And Copy Machines Turned out Song after Song...
If I were to choose one group without whom much of hip-hop, electro, house, techno (Detroit and otherwise), and related electronic musics would be possible....I'd probably choose Kraftwerk. The idea that a few German classical musicians could later inspire a former gang leader from the Bronx (Afrika Bambaata), and a trio of metro Detroit DJ's (Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson), doesn't quite jibe with our understanding of black cultural production. Asking a similar question I asked about Detroit Bass (now "Baltimore Club"), how is it that these productions grab hold of us not letting go even in case of emergency? I remember where I was vividly when I heard Rapper's Delight for the first time. We were driving across the railroad tracks past the Satellite Bowling Alley on the way home.
I also remember where I was the first time I heard Kraftwerk's "Numbers". Talked about it all next day in Mr. O'Kray's class.
Thinking about our role as agents (rather than passive consumers), what are we mapping onto these productions ourselves? What do we see in them? What did I as a working class black kid growing up right outside of post-industrial Detroit see here?
As an aside, I didn't realize the degree to which Kraftwerk themselves were influenced by free jazz innovations from here in the states. Completing the circle...and giving Wynton Marsalis even more fits.
Posted by at May 27, 2005 09:42 AM
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I was just thinking about Blondie's Parallel Lines and the degree to which that inflected my own appreciation of music at the time.
I was a post-Bootsy kid hoping beyond hope that the Funky New Wave would happen. It sorta did with the Bar-Kays and the rock edges of the Stone City Band (which was no joke), but I ended up over the edge into more rocky rock with a beat.
I can recall how everybody dug 'Another Bites the Dust' as a pure exercise in Boom Boom Clack. We wanted more of what George Duke gave, synthesizers with bottom. So anything electronic that gave us something we could dance to was right there. Still, Kraftwerk was in its own league. It had the spacy cosmos groove going for it (why were we so attracted to outer space that we'd even listen to Kosmo D, and Space Cowboy?) and it had a mixable beat.
You're also dead right about not realizing how much the non-black bands were influenced by our craving for the beat. Most of us knew that Blondie was tight with Fab Five Freddy, but I would not be surprised to hear such tales about Pat Benatar who crossed over big time in LA.
Even on the more mellow side, with the Jazzish, bluesish rockish, like Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, Seawind, Spyro Gyra and Steely Dan, we were in there. And can you remember how Michael McDonald gave people fits?
Its the time of the year LKS Detroit capital of Music ;10 bucks to get in this year
I was just thinking about Blondie's Parallel Lines and the degree to which that inflected my own appreciation of music at the time.
I was a post-Bootsy kid hoping beyond hope that the Funky New Wave would happen. It sorta did with the Bar-Kays and the rock edges of the Stone City Band (which was no joke), but I ended up over the edge into more rocky rock with a beat.
I can recall how everybody dug 'Another Bites the Dust' as a pure exercise in Boom Boom Clack. We wanted more of what George Duke gave, synthesizers with bottom. So anything electronic that gave us something we could dance to was right there. Still, Kraftwerk was in its own league. It had the spacy cosmos groove going for it (why were we so attracted to outer space that we'd even listen to Kosmo D, and Space Cowboy?) and it had a mixable beat.
You're also dead right about not realizing how much the non-black bands were influenced by our craving for the beat. Most of us knew that Blondie was tight with Fab Five Freddy, but I would not be surprised to hear such tales about Pat Benatar who crossed over big time in LA.
Even on the more mellow side, with the Jazzish, bluesish rockish, like Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, Seawind, Spyro Gyra and Steely Dan, we were in there. And can you remember how Michael McDonald gave people fits?
Posted by: Cobb at May 27, 2005 10:51 AM