Still on break from radio land but here's number two of the supplementary posts I've been meaning to get off my chest. With a fair amount of other straight techno shows on late night radio, I sometimes try to bring different side of electronic music. Growing up in New Jers I DJed my fair share of high school dances where when someone asked you to play club music, it meant basically the same three Cajmere tracks, none of which had anything to do with remixed top 40. Put crudely the difference was between "white people" and "black people" club music, the later sometimes called booty, ghetto tech, or quite simply, clUb (emphasis on the U). With "white people," or mainstream club tracks more accessible through distro and pop radio play, urban club styles have developed in small pockets surrounding cities, each city having it's own distinctive movement. But they aren't without their influence over one another. In Jers someone always had a cousin or brother or friend from someplace else that would hook it up with a tape and show them how they get down. It's not only the music, but the dance styles that truly define each ghetto tech scene. Word of mouth and tape trading has given way to the Internet and online battles over which dances and music make the style. I can't claim to be an expert on any one of these movements, but there are enough Youtube vids and tracks floating around for you to see for yourself what's going on in some of the club tracks Cher doesn't sing over. Here's a roundup of recent Internet artifacts I've found by city.
Chicago
Arguably the birthplace of ghetto club music as an offshoot of the early days of Chicago house. One thing for sure is that the music has gotten a whole lots faster, prompting some quicker moves to keep up. In Chicago, they Juke. Sometimes associated with grinding your junk, most of the time associated with straight footwork. Check this out.
Another city claiming to be ghetto tech's origin, but this time with Detroit techno as a main influence. The Chicago/Detroit connection is strong as seen through DJ Godfather's Databass label. Detroit music and moves are more technical and some claim they started the whole footwork game too.
This shit is extra fast: Names: DJ Assault, DJ Godfather
Tristate rep
Hate to group New York and Philly but I don't know enough about either one to differentiate. Jers also has to get in there cuz that's where I came up. While I've seen Chicago and Bmore tracks role through these cities and suburbs there also a handful of NY, Pilly, and Newark Brick City producers making club tracks. The dancing going on lately is strictly "Wu Tang." The name might come from the Karate like nature of the dance, or maybe some Wu remixes, but either way cats are duking it out in the club and on YouTube trying to see who can Wu Tang better then who. The signature Wu Tang track, a chopped up percolator beat with added vocals, comes from DJ Taj who I think is actually out of Alabama.
Actually getting a lot of press and play all over the place right now, Baltimore has a deep history of home grown music. Even their hip hop is pretty distinctive. Somewhere between the northeast and dirty south, the jump off on these tracks has spread in both directions. The battle over the proper way to "Rock Off" rages on over youtube, and while the Wiki is a bit bloated with people trying to fit their names in edgewise, the basics are there.
While each area may carry it's own flare, it's all these styles coming together that really makes up the Ghetto Tech movement. Miami bass and house are the two historical ingredients that keep this music quick and nasty, but nowadays even the sub genres are being mashed and blended together. This post merely scrapes the surface of the latest goings on, the story goes much deeper. Thanks to some posted audio, video, and trash talk, the ghetto tech scene continues to progress over the net. Other stops on the trail include the Ghetto Tech, Ghetto House, and Miami Bass Wiki's, as well as the countless YouTube videos posted by DJ's and Club heads everywhere. I remember hearing this music first called "Booty" on Small Changes Nickel and Dime radio on good old WFMU back in the day in Jers. I was even more amped on it after seen Ruben Fleischer's short Ghetto Tracks. All things worth a look.
That does it for this spot. Feels good to get all those links in one place. Still gone for this week's edition but the official Mofo jump off in 07 is happening Wed, January 10th so be sure to tune in! Happy new year! Let's make it a good one!
-Ghosttech
MoFo Radio Airs:
Wednesdays 10pm to 1am
on WZBC 90.3 fm in Newton
and
on the web at: wzbc.org.
Still on break from radio land but here's number two of the supplementary posts I've been meaning to get off my chest. With a fair amount of other straight techno shows on late night radio, I sometimes try to bring different side of electronic music. Growing up in New Jers I DJed my fair share of high school dances where when someone asked you to play club music, it meant basically the same three Cajmere tracks, none of which had anything to do with remixed top 40. Put crudely the difference was between "white people" and "black people" club music, the later sometimes called booty, ghetto tech, or quite simply, clUb (emphasis on the U). With "white people," or mainstream club tracks more accessible through distro and pop radio play, urban club styles have developed in small pockets surrounding cities, each city having it's own distinctive movement. But they aren't without their influence over one another. In Jers someone always had a cousin or brother or friend from someplace else that would hook it up with a tape and show them how they get down. It's not only the music, but the dance styles that truly define each ghetto tech scene. Word of mouth and tape trading has given way to the Internet and online battles over which dances and music make the style. I can't claim to be an expert on any one of these movements, but there are enough Youtube vids and tracks floating around for you to see for yourself what's going on in some of the club tracks Cher doesn't sing over. Here's a roundup of recent Internet artifacts I've found by city.
