why dont good electronic artists play in the us?

[content]

I think I did read that jamie is coming to the states but it happens maybe once a yr. am i just in a bad locale? youd think philly would get some good shows

[cynthia]

i just know jason from serotonin who lives there know and he says that philly isn't that much of a techno city. so i guess that is one of the reasons and it's also hard for artist to travel with records/gear thruogh customs since if they find it, they know that you are going to work there...

but hopefully you will get some good people there in the future.

good luck...

[stu pitaus]

its cause im fat

[deccard]

awww..come on...you´re not fat. just a little bit too much on da hips.
and this story about that elephantcow fallen in love with you is just pure exaggeration...it was just pure lust on her part i think:)

[nothinghere]

Braindance is coming to the US and Canada this summer. Now if there was a no-future tour and the headroom djs came I would be in heaven.

Cristian please come to Detroit, I can make you dinner.

[karitek]

content - yeah, i agree. i had a hard time finding good techno when i lived in the states (nyc & virginia) as well.

i think a big part of it is that electronic music, in general, is still far less accepted/big over there. the majority of my friends there are into guitar bands or hip hop.

when the scene in the documentary, 'pump up the volume,' came on, showing the people burnig the disco records at the baseball stadium, i remember saying to my friends, 'ya know, american has never really recovered from that...' there is still some weird mentality that music must have a guitar in it. and if u do find electronic music it is the dreaded progressive trance (ack!).

i dunno. its quite weird considering how dance music kinda originated in the states...and how many producers (paul birken, bones, green velvet, woody mcbride...) there are from the states that i quite like.

would like to check out chicago and detroit to see if there are good techno scenes there...any one been (or from there)?

[nothinghere]

Detroit sucks in my opinion. We do get good people every once and a while, but its the same people over and over again. Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva played atag team set at Motor last friday, its archived at www.paxahaua.com But I am tired of seeing Richie and everyone druel over him, dont get me wrong I grew up on Jak parties, but I want some other people to come through.
If you like the traditional techno "GODS" then you would probably like Detroit.

[professor]

matthew herbert also called radioboy or doktor rockit
was in the U.S.A. last time i know, and he is a really good artists especially in his live performances, you must have seen it.
bye sven

[@m.]

I dj'ed at his gig here in Toronto - it was more on the housey tip (read: more herbert then rockit), but still, it's always cool seeing someone doing something unique. Lots of interesting techniques, like cracking cd cases and looping it live through various fx. His vocalist Danni ___ was fantastic and very passionate about her vocals (which unfortunately, isn't so prevalent these days).

Christian's been here (I was able to interview him over a pile of gelatinous Korean beef), and Lidell is coming (perhaps another gelatinous interview, if I'm not djing out of town that night), but I'd definitely like to see more in that vein of techno...perhaps some berkovi, tube jerk, bolz bolz or si begg even.

[stu pitaus]

i think the world has a big misconception about the usa and its music preferences and the state that its in..... popular and not so popular music alike.

[aleks]

i think justin berkovi will do a us-tour soon...

[karitek]

what do u mean stu?

[Sheridan]

the reason that there aren't any good techno act in the states is because party goers in the states don't really like techno. they like
trance, trance and more trance. it is all comercial and it's about the almightey dollar. case in point: on march 23 there is a HUGE party in miami called ultra. there are going to be over 200 dj/artists. how many techno djs? 1, carl cox (whoop de do).

there used to be really good techno acts at parties several years ago, but not anymore. I remember seeing everyone from cari lekebusch and adam beyer to pacou landstrumm and olie ho. but not anymore, its a real shame.

[CV]

well - various issues here...

for a lot of european musicians , the US is a mighty long way to travel... and when you get there , the promoters are notoriously messy ... US tours have traditionally been the tours that can break the band (in pieces , not on the market) .... Many have been documented , and a lot of the horror stories of US tours are sadly true, and being lived again by electronic musicians... The marketing and sales teams behind music have commercialised it beyond recognition and it is a often a closed circuit as far as promoting your records goes...You pay to get some support , it aint forthcoming just because you work hard or make good music..... European independent distributors are STILL struggling to achieve fair deals , and not get ripped off , or not get a bad surprise like 1000's of returns from shipping over to the US... Its 2002 for goodness sake.... like the UK , this kind of difficult market and scene and circumstance is often what breeds great artists , fighters with great music , and huge upheavals in the music that the world listens to (like house and techno) ... But , the music MUST get to the US - it is a territory and we have to work and work and take risks to get the music over there , no matter how difficult it is .. I hear that statement at a meeting with our distributor recently and I respected it ... as for you crew stuck over there getting desperate to hear some cool shit and feel the vibe , what better reason to get your asses over to Europe for a holiday!!

[Sheridan]

yes yes, I have been thinking more and more about coming
over to europe. the last time I was there I had a blast.
I hope to be in scotland by the new year when my aunt
gets married. hope I can see some good shows.
as for the sloppy promotion of the US, I agree. I have been
to many a party where you could tell that the people in
charge were doing a second rate job. I think that it's a
matter of pride. unfortunately the strong work ethic has
become a thing of the past here. they would rather just
get in and grab the money and dip out. it is rather sad
and I myself have become evermore jaded. I don't go out
anymore, and I have lost the want to try and play out.
case in point #2, I remember back in 97 I think, when the
boys from downwards came to the US for a tour and left
after about 4 shows due to lack of turnout and shotty
mangement of the gigs. it is a real shame that all this
wonderful music that enriches our lives can not get a
proper medium through which to share to larger section
of people.

[@m.]

you have to remember too, that the North American market is still very centred in rock music (i really don't know why we continue to flog a dead horse). Electronic dance music culture isn't supported to even near the same degree here, as in Europe. Are we behind and catching up to the times or will North American music evolve into something fresh? I have no idea...
...but as long as the big corporations are still making loads of money off young impressionables with their Britney Spears and GOD-AWFUL boy bands, then i'm willing to bet that they aren't eager to change their ways.