Tracing the history of electronic music is a mind-boggling undertaking — hundreds of sub-genres that seem to be constantly morphing into a newer, hotter incarnation. 3Bits (a Spanish company that specializes in interface design) has created an interactive map / experience of electronic music history. They used Processing, the data-viz programming language invented by infographics [...]
Finding a Voice (Interview of Tim Eriksen)
Earlier I posted a quote from my December 2009 interview of singer Tim Eriksen on Transgressions. That selection described his strategic definition of the Anglo-American repertoire he performs as a solo artist as “Northern Roots” (he also performed with punk rock band Cordelia’s Dad and Bosnian pop band Zabe i Babe). Eriksen’s passion (and meal [...]
Another interesting article on Rai (from Hawgblawg)
Another interesting article on Rai that dispels or at least “problematizes” some of the widely-accepted ideas about Rai as a genre (at least our conceptions of Rai in the West). I don’t agree with everything Ted (Swedenburg) writes but most of it is spot-on. From Ted’s Hawgblawg, which is always interesting and often provocative — [...]
The Cheb Nasro Story — Interview of “Lovers’ Rai” Star by Abdel Halim El Hachimi (Tales from Bradistan blog)
Lovers’ (or Sentimental) Rai is the least studied and least appreciated style of Rai outside of Algeria. It had none of the markers of the other Rai styles that captivated Western audiences and commentators — it was not “traditional,” a “music of protest,” and did not show “World Music eclecticism” — but it was the [...]
“Northern Roots,” “Americana,” “Traditional Music” — The Strategic Nature of Genre Definition
Recently I interviewed singer Tim Eriksen and among the subjects we touched upon was his creation of the genre label “Northern Roots” for the mix of traditional Angl0-American music he performs (he also works in other genres, including punk, jazz and Bosnian pop). The quote below highlights the strategic considerations of genre definition for musicians, particularly [...]
"Postmodern Traditional Music"
Postmodern Traditional Music How Tim Eriksen became perhaps the only musician to play with both Kurt Cobain and Doc Watson. By Jeffrey Callen Without doubt, Tim Eriksen is one of the most original American singers working today. Once you hear his voice, it is impossible to forget; its richness and intensity seem hauntingly appropriate whether he [...]
