I was thinking this week about where we are. You see I have been traveling through this conflict over the past few years about the actual stasis of the dance scene in NZ.
... its mostly cause I'm guilty of complaining about it .. (you know the old school talking about the old school) .. so today I turned around and started thinking about what I used to 'imagine ' for the dance scene vs. what we 'have' now.
Well it gets pretty simple right about now, because what we have is wicked getting stronger and that is the sum of what I imagined it to be.
In my day no one made his or her own tunes, no one could afford 1200's and there was only one record store. You would only hear dance on the airwaves one show a week. Dance parties were once every six weeks and Obscure was only about this high . ...
Today, like right now! There is a radio station in every center pumping the sounds. Clubs dedicated to specific styles of dance. We are even having mixing competitions for drum & bass, record stores are putting each other out of business and large global brands are trawling our local producers for talent to exploit.
Ack . the list goes on. The growth and expansion of electronic dance culture in NZ is unreal. Don't forget though globally dance music is still in the small corner, but without a doubt NZ has one of the 'truest' scenes in the planet.
This is the daringly beautiful scale of our dance culture in NZ.
Our size creates this intensity and scrutiny that in turn creates excellence and purity. This is voiced again and again by visitors who find our understanding and dedication on the floor unique. On the flipside our ideas and actions float close to the surface of the mainstream.
Unable to bury our selves deep in the underground of mass population our love for the music becomes an element in the identity and culture of the whole nation.
Where are we now? We are at the start of really discovering the value of the music and culture we have built.
What were we then? We were dreamers with no limits and no fears.
Hmm . so nothing has really changed !
So what you ganna do on your long weekend?
