I've been feeling it brewing for a while. In fact 'brewing' is probably the wrong word for it: building-up is better. Its all about the build-up. It is happening now to such an extent it makes me think we could be about to have our third Summer of Love (the last being in 1988/89 when I was too young, but I got involved a few years later).
Over the last few years people gathering at music festivals to hear the headlining rock and indy bands of the moment have begun to migrate towards the shared experience of clubbing, or dare I say it, raving. That thing of standing in a large space with a thousands of other people and raising your arms in salute to a man in a white T-shirt with a pair of earphones on, himself standing behind a massive consul covered with flashing lights and knobs, creating and euphoric hard house so awesome it could take you anywhere.
Union Rave by Andreas Gursky - 1995
Of course clubbing and House and Techno music has never gone away. I am mad for it, literally. Mainly old skool, but then Rihanna, Jay Z, Kanye, Guetta, Black Eyed Peas, Flo Rida and every other major mainstream music artist refs classic House and Techno tunes all the time. But here is the thing: House hasn't been fashionable for a very long time. As we go into summer it most definitely is again, and I can't wait to see what happens as a result. Rather than talk about the latest indy band, the new music gods are DJs (again), or at least that is how it seems to me.
I started getting a bit suspicious of this revival when the music obsessed teenagers and 20 somethings I know started talking about "having to go to Ibiza to see Eric Morillo in his residency at Pacha this summer' - I was like - excuse me, but I made many a pilgrimage to see Eric Morillo at Space ten years ago! WTF. Isn't there anyone else? Well of course there is, I never get bored of Richie Hawtin, but even I can't resist a bit of Fedde Le Grand or Tiesto from time to time, and David Guetta is masssive, but these guys are the tip of an iceberg I confess I haven't bothered to examine for a while. Still, I reckon this summer will belong to dance music. Anyway, enough going on - except to say that as music, like fashion, does reflect the general consciousness, maybe things are finally looking up if musical tastes are drifting towards the more upbeat.
I also wanted to share a post-rave chill out performance by the young musician Grimes (aka Claire Boucher) with you. It aired on Later..with Jools Holland last night, and this track Genesis is perfect come-down music. Grimes was born in 1988, the year of the last Summer of Love, check her out on the cover of this months Dazed & Confused, photographed in Givenchy by Hedi Slimane, the new creative director at Yves Saint Laurent. There will be more about Grimes on the blog next week.
Grimes on Jool Holland's show Tuesday night
My favourite House track of all-time. "Not Forgotten" by Leftfield, the Hard Hands Remix, it still makes me shiver
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