Myth making

There is a gaping chasm of truth between what is written, said and discussed about many 'underground' artists and what is actually true. I feel that techno is especially prone to this mythmaking process because it has no stars, there are no hits, it doesn’t make its way into the mainstream media and there is no dedicated radio or TV to support it. No wonder that most of the exposure for this music has migrated online. Add in the fact that most people who make techno don’t really want to be in the limelight, have their photo taken or want to be famous - this facelessness and lack of egotism is something I have always found especially endearing: unfortunately, it’s not always apparent, but that point is sufficient for a whole new post  - and there is ample room to make up stories about techno’s heroes.It can be amusing to hear that so and so only makes music on a Wednesday or that a well-known label signed three EPs and an album from an esteemed electro act because that act wrapped the label owner’s 3-series BMW around a tree, but this also means that it’s disappointing when confronted with the normal, humdrum reality of the artist’s existence. I’m not a fan of PR firms, but, faced with the alternative, an artist who won’t do interviews or be photographed, then it’s not hard to understand why the myth making process starts. This is adopted and often embellished by the fan base and the myth gains credibility. As the artist refuses to comment or speak publicly, it is impossible to confirm or repudiate the rumours. The myth becomes reality. Maybe we’ll never know the truth about some of the artists we love and maybe trying to do so is to spectacularly miss the point – in the end, they’re all lying in the same gutter as us: they’re just reaching for the stars, and maybe that’s all that really counts.

Comments

[Brophy]

I have 3 small labels and yes this is how it is at the moment and yes I do have an understanding thank you. - so why then do you claim that the practice of labels paying off journalists to write favourable reviews is 'wholesale' (your word). Does this mean that you pay people for reviews?

If you are so sucessful why are you wasting your time getting into this discussion? Don't you have a jet to catch to your next gig?

If it was such a cliched post, why waste your time with it? Also, why did you not post links to all the 100s of similar articles that have been written on this subject in the past? Probably because you couldn't find them.

[Brophy]

I think a 'Techno Mythology' book or series is long overdue - it'd be great to start collecting some of these stories, in the same way that there's been a recent spate of design books about the flyers and album art (see 'Disc Style', etc.).

Ack, I didn't mean to bang on for so long - but I think there's a lot to explore here. Anyway, great post!

- cheers, thanks for the reply James. Maybe the techno myths book is an idea for the futue, it's a good suggestion.

[Martin Dust]

"Good post James...very often in the true Tony Wilson sense the myth is more interesting than the truth and makes for better reading. And he was a journalist."

So, you mean lies then? :)