They're Joking, right?

It's 12:27 AM, which technically makes this Wednesday morning, but i made an executive decision to hold off a few hours until after i met with Bubbles to discuss the state of affairs in Portland Music.

The other day i searched for electronic music in Portland. I know it's out there. But, it sure as hell isn't in the public eye. What the media filters consider electronic music, and what's happening in the rest of the world electronically are... well, lets just be polite and say that Portland has no fucking idea what electronic music is. (And no, pdx isn't that progressively different. It's years behind.)

Electronic music is NOT:

Starfucker. I don't know what these people are listening to when they call a straight-ahead indie rock band electronic music. Is it because they use a keyboard? They don't even list themselves as electronic on their myspace page. They list themselves as straight up Pop. Yet, they keep getting reviewed as one of the greatest electronic acts around town. Guh?

I could go on and list all the bands i found searching through myspace and cdbaby, or from wweek, mercury and vanguard reviews, etc., that claim to be the best thing that's happened to electronic music since the invention of the computer. But, i won't because this blog would be 100 pages long, and none of those bands would be electronic music; an indie rock band with a drum machine and a looper is not electronic music. But, according to Portland, it is.

Another thing that i'm getting sick of, that's probably going to offend every american who listens to music... what the fuck is with Guitar, Bass, Drums, VX, and sometimes Keys. Still? Really? Is that the extent of our musical prowess?

Rock and Roll was 'invented' circa 1950. It's 2008. Rock and Roll is 58 years old. We've been listening to Guitar, Bass, Drums, VX and sometimes Keys for 58 years. Rock and Roll can join AARP. Rock and Roll can start making plans to retire and collect Social Security. I know people keep bitching that rock is dead. I think the problem is that it's not.

One thing that rock has going for it is that it's name is self promoting. A rock show can rock. A fast car can rock. Anything cool, “rocks.” If you go to an electronic show and it's really good, you still say it rocks. I think we need a specific slang for electronic music, having to do with electronic music, meaning 'awesome,' to be memed into general speech.

“Yo, how was the Prophetnoise show you went to?”
“Oh, that shit was fuckin' Binary! Bleepin' Binary!”

Ok, i don't know if calling things 'binary' or 'bleeping' will actually happen.

Either way, here's a bleepin binary song for you:

It's Coming

And one more thing before i go. There really are a lot of great local electronic musicians in this town. I don't want it to seem like i'm saying all the electronic musicians in Portland suck. Just the ones you hear and read about do.

<3 Noise!

Prophetnoise full length: Godless Music for a Free Mind CDBaby and iTunes.
Prophetnoise EP Orange & Silver on CDBaby and iTunes
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