Distinctive differences?

Ever since I started listening to Electronic Dance Music, I've been pondering on a really tough question.

"What's the difference between house and techno, and can the two be differentiated?"

Since the mid 90's, I've come up with an answer to the question almost once a year. And rejected the answer at least as many times. Because the question is really hard to define, and the answer as elusive as a Plastikman trance track.

The other day I read the comments to a mix on Soundcloud, where one user clearly stated that "[this track] can't be techno, because it has lyrics." He went on to label it as house instead.

But is there such an easy rule to be made?

Is this track house or techno?


Ambivalent - Rumors (out on Minus)

Or what about this one?


Plastikman - Ask Yourself (out on Minus)

OK, so both can be said to hail from one of the most progressive techno labels, but the question still remains. Is there a difference, and can it be described?

Sure, there was a time when such a clear line could be drawn, when house was a clear sound hailing from Chicago, and techno hailed from Detroit and had a gritty raw sound.


K. Alexi Shelby - All For Lee-Sah (out on Transmat)


Underground Resistance - Final Frontier (out on Underground Resistance)

But wait! If we go back to the beginning of techno - this is what it sounded like:


Audiotech - Techno City (out on Metroplex)


Channel One - Technicolor (out on Metroplex)

And that's not all. There was a few artists that crossed the boundaries between the genres even back then.


Inner City - Good Life (out on 10 Records)

So Kevin Saunderson (one of the original creators of techno) called this style "Tronik House", but it was clearly a techno derivative. And even though it was released on a Virgin sub label, it was too hard for most clubs to play.

So where is the truth? Is there any clear answer, or do I have to keep searching?

You tell me!

Årsmötesbilder

Presidiet, från vänster till höger: Tobias Landén, Anneli Henriksson, Jonny Hjortner, (Nina Högberg tillhörde inte presidiet, men fick vara med på bild ändå) och John Lundgren.


Styrelsen 2009/2010, från vänster:
Anneli Henriksson, Fredrik Nilsson, Daniel Bergström, Björn Södergren, Mårten Lagerstedt, Peter Sahlin, Thor Forsell, Agnes Ambrosiani och Wilhelm Andersson

Den lille Havefrue

En tid för skratt och skräck

Jag var och såg en av scenvärldens vackraste sjöar igår. En lugn och fridfull plats där ömsom små skepp seglade runt och ömsom begravningsljus stod uppställda. Ibland badade aktörerna i sjön, och ibland vandrade de mot något fjärran mål.

Pjäsen var Edvard II, och scenen var Unga Klara. Sällan har jag skådat en så komisk pjäs med en mysig underliggande svärta. Rikard Wolffs egocentriske kung hade en underbar motpart i Simon Norrthons naive Piers Gaveston.

Det var en stark ensemble som framförde pjäsen. Jag gillade verkligen att de starkaste manliga karaktärerna spelades av kvinnor, vilket ännu mer ställer genderfrågan på ända. Suveränt gjort, Suzanne Osten! Att jag sen satt så att jag i stort sett hade Hr. Wolffs huvud i knät vid ett par tillfällen gjorde ju inte saken sämre. Han är ju trots allt min favoritskådespelare på tiljorna (i motsats till hans framträdanden på vita duken, där jag inte anser honom passa in).

Om du inte har sett pjäsen än - passa på medan den fortfarande går!

There and back again

Ja, jag har varit där. På andra sidan Internet. Långt borta.

Men nu är jag tillbaka, och ska försöka att skriva lite oftare än var tredje år. Och nu även på svenska. Länge leve modersmålet!


T-H-X eleven-thirty-eight will be taken into custody at a minimal monetary expenditure. Total operation cost: six thousand credits under budget. Congratulations. Be efficient, be happy.

RPG? Rocket Propelled Grenade?

No, but Role Playing Game (or games, in this case). Yeah. I play role playing games. I'm a dork. Or am I? Role players are some of the most creative people around. Why? Because they still have a healthy (or more) dose of IMAGINATION left since childhood.

So, what do I play? Here's a short list
Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu Dark Ages
Delta Green (an official Call of Cthulhu expansion)
Mutant - the greatest Swedish RPG set in a strange future well after WWIII
Götterdämmerung - a new Swedish RPG set in the dark time of the 18th century


-I need something stronger
-Take four red capsules. In five minutes, take two more. Help is on the way.

Warning: Not for the faint of heart

I decided to quit smoking. Wanna know why?
Here is one of the reasons...

Warning! Geniouses at work!

I think the lyrics for "Undone - The Sweater Song" say it all:

I'm me
Me be
Goddamn
I am
I can
Sing and
Hear me
Know me

If you want to destroy my sweater
Hold this thread as I walk away

Oh no
It go
It gone
Bye-bye
Who I
I think
I sink
And I die

If you want to destroy my sweater
Hold this thread as I walk away
Watch me unravel, I'll soon be naked
Lying on the floor (lying on the floor)
I've come undone

If you want to destroy my sweater
Hold this thread as I walk away (as I walk away)
Watch me unravel, I'll soon be naked
Lying on the floor (lying on the floor)
I've come undone

I don't want to destroy your tank-top
Let's be friends and just walk away
It's good to see you lying there in your Superman skivvies
Lying on the floor (lying on the floor)
I've come undone

______________________

"You are a true believer"