Ok, why do I post here?
Because StoneBridge have always ment something good to me.
But,
what IS happening with todays House music, Really?
I'm from Amsterdam and been following, and been involved in the club buisness for a long long time.
I've gone through the recent pack of DJ demos.
Everything from Roman Salzger to Freemasons.
I have to say that that it is DEPRESSINGS to hear such low amount of creativity in todays Club music.
Everyone with the same(saw pluck) sounds (does it really get down to the same Vegeance Sample CD's?),
and everone trying to copy everyone's sound.
AND everyone is afraid to sticking out, doing something different,
THE worst attitude towards the life of clubmusic ever.
OK; I'm ranting here. But this is the StoneBridge forum.
Stonebridge that brought something new and exciting with his productions,
1990
EVERY TIME
but now with the label is bringing us just crap music (dumb dan for example),
it's just such a David Beckham,- "I do such great things". kind of period,
and it feels like the SOUL (SOUL SOUL SOUL, hello does anyone remember feelings)
in the music have disapeared.
Tragic storys.
Listen to the lasted DJ pack of music and it's ALL the same music.
And you probably justify it with saying "HEY, IT WORKS ON THE FLOOR!"
But why is it really working on the floors, it's because there is no one trying the break the trend and doing something different. My god Is this really the club climat we want?
Is it really just only money the producers are after,
that so CLREARLY shines through in all these tracks,(?)
And I want to end this rant with another question, on the same theme;
Where is the FUN these days?
Listen to guys like John Dahlback, - he's bringing just a sad attidue in the tracks.
Where is the fun, why have we mixed up the warehouse rave music with the proper (fun loving) house music?
Intriguing post as terms like 'saw pluck' and 'Vengeance' reveals that it's someone quite clued up and specialist.
I won't defend myself as I feel this criticism is not totally aimed at me personally and I can agree with what you're saying to some extent as I get bored to tears with loads of promos I get, but I want to point out that Stoney Boy isn't and has never been all about me. I pick up tracks from upcoming producers that I like and think are fun to play. I do remixes of some, re-edits (this is a good opportunity to clear up that an edit is not a remix, but a version based on the original with some moving around in the arrangement) of others and sometimes I just release them as is. When it comes to the Dumb Dan track, I think you are dead wrong. There's not a saw pluck in sight and it has a very unique vocal drop and piano. It's the release that has got the best feedback in recent years actually.
The label would be about 20% of my musical output and the rest is about 50% remixes and 30% own productions and artist releases. With the latter two, I always do vocal mixes and ironically, I get most criticism for being too musical and old school. I love music and what I do and will keep on doing it as long as I enjoy it. When it becomes a 9-5 I will quit right away.
Cheer up now anonymous and come to one of my shows and I'll show you how much fun we have!
First of all, good post. I agree with you partially, there is really not much creative producers as for today, I am hella missing 2000-2004 times, a lot of proper tunes came in these years and I think that was the most creative years ever.
For example what happened to Robbie Rivera (I still can't understand what kind of music he is making now, he was doing super-funky-banging tunes), Axwell (he had amazing funky style and absolutely each of his production until 2004 rocked, I am missing him so much), DJ Tonka (very sad that he turned to some weird style after the break, he had very unique and driving disco house style, my absolute all time favourite) and this is just to name a few.
As for today there is really much boring and monotonic production, almost everyone follows "Deadmau5 style", after his track "Not Exactly" you can find his sound in most of other producers, that "Michael Mind" style is obviously awful and I see much of producers "got sick" of this sound too.. Now what about "Show Me Love" who was most wonderful tune ever and it was fucked up so much after many remixes, bootlegs, edits and re-edits, I think not only for me it is a headache now.
Can't agree with you about Dumb Dan - it's top quality tune! And you are right about John Dahlback.
Thank god that Stone is faithfully in his funky frame and still doing just fine so far
If you are after some good time funky house producers check out some of these guys.
E-Squire, Bassmonkeys, Moto Blanco, Solitaire, Sound Conducterz, Auckland House Authority, Jolyon Petch, Elektrik Disko. They are all still making good funky house music if that is what you are after.
It's still out there, people still making it House.
The thing is kids these days grew up with a different vibe and are not educated in the history of what was. They all want it tough harder and dirtier these days.
Its still there you just gotta look for it, just because it's no longer commercial doesn't mean its dead.
I think someone's life just got the "old" switch temporarily flipped on. That rant is something I've heard for at least ten years. "House music was so much better back when..."
The bit about music all sounding the same shows that a style of music has changed and moved outside one's familiarity zone. Play classical music or dancehall reggae or house for somebody who doesn't listen to that type of music and they'll always say, "Nice but... it all sounds the same." Sometimes the music evolves in a way that's different from what one has grown used to. We're used to a certain sound and style, expect it, and when something new comes along, instead of opening our ears, just write it off as crap and think it all sounds the same. When I was younger, every Orbital album I bought always left me a little disappointed at first because they always evolved their sound. I always fell in love with the sound of their previous incarnation. It took a few listens - sometimes a lot - before I could accept how brilliant and different their new sound was.
It's pretty difficult I think to keep one's sense of music evolving. Good music is always out there.
re: DJ Freak, that "driving disco house style" is still my fave. Absolutely love it.
6-7 years from now, there's going to people posting "Why don't we have anyone producing tracks like they did in 2009? Stuff like Dumb Dan and Stonebridge produced. That was real music not this garbage we have now."
KV - I couldn't agree more. I think you summed that up perfectly. Plus people are always going to criticise regardless, but I think what really needs to be done is appreciate that we are constantly striving to find "that new sound" like in a particular episode of the Mighty Boosh.
There are also so many different genres under 'house' now that I don't really know what is what anymore, so I just play what I think sounds good and what people will like.
But I do know there is really good stuff out there, but you just have to search a bit for it as there are so many Producers nowadays.
On that note though, there were some good old days when I was getting into it all, around 1995/6, but then I'm still having some really good NEW days now.
I hope that makes sense....
