back-words... just a thought...

Wednesday, August 8, 2007
just a thought...
i saw a conversation starting up online the other day. it was in regards to whether the edm scene in baltimore, md was still in existence or not. the writer claimed it was not. he wanted this to be discussed and since i disagreed with his assessment, i gave it some thought and wrote him back. i still have not received a reply, which does not surprise me as i rarely do find replies to my essays and tomes.

here was my reply:

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the existence of bmore's edm scene is far more acknowledgeable than that of northern va. in the nova area, one can find a scant few locations with decent events, however for the most part, nova residents must in variably drive into dc or md to attend quality events. hyperreal's seraves folded. va was technically part of that grouping. va has to rely on dc and md resources for the 411 on events that arent even in the va area, which is still far better than driving hrs south down to richmond or blacksburg. you may not like the state of being the bmore edm scene has digressed to, but it is far better than what va has. many would presume the area to be in a slow, steady downward spiral. many are in denial of that idea and suggest it is merely a poor assessment.

in the past i have tried to rally up spirit for our community to see who would wish to join together to make our scene thrive. every time i am mocked as a jaded old raver, i am told to shut up, i am told nobody cares about the greater point of my discussion, and while i am not going to give up on edm culture, i have determined that it is currently pointless to struggle with a specific community that doesnt wish to help themselves because they openly dont care.

greater metropolitan areas are an absolute struggle to survive in- everyone wants the big names and forgets that sometimes big talent resides in a lesser known or an unknown; the city does very little to foster growth of the up and coming artist and preoccupies itself with being a hub, or mecca of stars passing through in the midst of whirlwind tours across the nation. big cities want big names.

i have been struggling to put myself out there on the circuit for over a decade. i have to rely in selling my own work and promoting myself by the cheapest means possible to struggle for any success. i have yet to be welcomed to any crew to join forces in any collaborative effort. everything i do, i do on my own. when i dont get feedback, returned calls, or a warm reception, i know ppl have decided in favor of something else that tickles their fancy. a lot of the time, its all about who is going to be the flavor of the month. naturally i question if thats a community i wish to be part of, however its the only community available to me and it becomes my community so i keep trying in hopes that someday someone decides they wish to give me a chance to blow their minds...

yes, there is an edm scene in baltimore. could it be better? sure! could it get worse? much worse... however rallying spirit doesnt really work. i suppose if i were scott henry or lonnie fisher ppl might be more inclined to listen. ppl might be more inclined to listen if i were even melzie, but im none of those ppl. instead i am me and theyve decided they dont me voicing that opinion. thats how it is- sometimes you win, sometimes you lose...
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i really cant comment any further beyond what ive already said in this note. anything further would be repetition, and i could easily talk myself in circles over this and not get anywhere. what does make someone's opinion more credible than another's? around here it doesnt seem to matter what the opinion is, but rather the reputation of who states it. three ppl could say the same thing, one might get boo'ed, one might get ignored, and one might be cheered for such an innovative thought, and yet all three ppl delivered the same speech. youre right, that does sound hypocritical. unfortunately hypocrisy is highly prevalent in bigger cities. somehow, i get labeled as wave-maker, old and jaded, clown, or a myriad of even more unfortunate terms simply because i do not bear the same reputation. how does one attain such prestige? i dont really know because ive been contributing to the scene for over a decade and a lot of ppl in my community still have the same opinion. somehow i missed the magic credential that makes my opinion acceptable, or maybe i have it, but my community has missed it. i dunno... im not concerned as long as someone gets the greater point...

in short, my reply may be a counter to the claim that the scene is dead, but it is also a wake up call, like so many of my other wake up calls. save net radio. save edm. save the rave... wake up, rally your community, and take a stand or it will all be gone before you know it and you wont be able to bring it back... dubtribe once said: "reclaim your house nation." i believe that battle cry can easily be rephrased as reclaim your edm nation. if you dont rise up together it will be lost forever. cant you feel it? wont you help heal it?