Archived entries for Media
We Don’t Like to Stay In!
I was only recently having a conversation with a friend about the relevance of dance music social networking website, DontStayIn.com, and it’s almost as if our uttering’s about the presence of too many neon tutu’s and fluffy boots were heard and answered by the timeous revelation of an exciting new take over and re-branding!
Yep, DSI is gearing up to give you more reasons to get naughty and nocturnal each weekend as it cuts the mustard, lose the cheese and get’s back to basic’s with nothing but digital electronica awareness for the masses! The site was definitely thought to be lagging in the new online media department; with a layout reputed for not being easy to navigate, silly site stigma’s that made it more work than it was worth and worthy competitors snapping at the bit to reign supreme- and possibly, steadily nabbing whole genre’s of dance music followers at a time- it was definitely time for a lift to save face.
I think it’s really great news and a mighty big Yeee-haa for the electronic music industry around the world. DSI is without a doubt one of the top Dance Community websites in the world- it’s packed with a mean variety of dance related content and event listings- if you’ve have the time to dig in and find it! And really, how many websites convince half its following to become self made photographers- complete with fancy business cards posted free to your door to prove it!?
The website was bought by Development Hell, who run hugely successful Dance Music media brands, MixMag and The Word magazines. They’ve taken the whole original DSI team in house to set up and nest in their suave little abode and this can only mean good things; more juicy, cutting edge and relevant content across the EDM spectrum- and straight from the boys who know best!
DSI claims to entertain 1 million unique users each month, aged between 18 and 24, and reaches fanatical dancing feet- and fingers- across the Uk, the US, Ireland, France, Spain, Australia and South America- where it has already been at work with MixMag to develop a new magazine extension to cater for the South American market. It all sounds like another big ploy to make sure we don’t stay in… It goes without saying then; if they have a launch party to celebrate, I’m going to be the first one out!
Little Lexi x
The Brand New DJ
BPM MAGAZINE 2009
It goes without saying that we’ve been brought up in a brand new world. Never before has life been so fast, so convenient, so at your service, at your finger tips, at the push of a button -or the flick of a knob. And, whether you’re a proud member of Generation X or Generation Y or skip merrily on the blurred line between the two, (it’s somewhere in the 80’s and I’m blaming Madonna- can the women please stop behaving like an adolescent!) we’re all part of a society that wants it all, and in fact, we wanted it yesterday!
This very much goes for the influx- I’d rather call it spawn- (simply because it sounds like a spreading disease) of new musicians chasing instant fame and success, who so badly want to be the hottest thing since sliced Electro was dubbed ‘Fidget’, that they’re literally making up a whole realm to their musical empire before they’ve even produced the goods! Literally!
They’ve got the reasonably trendy band or performer name; if you need help selecting it, something with the words funk, groove, super or bass jammed in somewhere usually works. They bought the self-actualising set up; all you need is a DJ-In-A-Box! They’ve got the pimped out MySpace page- this pretty much makes it official; ‘Welcome! You are now a musician, you are number 1, 965 447 281 in the quest for superstardom and we’re going to help you get your big break!’ Well, there’s no time to wait around hoping to be discovered… So, they set up their own record label; you really just need to give it a ‘we’re serious about music’ sounding name and complimenting logo.
Then, it’s all about the biography: A musical genius from the age of 3, they were divinely influenced by the advancements of technology and were making mix tapes as birthday gifts for their cousins and friends at the age of 9. At 13 they were raving in some of the meanest underground clubs with their older brother who just happened to be big mates with DJ Whatwhat. Dj Whatwhat himself taught them how to play and gave them their first pair of decks at 16 and now, at the tender age of 21, they’re a musical sensation, with their own unique and distinguished sound. They’ve played with every almost famous DJ and their dog and watch this space; this is only the beginning!
WARNING: You have now entered DJ-By-Numbers territory; please ensure you’re shades are correctly positioned, you’re picture poses are down pat and that for the life of you, you actually can match a beat or two (For the latest edition of DJ’ing for Dummies, please visit Amazon.com). From here on out, it’s all about a bit of marketing savvy and Bam! Rob Riviera could soon be your DJ uncle!
And so there they were; standing in their bedrooms, strumming the jog wheel of their favourite tune on CD, headphones on, eyes closed, a vision of an elevated DJ box and 20 000 people running behind their eyelids… It was all going so well! They’d publically ‘gone underground’ and rumour had it they were working on ‘some serious shit’. The last thing they expected was this global outbreak of EverybodywantstobeaDJ Fever! The 2008 strain has been particularly serious- the 60’s equivalent of playing a guitar- it’s everywhere, it’s contagious! Their neighbour has it, their brother has it, even that science nerd down the road has it- oh wait, that was you!
They curse themselves, having spent too long mentally preparing slick answers to burning questions like, “Who do you consider the legendary DJ and producers of our time?” and “If you could take only 5 tracks to a deserted island, which would they be?” They’ve been put into a box (and not the one they were hoping for!) and are in somewhat of a panic. They’re wondering, “How can I stand out in this insipid DJ Generation?”, “How can I compete with this onslaught of mass music murderers?” Soon enough their webwhore girlfriends are on the networking sites, making groups, fan pages and start spamming the hell out of everyone about their plans for world domination! A little FYI; in this business it doesn’t say much, to be seen and not heard.
And that’s about where we’re at with that and it really is much ado about nothing. Many have already spun out of control and into oblivion. The others? Well, in time they will learn that less is more, they will see that slow and steady wins the race, and that there’s ‘always next year’. A real connection with and passion for music stands the test of time. If you’re life is music and music is life, then you may want to note- you’re already living the dream! The beat goes on in 2009!
Skinny Up The Boy
BPM MAGAZINE 2009
Let’s start with the great eyeliner debate. Now before you jump down my throat and protest that a mans’ ‘metro-sexuality’ must surely end well before the painting of nails and the gentle fainting of make-up, I’m only suggesting you explore the idea if only to develop opinions, of course, so there’s no- immediate- cause for concern or self defense! Seriously… masochism aside- would you or wouldn’t you? Let me break it down further; have you ever, in your own personal capacity, fantasised about applying a layer of kohl eyeliner to the rims of your eye lids? Too far huh? Well… If recent billion dollar cosmetics companies launching dedicated men’s facial and skincare ranges are anything to go by, you may start to wage that war of conflict (would it be a war?) to decide you’re personal stance on, say, The Manscara.
You snigger now- but I bet you didn’t really believe 5 years ago, that today you’d be a loyal consumer of their well rounded ‘mind-warm-up’ manipulation scheme. Yes, that’s Men’s facial scrubs, washes and moisturizers to you Sonny Boy! Fine, it’s a conspiracy theory of mine- but the fact your mind is now bashfully wandering over the bottles and tubes in your bathroom cabinet is my point exactly. And now that you’re silently arguing that ‘men have just as much right to look after their physical appearance beyond a shave and hair gel, only further proves my point- which is: My, how times are a changing!
Jared Leto is unapologetically the posterboy for eyeliner- and skinny jeans for that matter- and some ladies, myself included, can’t help but see the slanted sexual appeal to a boy that’s just too girly for his own good. There’s something so ‘I’m-already-so-hot-and-manly-and-I-know-it-so-I-can-look-like-a-girl-if-I-want-and-get-away-with-it’ about it that you can’t help but be slightly wooed by the sheer balls of it. But then, I confess, I am guilty of dating men a little more on the pretty side of ‘prettyboy’. I am seeking help for this, however, I draw the line at dating a guy who wear pants tighter than mine.
That out the way; this is not merely about the female or males perspective on wearing makeup, women generally, myself included, again, would rather not have to arm wrestle their boyfriend for the eye pencil each morning and likewise many men would rather use it to poke their eyeballs out- more than understandably so! But my theory spans beyond this.
Whilst men are being ‘softened’ up by marketing which enforces men to have preferences on a wider variety of lifestyle related topics- healthcare, fashion and even diets; women are being ‘manned’ up in a similar way by advertising that essentially bullies us into adopting a mans purchasing mentality. Women are buying faster cars, lifestyles and generally spending more than before- and they were spending more to begin with. Many women will admit to keeping up with men whilst drinking– or straight up drinking them under the table and thinking none too much about it, never mind that we’re still not genetically designed to do this. Before, it was men who received a public bad rap for rowdy, self indulgent behavior and the women who sat back and ‘tut-tutted’ over their testosterone charged irrationality. Just a few ways gender roles are changing in the 21st century.
But mostly I wanted to talk about men wearing make-up. Basically, cosmetic marketers sat about in a slow moving brain storm session one day, (having decided that women’s mascara had worked every potential marketing ploy possible- they can only be so long and so black), debating how to now extort the male market of more money- since men are severely lacking in leverage in the Consumer Kingdom. An artful and quirky guy called Fabio- or Arnold-, with rounded black specs, a slightly high-pitched voice and manicured fingertips suddenly announced with glee; “I know! Let’s convince manly-boys that it’s cool to be more… pretty?”And they rest, as they say, is now made in Italy and features prominently on the catwalks of Milan. Or something like that.
It seems in Europe, the UK and parts of Asia, men are ‘coming out’ en force to take advantage of the new fashion opportunities available to them- and for the first time, the Westernised front is lagging- they still wanna be ‘gansta yo!’ But men have long bitched about not having as many fashion choices as women and now that the closet doors have finally opened, revealing shorts, shirts and pants in more than two designs or four colour options; it really is to be seen weather (the proverbial) ‘he’ gets involved and gets creative.
Essentially, it’s less about feminism (I was merely having a dig) but more about liberation and gender equality- a coin that clearly flips both ways. Why should we ladies have all the fun and self expression? Grab a pencil and give it a whirl! Think about it… after all, you’re worth it too!
Get Out of My FaceSpace
BPM MAGAZINE 2007
So there I was; standing in the sweet and chip aisle of my local Spar, deliberating, quiet seriously, the flavour of microwave popcorn to munch during my Grey’s Anatomy’s session that evening- when it happened: A girl I’d gone to high school with walked past me- she very clearly looked me in the eyeballs, recognised me, yet averted her gaze and kept walking. Now, I didn’t know her very well then and possibly hadn’t seen her since we’d all shed fake tears at our final assembly four years back, but only a mere week ago her face appeared in my virtual world pledging ‘facebook friendship’ and I had dually accepted.
And though it had occurred to me that this situation might one day come into play; the distraction of butter, cheddar and a prospective hour of McDreamy proved too much for me to react as I should have.
Regaling the story later in-between ad breaks and mouthfuls of deliciously processed cheddar flavoured popcorn, my good and usually level headed friend Toni and I indulged in some ridiculous ‘You should have…’ scenarios in response to this real world injustice: I could have A.) Sent packets of popcorn hurtling down the aisle with the speed and precision of ninja stars and condemned her to a life without a face to read any book in future. -A little morbid- not quite my style. B.) Yelled down the passage after her “You’re mother’s a pornstar on myspace too bitch- did you know that?” And raced home to vindictively renounce her friend status on my profile. Erm… and then a replay on Jerry Springer? No thanks! Although, I’m sure the “Get Out Of My Facespace” episode will air soon!- that definitely calls for butter- and maybe even home-popped corn at that! Or C.) Stopped her and asked, “Excuse me, you look familiar- did I see you vomiting outside Cubana a few weeks ago? And watched in glee as she squirmed to explain her likeness to me. That one would have been most fun, but I put the inner bitch away and chose D.) Abandon both myspace and facebook until this feeling of dementia subsides.
I lasted 2 days.
Now; you’re either laughing at this and thinking “Is this chick serious?” or you’re gasping and wondering how on earth I held off for so long and survived to tell the tale. If you’re the latter- it’s possible you, like me (though I hardly consider this a confessional) possess an addiction of the nastiest kind- one that affects you’re state of mind and wastes you’re time more than the dependency of any drug on earth- only it’s legal and costs just a monthly internet connection fee and bandwidth allowance. (Your mothers jewelry and you’re best friends dvd player are thus safe until further notice.) Yes, you my friend are a Facespace Addict!
And now, the Facespace debate:
Facebook was originally created to ‘bond students and alumni in universities in the US’- yea right, this bonding session has already seen teachers and students expelled from their respective campus’s for inappropriate behavior- don’t you love America? Facebook is mostly local networking- connecting you to people you don’t see often- and, unfortunately, people you were more than ok with never seeing again. Pros: Local is lekker and we can now follow the daily incest in our lives from the front row. Cons: Those ridiculous applications- I mean Vampires? Are you serious? Supposed links to the American government and CIA suggest we’re being watched. I don’t know which is worse? I’m going to go with the Vampires- the idea of being watched is kinda kinky… Facebook is most famed for introducing ‘The Poke’- a nudge greeting that says “I thought of you but couldn’t be bothered to say hi”.
Myspace was to be used as a platform for breakthrough musicians looking for exposure- but is now criticised for being too heavily associated with certain record labels. Myspace’s networking is more borderless but career oriented- creative entrepreneurs, exposure for musicians and labels and people that actually want to blog and have someone- anyone?- in the world read it. Pros: Personalising your profile. I don’t care what anyone says- I still think Myspace is cool. Con’s: There was some serious hacking and spamming a while back but it’s subsided! Myspace is most famed for: Making that slapper, Tila Tequila, famous for being a naked trashbag with a big mouth and America’s obsession with Tom- I don’t get it either!
Whichever stimulates your compulsion, their intent on improving our communication and quality of life has become the technological drain of our existence- we are officially living virtually and having manic depressions and public withdrawal from over-communicating as a result- or is it just me?
But, we’re loving every second of it- Facebook just informed me; a couple I’m friends with has broken up- again- they’re having it out on the Comment Walls… And the microwave just went ‘ping!’
The Maximising of Minimal Media Coverage
BPM MAGAZINE 2007
Before its claim to the dancefloor of fame and its reign as “The New Black” in the EDM Industry, minimal was just an ordinary adjective used to describe something in very small amount. An example in a sentence is; “The Dance Music Industry receives minimal coverage in the South African media” or how about; “Minimal respect is given to the South African Club Culture”? The word can even be simplified further; “The open mindedness of the South African media is min.” Wait a minute, I think we could be onto something here…
I discovered an article called “A Techno Minimalist for Anti-Minimalists“, by Nightlife Journalist for The New York Times, Kelefa Sanneh. The article; an intriguing and informative examination of the oddly vacant, highly fascinating genre of Minimal House, spurred and inspired me to take a look into South Africa’s media conglomerates and their support of our Dance Music Industry. Only to find none…
In South Africa, such topics in music and nightlife entertainment are not considered newsworthy, both by the media and society at large. Hell, who are we kidding? The Dance Music Industry isn’t even acknowledged or considered a viable category of entertainment, never mind have dedicated segments in the daily or weekly papers! The thought of our very own super Star publishing an article about, say; international trends affecting the local dance scene, would have the entire Y-generation (as we’re so affectionately dubbed) up in arms of celebration, raving on our car bonnets- glowsticks and all- in the traffic. The rest of the country, however, would be choking on their Ouma rusks at breakfast, and Ouma herself would be having heart palpitations, “Tsk”ing loudly and muttering, “The youth of today… what is this world coming to?”
It is assumed published content like this would suggest the media supports and condones this “unnecessary carousing after dark”, justified by the incessant negative angle in any nightlife news published- on the odd occasion it actually is. So now and then a bouncer makes an unruly patron bite the pavement… Yea, the thought leaves a bad taste in my mouth too, but the 200 people or so who can now party safely inside the club are all the better for it. Incidents like this have stirred up a few headlines and a couple of bereaved mothers and ready cynics rallying about “rebellious youth antics” But in the same vein, the police might kick the shit out of a red handed burglar and protect the whole population… and that’s ok… right? I say; just tell your son to behave, ma’am!
Our media needs to focus on and “define” the positive aspects and elements of The Dance Music Industry and our incredible clubbing culture, so those on the outside, looking in (and frowning in ignorance), can be aided in understanding what this is all about.
Is that too much to ask? Are all our media outlets, with all their “freedom of speech” too politically and crime oriented- and decidedly dark- to pay attention to and focus on something that is positive, empowering, thriving and for Gods sake, inspiring us people? -The people in the most difficult target market to reach; the bracket most numbed by advertising and immune to the sales pitch? It’s because we’re listening to house music you fools! – And since you won’t give us a decent radio station, we’re listening to it on podcasts, mp3 players and CD’s; in our cars, at our work desks, while we study, jog, gym, eat and sleep- You can’t touch us! And you should be spending every waking moment trying to find a way in!
And are you seriously telling me there is not one single house head on the staff of any of these mediums to punt the dance culture? Dude, I know you’re out there… somewhere inside the concrete slabs that form Caxton or the SABC; secretly downloading beats from Limewire, whilst putting on a corporate face and nodding about the proposed OBE education system. – Electronic Dance Music is a billion dollar industry! It’s a mammoth sub culture; a movement that needs to be documented, recorded and reported on! It’s changing our generation from the roots of our souls and redefining what we call “music to our ears”! When is the media going to “coin” onto this and support, market and promote it?
I mean, come on! – Our media can’t even make Pop Idols seem cool, yet it’s America’s number 1 show! The lack of attention and respect towards the music industry in general; from the events, the music, the artists, producers and DJs who make it happen, to the people who grind holes of support and dedication into the dancefloors around the country, whether through moshing or stomping up a storm, harms and insults our amazing talent before they’ve even tried! This disinterest and disdain severely puts South Africa on a back-peddle in terms of cultivating and maintaining our country’s music industry. The media is supposed to be about publishing what is in the public’s interest and what interests the public; you wanna talk about “sustainable development”? Well, it starts right here baby!
I think it’s about time the media jump to our beat. The people’s love of Dance music and clubbing in South Africa is far from minimal and far from minimising anytime soon. We are the people, this is our culture; get involved! The media means that be need to maximise their mindset, supe’ up their support and come dance with us already! We’ll welcome them to our dancefloor with a smile and a simple, “It’s about time you came to the party!”
