Photo via Georgina Cook
Let’s be clear: any and all disdain for that tepid Major Lazer album was not derived from stereotypical self-loathing engendered when lily-white hipster icons attempt to do dance hall. Case in point: “Portal,” off Kode9 & Space Ape’s 2006 Memories of the Future–a track that Hyperdub is giving away to promote the duo’s first ever American tour–one that shuffles with a gloomy crippled funk and effectively obviates the argument.
This is the difference between re-appropriating versus re-contextualizing. Fair use versus facsimile. Of course, this is more dubstep than dancehall, but the point’s the same: melanin matters less than forward motion, ideas far more than irony. This is the sort of spooky skronk that zombies really would dance to (yes Colin Bluntstone).
Download:
MP3: Kode9 & Spaceape-”Portal”
4 comments
dj sunshine says:
July 3, 2009 at 4:27 pm (UTC -7)
I found a lot to agree with in your major lazer review, but this is no answer. And it is just not dance music. Even zombies would not dance to this…though they might smoke a j to it.
Passion of the Weiss says:
July 3, 2009 at 6:04 pm (UTC -7)
That’s why I said this is more “Dubstep” than “Dancehall.” Also, this is definitely considered “Dance music,” though it might not be danceable.
If you know about Kode9 and what he’s done over the last decade, you’d see the parallels (imperfect ones sure, but parallels) with Diplo, but I didn’t have time to write a long essay about it.
Bongydread says:
September 24, 2009 at 5:01 am (UTC -7)
I dont see how comparing the two acts even is possible. Major Lazer does som great gimmicky pastiche sauce dancehall ala Swemix/Ace of Base in the ninties, but still hand it to them, there are some hot tunes on the album, what with the Hold the Line, and tht tune with Mr Vegas?
Or how about Zumbie? Must note too few splatterragga tunes coming out of Jamaica.
Kode &SPaceape are really in a seperate solar system, and there is really a heavy math argument to be made about the delivery into earspace.
Me says:
November 9, 2009 at 12:02 pm (UTC -7)
I REALLY hate Spaceape! He is a Jafakean and his lyrics are boring.