The New Electronica
Metacritic is a site that aggregates arts reviews in one place, the theory being that you can easily discover what's liked most by the greatest number of writers. The results tend to be reasonably Word-friendly: last year's music Top 20 includes Dylan, Tom Waits, Ali Farke Toure, The Decemberists, Joanna Newsome etc.
The current 2007 list is interesting because it's topped by two albums of 'dance' music - Stars Of The Lid's And Their Refinement Of The Decline and The Field's From Here We Go Sublime - both collections of luxuriant, ambient electronica. Here at the Word office the CD we've played most over the last month or so is the similarly lush dubstep release Untrue by Burial.
Is something going on? Is it OK for rock fans to like dance music again? Or is it just me?
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Dance of the dead?
Having just had a listen to Stars Of The Lids' latest, after reading this entry, I'm still unable to wipe the smile off my face at your use of the phrase "'dance' music" to describe this set of beautiful-but-somnolent ambient drones. The only dancers I can imagine moving this glacially are amoebas or the residents of a morgue. Maybe this is what The Table were referring to in the title of their punk classic, "Do The Standing Still"?
Dance
Heh. It is an innappropraiate choice of word, I agree.
I'm not afraid to dance
LCD Sountsystem lp is one of my favourites of the year, doesn't it come down to good music being good music. It's been a while since people soley danced to dance music anyway.
DubStep
The first Burial album did it for me...I had a good time this year searching out good dubstep. Although Burial does stand head and shoulders above everything else (butI do have a soft spot for Scuba :) - and the 'Box of Dub' comp from Soul and Jazz is great).
It comes down to quality doesn't it, the fact that these albums are produced by some anonymous bloke/girl in his/her bedroom in South London somewhere never ceases to amaze me...There is such depth, atmosphere and imagination there.
The fact it appeals to 40 something Guardian readers who wouldn't step anywhere near a DubStep club is even more amazing! It has a calming quality and it isn't too intrusive so it's great when you're trying to concentrate on something in the office…Just don't turn it up too loud.
Now I know this is almost 1 year out of date
But I picked up The Field's From Here We Go Sublime yesterday and it really is terrific. You are right. I'll be back to you next year regarding Untrue by Burial. I still haven't heard it.