I’ve decided something: Commercial things really do stink. As soon as it becomes commercial for a mass market it really stinks. –Andy Warhol
If you frequent EMPT on the reg, you’ve probably seen that quote before. It’s one that’s caught my eye in the past, and one that really made me stop and think yesterday. I pride myself on being someone ahead of the curve, especially when it comes to music. When I first heard Skrillex, for instance, my mind was totally blown because I’d simply never heard anything like that before. Then, a few months later, when I started seeing his name and face everywhere, I soured on the guy. It’s no knock on Sonny or any of the other artists that become successful. But once everyone jumps on a bandwagon, it suddenly feels a lot less cool and distinct to be a part of an artist’s fan base or that movement. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong to be turned off by popular things, but it’s something that just inherently happens to me (although I do still love some very trendy things, like Jennifer Lawrence‘s body). I don’t think something totally “stinks” when it becomes popular–you just lose the feeling that you’re sitting on a treasure you dug up from the ocean of the internet.
Lately, this has been happening to me with”Nu Disco.” It’s something I’ve been apart of, both peripherally and in the “scene,” for the past 5ish years. And in the past year, it’s started to blow up (granted, many people have never heard of it), reaching Pitchfork, MTV, and Rolling Stone. It’s awesome to see some great artists get the respect they deserve, but at the same time, it sucks to see the trendsetters who turned me on to this sound get left behind in the dust, because they lack the social media presence or image to make it big. And since the movement has become saturated and filled with new producers, it’s become harder to distinguish between the generic and the special.
Which brings me to Tigers on a Leash, Bronx, and Lou Teti. The former is Teti’s label (I believe Brooklyn based), and Bronx and Teti are two outstanding–and very Disco–producers. They’ve gotten some blog buzz, but not nearly enough. Their latest release, “Weak Knees,” has a quality that pretty much mirrors the title, as it will cause some serious creases in your lower half. This song gives me some hope and should cause people to start taking some notice of what’s going on here–but hopefully not too much.
Miss Bee – Weak Knees (Bronx Remix)
Bonus: