Even though I adore much of its music and many aspects of its culture, I can't help thinking that Japan is the ultimate 'exotic' country of choice for indie refugees. I haven't got a problem with that but, Christ, it's not the only 'exotic' place that produces interesting music.

[Norma J]

Who said it had to be hard? It also sucks when people make long exacerbating posts and get to the same conclusion that they could have with a line or two.

Yeah... stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

[Norma J]

Japan tends to make boring fucking punk and rock 'n' music.

[pbradley]

Originally Posted by Norma J

Who said it had to be hard? It also sucks when people make long exacerbating posts and get to the same conclusion that they could have with a line or two.

Yeah... stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

God, if only my college papers could just let me write the conclusion and be done with it.

Too bad they get all hung up on "reasons."

No, Japan produces or has produced some beautiful music, but I can't help thinking that a lot of people into indie kinda force the country onto themselves, as if it's a rite of passage that they have to go through in order to be consecrated as proper conosseurs of leftfield music.

[sonicl]

Originally Posted by Norma J

Japan tends to make boring fucking punk and rock 'n' music.

Listen to Musica Transonic, High Rise, or Mainliner, and then come back and tell me if you still feel that way.

[Cantankerous]

i almost can't listen to merzbow and that sort of stuff because it's so completely dischordant and lacks structure. i imagine it would be useful for film scores and things like that but for me to actually listen to it proves very difficult.

[Glice]

Originally Posted by sarramkrop

No, Japan produces or has produced some beautiful music, but I can't help thinking that a lot of people into indie kinda force the country onto themselves, as if it's a rite of passage that they have to go through in order to be consecrated as proper conosseurs of leftfield music.

There was a review in the Guardian of J. Cope's Japrocksampler that suggested that, record collectors having utterly mined the Kraut side of things, they're now moving towards Japan. The review was a little disengenuous about Les Rallizes Denudes, suggesting it was the obscurity rather than the magnificence of the music that appeals to record collectors.

I don't suppose what you're talking about is any different to the trend for African (particularly West-African) music in the 70s or the trend for Indian classical in the 60s. Or, further back, black-American blues in the 50s. These things happen, it doesn't really worry me, and I can hardly claim to be an expert on the entireity of the world.

I heard, in sound 323, a record of Chinese noise music. It was interesting insofar as they seem to take a very different approach to noise music (something that's very much needed at the moment), and it wouldn't surprise me if the trend moves thataway. Not that any of it matters, particularly.

I have a few CDs of young people's Sri Lankan music. They're all awful. I have one Bhangra tape. It's uttterly magnificent. Funny thing with Bhangra, unlike Reggae, people other than its 'main audience' don't tend to get into it. Very, very difficult genre to get into unless you know someone in the scene, wouldn't you say?

[Pookie]

Americans may be stupid, but America has always produced the best music. I would elaborate but nobody would listen.

[sonicl]

No, go on, elaborate. I won't ignore you.

[Pookie]

Yes, I get it. I elaborate and then you say, "Did somebody just say something?"

[musefreek]

I think in terms of underground music across all genres the US produces better bands and artists.

Originally Posted by Glice

There was a review in the Guardian of J. Cope's Japrocksampler that suggested that, record collectors having utterly mined the Kraut side of things, they're now moving towards Japan. The review was a little disengenuous about Les Rallizes Denudes, suggesting it was the obscurity rather than the magnificence of the music that appeals to record collectors.

I don't suppose what you're talking about is any different to the trend for African (particularly West-African) music in the 70s or the trend for Indian classical in the 60s. Or, further back, black-American blues in the 50s. These things happen, it doesn't really worry me, and I can hardly claim to be an expert on the entireity of the world.

I heard, in sound 323, a record of Chinese noise music. It was interesting insofar as they seem to take a very different approach to noise music (something that's very much needed at the moment), and it wouldn't surprise me if the trend moves thataway. Not that any of it matters, particularly.

I have a few CDs of young people's Sri Lankan music. They're all awful. I have one Bhangra tape. It's uttterly magnificent. Funny thing with Bhangra, unlike Reggae, people other than its 'main audience' don't tend to get into it. Very, very difficult genre to get into unless you know someone in the scene, wouldn't you say?

I was thinking about Chinese leftfield, experimental, avantgarde music or whatever you wanna call it, when I wrote that. I still have a feeling that, perhaps, there are records from other continents out there that have yet to surface and they will give us a clearer picture of what's happening or happened, but we will have to wait and see. I was reading something about John Fahey and his canvassing last night, and how so many records that could have been lost forever were bought through this activity by him and his chums, thus giving them a place in music history that wouldn't have existed without the dedication and passion that those musicians and collectors have/had. Fascinating stuff.

[Norma J]

Originally Posted by pbradley

God, if only my college papers could just let me write the conclusion and be done with it.

Too bad they get all hung up on "reasons."

Missed point: Some people can say more with few words than some can with whole sentences.

[Glice]

Originally Posted by sarramkrop

I was thinking about Chinese leftfield, experimental, avantgarde music or whatever you wanna call it, when I wrote that. I still have a feeling that, perhaps, there are records from other continents out there that have yet to surface and they will give us a clearer picture of what's happening or happened, but we will have to wait and see. I was reading something about John Fahey and his canvassing last night, and how so many records that could have been lost forever were bought through this activity by him and his chums, thus giving them a place in music history that wouldn't have existed without the dedication and passion that those musicians and collectors have/had. Fascinating stuff.

Yeah, I'm sure there's some stuff that'll surface in 10 years from now that'll hopefully blow our tiny little record collecting brains (and let's be honest, you have to have very little going for you in the brains department to commit to record collecting).

[pbradley]

Well if you happen to be referring to my paragraph of a post, I feel that I used just enough words to explain my conclusion.

[sonicl]

Originally Posted by Pookie

Yes, I get it. I elaborate and then you say, "Did somebody just say something?"

No. You elaborate, and I then say "See, I always told you that that Pookie was an intelligent chap".

[Pookie]

Oh, ok then. I'll get something written up during my lunch break.

[jon boy]

its probably 50/50 for me. i guess i see more being british stuff in that i am british but whenever i have visited the states or whatever then i am impressed by whats there and the old interweb now helps me to discover more from our intellectually challeneged cousins.

[_slavo_]

There's always places where some local scene flourishes that in fact becomes highly influential for some certain period of time. Let's think of Mego records from Vienna in early 00's that pushed the boundaries of electronica with their harsh digital processings, or Fonal Records from Tampere, Finland that contributed to the free-folk hype of now. Or, the Chicago Touch and Go post-punk connection, or the wonderful epic of Constellation music from Montreal,...etc etc.

Therefore, I'd rather classify the origin more narrow than purely to "continents", you know what I mean?