One of the great things about Kodwo Eshun's book is that he doesn't just analyze the music but the cover art, liner notes, handbills, etc surrounding it. For example, Herbie Hancock's "Thrust" LP cover shows him in a spaceship with a piano keyboard as the controls; silly as it is, it influences what you hear. Also, since techno has no stars (excepting Moby), more attention becomes focused on the packaging (like EP labels) and graphics and a mystique is created that way (e.g. Detroit's Underground Resistance). An example of what Eno is talking about: after 9/11 my co-workers and I were taking a van from lowest Manhattan to above Canal Street. One night "smooth jazz" was playing in the van and somebody made fun of it. Another guy said, "Hey, man, that's Miles!"--totally offended. Yes, it was, his 80s version of Michael Jackson's Human Nature. Actually this may be an example of where even Miles's mystique couldn't save him. That piece SUCKS.
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- tom moody 1-24-2003 3:41 am