Slog - Comments on Minimal Nation http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation Jeff Mills above: Robert Hood below. From Mills we get Waveform Transmission - Volume 1 (1992). From Hood we get Minimal Nation (1994). What drew these black American artists to minimalism (or modernism) is it's logic to break from narrative and to escape from culture--in sum to become inhuman. Why would black artists want to revolt against humanity, which is what techno music is (a techno rebellion), which is what its first song, "Clear" (1982), celebrates--the end (clearing) of humanity? Because the history of civilization has been the history of white supremacy. Narrative power has never been black power, and... Copyright 2008 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 11:55:32 -0800 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:38:36 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by NaFun Goddammit, why does modern have to mean a fucking box? Can we move away from the cube as the end-al, be-all expression of architectural progress? Please don't equate techno with boxy modern building styles (dancing about architecture!), Techno is far more hypnotic than these FLW wannabes...

]]> NaFun http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780079 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780079 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:07:05 -0800 Comment by Nick Charles, what the fuck is that Osaka thing at the end. It is incredible.

]]> Nick http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780093 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780093 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:12:00 -0800 Comment by brandon i completely disagree with the narrative being the least compelling thing about drexciya. to the contrary, that story is what sets them apart from every other techno act, and you can feel that narrative bubbling through each of drexciya's "7 waves", despite an almost complete lack of words to tell the story. best electronic act ever - and few who agree with that statement would cast aside the narrative as not compelling.

]]> brandon http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780110 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780110 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:18:25 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe Promises?

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780122 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780122 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:28:33 -0800 Comment by Fnarf The mainstream rejected techno because it's like listening to the refrigerator hum, only louder. No, actually less interesting than that.

Modernism is the fullest expression of 1953.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780132 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780132 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:31:09 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi So what draws white artists to minimalism/modernism?

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780202 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780202 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:04:17 -0800 Comment by monkey Black = good, White = bad.

Got it, thanks for the clarification.

]]> monkey http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780234 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780234 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:19:46 -0800 Comment by kanzleramt Fnarf is a twat who does not know what he is talking about.
Doubt he's ever heard a proper techno tune in his life.

]]> kanzleramt http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780238 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780238 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:21:46 -0800 Comment by Bison Given the obvious and persistent effort that Charles puts into being provocative, it's a bit depressing seeing him fail so utterly at being anything but banal.

]]> Bison http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780273 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780273 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:44:16 -0800 Comment by Dougsf Techno is not rebellion. At its most cerebral, you might convince me it's "recontextualization" of technology or music or culture or ZZZzzzzzzz... but really only because that could mean anything, and not becusse it's true.

I don't think there's anything racial or political about black American techno artist not being more popular... to anyone but ardent fans of the genre, it's dance music created by the nameless and faceless, to be heard only in clubs or blasting from convertible Mustangs. Hardly a formula for American super-stardom.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780306 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780306 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:58:27 -0800 Comment by Sto Jeff Mills still likes to tell a story. Check out any of his live recordings!

The tracks on his records are just elements to be stitched together. By themselves they have no progression, in the same way that a word is not a sentence. In his heyday, that was where techno was really at. Things have moved on a bit since, much like your fridge Mr fnarf :)

]]> Sto http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780312 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780312 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:01:51 -0800 Comment by Bellevue Ave chaz fucks with drexciya and loses.
what is the most compelling part of drexciya dumbass, if not their image and story?

]]> Bellevue Ave http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780359 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780359 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:20:19 -0800 Comment by Bellevue Ave and learn how to spell names of references you talentless hack.

]]> Bellevue Ave http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780385 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780385 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:26:37 -0800 Comment by Fnarf I bought a Squarepusher CD once. That's jungle, not techno, right? I can't tell them apart. People have tried, but it's all just one big thumping sound to me. The buzzing, speeding drums were funny, though. I can see how they would appeal to someone who has bees living in their head.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780635 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c780635 Arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 15:58:17 -0800 Comment by Big Sven Chuck's text always makes me want to throw myself down a well ("the history of civilization has been the history of white supremacy"- tell that to the Chinese), but man are those pictures beautiful.

]]> Big Sven http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c781016 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c781016 Arts Fri, 10 Aug 2007 08:29:15 -0800 Comment by Bellevue Ave fnarf, you either get it or you don't like as was explained to me with fashion.

its like why i dont get why people think bob dylan is great when I just find he mumbles a lot.

]]> Bellevue Ave http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c781136 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/minimal_nation#c781136 Arts Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:38:36 -0800