The Music Journey
​Early Days
Expanding Interests
​Prime years
Grunge and Blues
Electronic Evolves Too!
The Pandemic Period
Today
The Future....
Memories of stacking 45's into playlists filled the early days of my youth. A passion was born from a wide range of music...early rock such as the Beatles, Turtles, Eagles, and the Rolling Stones to more eclectic music of the time like the Bee Gees, Kenny Rogers, and so many others. Even visiting grandparents, it was common to hear the record player playing the likes of Frank Sinatra or Jim Neighbors.
People came in and out of my life through my youth, continuing to introduce me to old and new alike. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimmy Hendrix, Queen, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, LoverBoy, Bob Seger, and others. It was also the birth of the music video era. MTV introduced music videos from Adam Ant to ZZ Top. The music video era expanded and evolved through artists such as Phil Collins, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and George Clinton. Pop, Funk, early R&B and Hip-Hop, and Dance, began to lean on the past to create new sounds.
Ground-breaking music was the norm during this peroid! Grand Master Flash, Beastie Boys, Prince, Bon Jovi, and Gun 'n Roses were just a few of the many new artists and groups filling enthusiast's ears. Hip-Hop music and early electronic started to flourish, like De La Soul, Kraftwerk, Moroder, and Frankie Knuckles. I was enthralled! I was at an age where I could start exploring live shows, my first concert (and still my favorite of all time) being Faith No More's Angel Dust tour. I feel so lucky to have seen them at the State Theater in Detroit (now called the Filmore).
The evolution didn't stop. Alternative rock began to flourish. The likes of Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Mother Love Bone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, and Sonic Youth added new their own, unique sounds to the genre. Rock continued to evolve, as we saw collaborations like Run DMC and Aerosmith. Dire Straights added a flare of country and pop to traditional rock. Blues, reggae, and rock blurred into an alternative sound with artists like Ben Harper and Bim Sherman. Rap music pushed the boundaries of music sampling. Dr Dre, 2Pac, Wu-Tang, Snoop, and Outkast were early additions. Explicit lyrics and expression from artists like 2 Live Crew further challenged the norms. Electronic music also touched the harder sound of rock and heavy metal through sounds from Front 242, Skinny Puppy, and Utah Saints becoming mainstream with the introduction of Nine Inch Nails.
Life has a way of taking you where you least expect it and music was no exception. The industry and how we were consuming media was beginning to evolve. CD's were the most common medium but digital music began to take over similar to the record, tape, and then CD evolution. Records were largely for house DJ's or mixing/scratching. Album compellations were largely replaced by digital singles. There were many new artists creating compilations that would have a major impact on me, though. Eminem, Michael Franti, Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, and Green Day, just to name a few, brought their own flare and sound, however, there weren't many new or revitalized genres except in one area....electronic.
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House music was branching into sub-genres. Techno came alive and what better area to be in than in Southeast Michigan. It took a little over an hour to get to Detroit from where I lived at the time, but it didn't keep me away. Clubs and warehouse parties thrived in the D. DJ Minx, Derrick May, and Richie Hawtin were regulars. Windsor, Toledo, and Cleveland were also relatively close. DJ's from all over circulated popular clubs in the region like Motor, Bleu, and Metropolis. Local artists went international like Kenneth Thomas and Anthony Atalla The beauty of electronic music was the sheer number of creative sounds filling the clubs. Above & Beyond, Armin Van Buuren, John Acquaviva, Bad Boy Bill, Cosmic Gate, Deadmau5, and soooo many others!
During COVID, streaming DJ's became popular at a time when interest in atypical night clubs had already started to wane. DJ's like Miss Monique, Flavour Trip, and Tinzo gained popularity during this trend. Cercle, who had already started exploring unique environments for DJ performances across a gamut of genre's expanded their popularity during this period. Some of my favorites from Cercle include Boris Brejcha, Ben Bohmer, Fat Boy Slim, WhoMadeWho, Eli and Fur, Monolink, and Bodzin. Already popular artists such as Hot SInce 82, Cosmic Gate, Sultan and Shepard, Camelphat, and Prok and Fitch, began using the medium to stay connected to their audiences.
The unsatiable appetite for more music continues, stretching into other unique genres, all while technology brought quality, yet inexpensive, music production into homes. Artists/groups such as Deluxe, Wetleg, Jungle, and Khruangbin continue to dazzle with their uniqueness. Artists like Troye Sivan, Chappell Roan, and Billie Eilish from the LBGTQ+ community bring their sound, style, and social voices to the forefront. Taylor Swift continues to make her mark, using her fame to be a positive role model for so many!
Electronic music continues to evolve as online streaming's influence has renewed interest in attending unique music events. Festivals and local parties continue to gain popularity as audience venue preferences shift. DEMF (Movement), Tec-Troit, Electric Forest, and day parties by Detroit House Collective are reinventing the scene while local clubs like TV Bar, Orchid Theater, and Spotlite, continue to elevate the traditional experience.
​We continue to see this evolution, so who knows what changes tomorrow will bring to electronic music and/or the scene. My goal, regardless, is to continue to expand my own exposure and use those experiences to tailor my own sound and sets.
One takeaway from my journey continuing to motivate me to bring music to audiences is how music can make life better. It encourages us to feel. It doesn't allow us to ignore what's going on...inside or out! It embraces us, guides us, opens our minds, and most importantly opens our hearts!
