Alex Cortex: Not So Slight Return

The following statement is Alex Cortex's reply to some of the more negative posts made here and elsewhere about his retirement from techno. The reply is unedited (there may be some grammatical / syntax errors, etc), but this is the way he wanted it to be posted. I'd just like to add that these comments were made as part of private conversations we had together. Anyway, this seems to better encapsulate the frustrations and unhappiness he feels about electronic music in 2009:

"Someone forwarded me the Test Industries thread with quotes from my email today. Always nice to get some positive feedback, that's for sure. I usually embrace constructive criticism, too, but some opinions there have been just very negative. That reflects pretty much how I feel about this scene: lots of negativity. At least one comment gets it right - it's just a bit of news. I never pretended to be the best at anything or to have invented anything, never created a buzz around me, just have been doing my thing and that for quite a while now. some opinions clearly show that many people don't have a clue how hard it is to survive in the music business, or they speak from some very comfortable position.

"I couldn't care less for the individuals voicing their opinion there, but as they represent something I met quite often, here's what I think about that: It is hard to survive in this business if you don't live in a techno hotspot but are all on your own; if you don't work at a club, label, distributor, record-store, booking agency, or else affiliated business; if you don't snore coke or share hookers with 'important' people at afterhours; if you don't conform to producing what i call "the sound of the season"; if you don't answer 'yes' to everything; if you don't sell yourself cheaply and in return have to justify yourself for not entering the fee dumping contest so many artists blindly accept; if you don't care more about your haircut or choice of t-shirt than about your music and sound; if you don't get obsessed with squeezing out any penny of this business but rather try to provide other music lovers with a timeless product; if you don't get obsessed with your (imagined) importance, but forget about these vanities and concentrate on the actual work in the studio. artistically (and largely on a personal level too) this scene has been creeping up its own arse.

"What's that about only having one photo of myself, if techno once prospered as a faceless music? What's that about speaking up is nothing but wailing, being lame and desperate? It's rather the other way round, that almost nobody dares to speak up in public out of fear to lose something, whatever that could be, although in fact everybody is complaining in private that everything is stagnating and getting worse by the day. That an artists has to retire from making music because he can't make a living out of it is partly also the consequence of a scene forgetting to respect its artists. Buying their music, booking them for gigs, that's the direct way how to maintain that an artist can keep working in what he's doing best, especially if he does that to have people partake in it in the first place. Maybe my biggest 'fault': I never produced tracks that needed immediate release because otherwise they would sound dated. My stuff usually sits quite a while, any time between one and ten years has been the case so far, until it finds a place somewhere. This way of working means that to buy equipment and to make music is a constant investment of money and time without knowing if you will ever see a cent for what you have been doing. add a string of cancelled gigs and releases and here we are.

"My temporary retirement btw is not something which came up just now. I haven't been producing any new solo tracks for at least half a year, maybe longer. And I still have enough finished material in order to have releases for at least a year, rather longer. If i get gig, remix, or production offers with a fee attached I feel I deserve I will still take that on. but making music just to be in that scene? In THAT scene? If it wasn't suffering from a rocknroll complex and was artistically more challenging - then maybe."

Comments

[tom/pipecock]

i have even less positive things to add to this discussion now. and i am speaking from that techno hot spot of pittsburgh PA where anyone in dance music still has a day job and doesn't whine about it. STAY REAL

[Dave A]

I gotta agree with a lot of what he says.

The fee-dumping contest in particular rings true - there's a thin line between perfectly valid helping out other artists/promotors in your area and feeding the scene, and just taking gigs for free because you fear a lack of exposure. Quite a few people don't seem to realise there is a line, or care where it is.

While I understand Tom's comment (I work a day job too), how many more artists could be churning out great work if they could pay their bills (or at least get a bit closer) from it?

[jasl]

I somehow understand Alex's view on this. I've stopped doing music since 97 and writing reviews for some mags around 99, mainly because i needed a stable day job to pay the bills ( at time i was out of control on that). Nowadays, even if a well written article or a good piece of journalism and even if some great music that's being released, give me chills and a nostalgic feeling about that world, i don't really feel the urge to return to those days.So if any musician that decides to comes back, he should be considered a hero in these tough times. Maybe sometime off could be enough for Alex, but the more he stays away, the more difficult his return will com.

[Hum3]

I can relate to his point of view. It may not be a view that's widely shared amongst people who still feel positive about the scene in general, but it's his honest opinion and he makes a solid case against it.

As for the way I see it, the scene has changed and not for the better. That, in turn, may be a limited point of view from someone who (also) has been around for too long, but so be it - it's just one opinion.

If a particular music style or scene doesn't inspire artistically anymore, moving on is the right way to go.

[fuck]

don't ya think COMMENTS ON BLOGS are hurting the scene with all their fighting, posturing, bickering, linking to your own blog and other bullshit?

[Scott]

It's funny, in a way he succumbs to and perpetuates the very negativity he is decrying, although I can't say I blame him. It sounds like a very rough atmosphere for artists, at least within house and techno.

I can't help, but also have the feeling that with the deluge of releases, there has GOT to be some great, very innovative tracks coming out; I just started graduate school, so my searches have declined as of late, so I can't say for sure. This conservative trend can't be all that is coming out...

[Bernardo]

Hmmm...Interesting... I don't see why its not possible to get a job and still be a producer. Over in the US where the scene is pretty tiny and defunct of financial return, several artists have day jobs and make due. For example, Omar-S works at Ford building cars. If you read the UQ feature on RA you'll see that pretty much all those dudes are on the day job grind too... I don't understand the argument that b/c you're a musician you should be supported...

[Marco]

Alex Cortex is right.

The techno scene is bullshit right now. The true artists are not making any money, which is collected by pure shit heads that make no brainer stuff.

[j]

t must be really hard to survive in technobusiness. And yeah I mean even if you leave a negative comment on a record or mix in a forum, even if there might be 90 positive ones, the others kill you. Its like if youre not smiling and saying yes youre out. on the other hand they kill an artist with an incredible history like Luciano, just because he hasnt got the best time in his career at the moment. I mean many people killed him for his last album. Then theres so much hype so much records and so much news, thousands of blocks and mixes every day, yeah a hard place to survive i can imagine.
I always love Omar S for his attitude of giving a shit about everything, producing breathtaking tunes and just going to his day job ;-)

[Matt Tharp]

I think its a bit pot, kettle and black on this one! Surely only someone creeping up their own arse would say something like techno is creeping up its own arse! Electronic music doesn't need negativity, this breeds the sort of attitude in the scene he is speaking about! Its a shame people can't just make great music and get on with life, instead of being the world's greatest philosopher! If people like him carry with this clandestine point of view, it will ruin it for the people who truly love the music. Even if it is riddled with coke snorting prostitute lovers, they make great music, so who cares?!?! I'll have a big mac and fries when I visit the local branch of mcdonalds he ends up in...!!!

[j]

Artists are humans, the are sensible about their shit you goddamm asshole Matt tharp. Now eat some big macs idiot.

[G]

I love electronic music and will continue to make it, play it and buy it till the day I die. Scene, what scene? (Im from Cape Town, South Africa) They come and go but the music will always be there. And I never really understood the concept of selling your music based on an image you have cultivated. I certainly dont watch my music, just like I dont listen to my art.

[j]

I thought again over it. I could understand every aspect he mentioned. But the one thing is something you love you just have to cause you love it, its not right to rely on it to pay your bills. Its like you aspect your girlfriend to pay your bills. So if theres no good electronic music do it yourself, publish it yourself. Just do it. Thats his fault. He could just go to work, then make great electronic music, publish it himself, fuck about the greedy bastards, so at the end what did he aspect from a scene he didnt really like. A please come back dont go. on the other hand there should be much more criticism and everybodys afraid to say something, hes absolutely right on that point. Music lives on, there always will be great music, no matter how crappy the scene is, how bad the drugs are.. ;-)

[Derek Plaslaiko]

Gotta say Alex is pretty dead on here.

And for him being among my favorites, it's sad to hear this talk of retirement.

[m50]

word

[ji]

its extermely refreshing that an artist is sharing his thoughts liek Alex does,- as so many are just keeping it for themselves -for the reasons he stated. having met alex i know he is a great guy whose interests spread much wider than techno.

[j]

yeah thats true. 80 percent of the artists have that thoughts and doubts they are just afraid to talk about..

[j]

But once again..why retire just take the weight of the music, go to work, get your money, come back and do it with all your love, fuck the scene, dont blame the electronic music..

[Kent Christian]

Some of these comments are truly eye-opening. "Just go to work, then make great electronic music." I don't know about you but most of the time after a 10 or so hour day, all there is time for is a meal and you don't have much energy for getting inspired on anything other a good night's sleep. Some of you are so unappreciative and no, it's not the artist's fault that the music business is the way it is these days, it's people like you who don't appreciate their hard work and probably steal their music. It's YOUR fault, you people who feel entitled who think that this is just so easy.

[shawn rudiman]

the scene has sucked for along while. too much image , too much nonsense. not enough worries about "is my release (much less vinyl record) any fuckin good??" people need to worry more about new sounds, their sounds, their ideas and their work. fuck styles, fuck drugs, and fuck your egos. you're only as good as your last record. i dont care who the fuck you are.
i agree alex. less time in clubs. more in the studio focused on music.
peace.
shawn rudiman - technoir audio piitsburgh, usa

[j]

." I don't know about you but most of the time after a 10 or so hour day, all there is time for is a meal and you don't have much energy for getting inspired on anything other a good night's sleep.

That might be and i see it, but Jus ED does his Job, Omar S also, i mean go to work parttime. Work half a year. Life in a cheap city. Man business is fucked up ok, but every artist if he loves his music so much has to sacrifice something. You cannot have it all. There have been other times but now its like that, so it comes to you and your music. If your job doesnt allows to work on music, change your situation.
Downloading and stealing music sucks thats true, vinyl was great and i buy it still. But you cannot change those things you have to deal with them.

[BESE]

by the end of the first paragraph i just thought to myself: "Dude, Welcome To The Music Business." It's been always like this, not just in the techno scene but in all music genres.

[Cyrus88]

I agree with in some ways although non of us can really know how the scene is if we havent experienced it first hand like alex. in my opinion, i think the techno scene is really blurred at the moment, i can only think of a few producers making real techno at the moment,its mostly house music disguised as techno. harder, chord-filled, dub techno is dying out and its a shame. hardly any techno being produced over 130bpm except for the older producers. clubs are full of indie-crossover kids at the moment, the techno geek will return soon though:)

[j]

I mean just fuck the so called "scene", who needs that, its nice when youre 16. Just focus on your music and find ways to get the shit out.If somebody likes it, nice, if somebody pays you, nice. But you cannot rely on that, its clear that you put yourself under an immense pressure if you do so and surely you start to hate all that. And one day you will go out to a party that you like ;-)Theres always the next wave coming.

[nick]

alex cortez has his had screwed on right. i agree. word