luddite or technocrat?

Perhaps not "ELECTRONICA" but electronics themselves certainly rule all music. Even much-vaunted "acoustic" music uses electronic recording, equalisation, etc.

I didn't mean it that literally, K. "electronica" was a stupid catch- all term used by journalists (in the US anyway) when they finally woke up to the existence of popular non-rock-based music.

I was born to rock — by which I mean, I'm so old that rock was Wot It Woz when I wuz yoof, and so I haf far more emotion bound up in it than whatevah intelleXoR I want or hunt in "electronica" — but basically I think it's in the same position that Trad Jazz was in in the late 40s, being eclipsed WildArt-wise by bebop and WildPop-wise by R&B (then still called Jump) — ie still on the menu (and a power in many hearts) for long years, but essentially dwindling and embattled. [cf also the g,b,d,v thred?]

I hate to be a bore (though force of habit and all that) but the Luddites were the most forward thinking people of the Industrial Revolution (their objection wasn't to Technology or Progress but Mechanisation)

Anyway, what do you mean nothing changed on Jan 1, 2000? *swallows protein pill*

1) no, pretty much all became true. 2) what return to rock&roll? Not The Str*k*s you mean? (I like them btw) 3) yeah, there are extreme positions, there also bridges. 4) yeah whatever, 2000 was a bit slow, 2001 = the best year in music since 345 B.C.

By electronica you mean the chemical brothers and the prodigy and so on, groups that were supposed to be invading the US a few years back? I mean in Europe at least , most of the crap in the charts is straight from the dance floor, from "eye-bee-fa", or at least the sounds are nicked from hip hop and techno. As for alternative music, I still think that most journos in alternative/indie journals think that although electronic music is fun and wacky and squelchy ( Aphex Twin, Kid 606, mego, mouse on mars) , anything really substantial will consist of white kids with guitars. I think they've always had this notion and so they desperately hype up anything that fits the description and doesn't smell of poo. Maybe this is cause of the target audience for this music, which I think is fading. I guess they haven't got over Punk or the 60s or the 50s, even. Meanwhile the age group that is considered the most rebellious is 11-16, at least they are marketed as the most rebellious, and they all listen to nu-metal and read kerrang and will grow up to be chartered surveyors. Meanwhile, the revolution in music that occured in the summer of love, acid house, techno, warehouse parties, and so on, has been co- opted and marketed to fuck. The cutting edge of "electronica" seems to be stuff from mille plateaux, mego , touch, but can be a bit obscure for most palettes, more Wire fodder and occasional "look how cool we are" NME pieces. I'm beginning to think that it is very unhelpful to think of music progressing in a straight line anymore. People just seem to be doing what the fuck they want nowadays, more idiosyncratic, and the press really wants scenes that they can market and sell and get kudos so their paper isn't shut down by AOL-Time- Warner or whoever.