly, is reggaeton? On first listening, it is easy to pick out familiar themes from this Latin American urban style. Reggaeton adapts styles such as reggae and dancehall, Hip Hop and electronica but then combines it with local South American styles such as salsa, latin pop and cumbia. The dancehall links are perhaps the strongest outside of the Latin ones, indeed, dancehall artists such as Beenie Man and Elephant Man have been known to appear on reggaeton tracks, whether DJs are borrowing their vocals for their latest mix or the artists themselves actively contributing.

For a style that begun in the 1990s in Panama, it has done relatively well. It has become a staple for most Latin American urban dances, as well the Spanish-speaking Caribbean and has even begun to break into North America, Europe and Asia, particularly is there is a sizable Spanish speaking community. This of course raises a seemingly simple question, if reggaeton is that awe-inspiring, why is there so little mention of it in the urban scene?

Language is one obvious factor, Britain possess neither a huge Spanish speaking community, or a population willing to speak a language other than English. In Britain at least, the Caribbean community, especially the Jamaican section, has had a huge influence on the British urban scene, a scene that prides itself on electronic music more than its Latin counterpart, so it’s also partly to do with taste.

Then there is that PR monster that is Hip Hop and R&B, such is the strength of these two urban styles that UK Garage and Grime struggle to get past England in popularity, never mind the rest of the world. What hope does this music, that doesn’t even have English as a first language, have?

Well, amidst all this doom and gloom, there is hope for this commercially fledging style. Internet forums are buzzing, helping the scene to develop and grow. There is even a UK equivalent in the world of forums, keeping that niche audience going against the onslaught that is British and American urban music. Artists such as MC Magico and the Latin Clan combine with local DJs such as DJ Jose Luis and DJ Loco to provide their own tracks, or tap into the musical reservoir that is Latin America.

Presumably North America is having more success, with more Spanish speaking immigrants. As far as the scene in Britain is concerned, the best tactic would probably be to consolidate its position, before leaving its London fort for an all assault on the rest of England, slowly but surely pushing its way up to the Northern frontiers. From the point of view of this writer, I certainly hope this battle plan is taken up. In this day and age of multi-cultural Britain, reggaeton would be a fresh and exciting perspective to take up, and would certainly pump something new into an unsuspecting British urban scene.  

Back from the dead

23rd December, Band on the Wall the Venue in God's Country (aka Manchester) to see an 11 piece ska outfit, Baked a la ska the name, trying their damnest to comically go back to the Two Tone era, with a lead singer trying to be terry hall and suggs at the same time, with his Rasta sidekick shaking a maraca litterally to his own beat, because it certainly wasn't to the drummers.

That rinsing was inspired by a mock review I've done for that band in a media project, but does make me wonder about the obession about going back to the past when it comes to music, a golden era.


Rock and its various sub-genres (yes I'm including metal, folk etc, anything that has been inspired by the original Blues and rock n' roll) have usually been the worst for it. After the 1960s heyday of woodstock, and prog rock taking over, there's been this constant battle to make rock what it used to be in its various forms. Some are simple carbon copies of the music, such as the 1970s mod scene, and really add nothing to the revival beyond people living a musical world away from where they are at. Others, such as punk and Two Tone, looked to the past but put their own edge, punk at its best going back to the  1950s 3 chord pop song but with attitude, while two tone took punks energy and social message of the time to speed up Jamaican ska.

That is perhaps my biggest problem with revivals, the lack of social message. Most revivals, or flogging a dying scene, have no connection to the mainstream social situation. Part of the reason for the success of Two Tone and punk is that it was a reaction to the problems of the time. Racial violence was at its height in 1979, a racially mixed movement in Two Tone, from the West Midlands no less, was more powerful than say, an all white band playing ska in its original format.

When you have people nowadays still trying to live the Northern Soul life, it rings hollow when it is little more than pure escapism, rather than its own movement, particularly when people who weren't even alive in its heyday want to live the life.

So far its rock types and implicitly whites I seem to have had a go at. Electronica is not always guilt free by far. Jungle, a genre I'm very fond of (and no, I was too young for it's heyday) has its revival from North America, reggae over fast beats. The point is missed two fold, first of all it wasn't just reggae over fast beats, there was a proper fusion of hip hop, dancehall, and the music of mainland Europe. Of course North Americans struggle to grasp the special relationship England has with Jamaica which the original jungalists knew how to implement. North America absorbs Jamaicans into Black America so quickly the 2nd generation just act like any Black person in the area, only the first generation of blacks have any attention paid to them.

The second point again is that Jungle came out of the rave movement, which was powerful in Britain, and Tory Britain which had a huge affect in the inner cities, again born in the here and now. The attempts to get reggae singers on board sound hollow in comparison. Fact is nobody will stop looking to the past, there is forever something romantic about old styles because they are out of fashion. The thing is to avoid relying on the past too much, instead keep pushing forward with new sounds and things to talk about. Try a new trick on the guitar, make a new sound out of the sampler. Instead of shanking on the streets, or sloganeering, talk about something else and do it different. We shouldn't have to rely on the past for so much inspiration.

http://www.mediafire.com/?zqdg2ud8iehevp0

To any who are interested, a bassline hosue mix


1-Jump, Bounce Shut Up-SJ Productions
2-Gangster Riddim-DJ Stylus
3-Mortal Kombat-Bass Addict
4-Next Episode- Dr. Dre & Snopp Dogg (Ben Chemikal Remix)
5-6 Million Ways (dub)- Sho Stopper
6- Next Hype-Tempa T
7-Next Hype (DS1 Bassline Mix)-Tempa T
8- Beast-Chipmunk
9- Beast (firstborn Remix)-Chipmunk
10-Lovely Thang-SJ Productions
11-See Through You (Dub Native)-Leanne Star
12-Losing Me (Jamie Duggan 4x4 Mix) -Rachel M

What's next? Underground music and the domination of London

I don't normally have a repsect for London. Ovecrowded, rude and a huge superiority complex, my usual words for London being 'spiv' or thinking that cockneys are only there for my amusement.

Yet London wins hands down in one area, its music and club scene. Very few cities can even try to compete with London for underground music. Cities like Manchester and Liverpool have had heydays, but not much more. Since electronic music was taken up by the masses, London has led the way in new interesting genres.

Something's wrong though. Music coming from London is visibly slowing down. Garage is pretty static in culture and music, grime's a parody, UK funky has always been 'respectable' and my views on Dubstep have already being mentioned. In the North, Bassline house is the closest competition for the South, but culturally the same as teh Garage forms mentioned.

Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, I don't live or come from london, there's a strong chance their less popular pirate stations are trying to push a new form forward that just needs more time. I hope so, because I don't see the next step for the British underground. Speaking of pirates, why is London the only place capable of regular pirates? size I suppose, but its not as if Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and others are small villages. These can still be split north south east and west with their own communities to try and push a sound, yet scanning FM doesn't get past community stations in Manchester at least.

My emphasis has been on black music so far, I'll be honest. Most modern black british music is based on electronica rather than 'real' instruments and its my bread and butter at the moment. 'white' electronic music is not inherently bad, I'm just so deep into the black equivilent that its all I want to know. there also seems to less dynamism from the white side. dominated by guitar music that is sonically and culturally regressive, it doesn't cut it with me anymore. Donk is Wigan's effort for electronic music, and not really worth anyone's time

In saying that, its a Northern creation that's tried to push an alternative. The problem with Black northerners is musically they stick with London for ideas. London is seen as the English alternative to Black America. This is probably stunting the musical capabilities for the North.

Fundamentally then, someone needs to create the next thing, before the English underground becomes stagnant. Preferably, it would a sound physically and culturally outside of London, at the very least that should buck up London's ideas and encourage them to get out of their slumber

The death of Dubstep?

Watching a music video of the recent Magnetic Man track, 'Perfect Stranger' with Katy B, I was left thinking what direction is Dubstep taking. I mean come on, attractive bird being chased around by attractive man, typical music vid that Cheryl Cole would be proud of. And since when did Dubstep care about its image anyway, Benga even beginning to make appearances in the videos now.

I have no problem with genres taking different directions, when its done right, you get interesting hybrids, musical communications. The tracks themselves arent even bad, though I think Katy B is being rinsed too much considering how she sounds.

My problem is more Dubstep is having that same problem as Grime, wanting to reach the top but realising that what they're doing isn't enough, there's a level of commericalisation in what they're doing. Singing, more treble in a Bass heavy music, for dubstep its placing on itself an image it quite happily didnt care about before. There's now another problem for Dubstep, the fact its now 'trendy' music. you what I mean, people trying to sound edgy will say they love it, all Radio 1 DJs suddenly loved it from day one (no disrespect Mary Anne Hobbs), every radio station and tacky club suddenly want to play it to give themselves credibility (neither tacky nor a bad show, but Grandmaster Flash at Subclub in Glasgow playing a dubstep hit. Yes Mr. Flash, you are still down with the kids).

The Dubstep hardcore will still say there's nothing wrong with the scene fundamentally, new interesting music is being made, the core DJs not taking the same path as Magnetic Man, FWD in London still a hub. On the whole I don't disagree, I just feel Dubstep needs to be careful. Jungle used to be incredibly interesting sonically, now its beats are nothing beyong keeping time and being prominant, bass is subserviant to the mid-range noise thats the melody track. It's a static scene, and Dubstep needs to watch where its heading. Mid-range is now more prominant in the mixes in Dubstep (disguising itself as Bass) and drumstep is apparantly the latest thing in the scene, which I'm still sceptical about.

Stay original and free dubstep, least until we can find your replacement