Flowing on the Gold Coast and a night in Lismore listening to new bands I know where I'd Perfect Beat v3 n4 January 1998 rather be. Moreover, maybe it's good that the flows and objects keep reasserting themselves over the theories. Maybe it's not about a lack of theory about flow but about theory as flow, about getting theories, objects and flows happening at the same time. Maybe popular music study is in a perfect position to do this- has been doing it for some time ....

Maybe I should just try and remember the names and flow- surely I can do two things at once. I think it's just that, as an academic, I've always felt that I've been saying something I didn't want to, in a style I have great doubts about. Maybe music MUSIC(OLOGY) NEEDS A CONTEXT will set me free. It's an old dream I know. At a certain threshold, the experimental dismemberment of codes no longer just prevents us from complicitly saying what we didn i want to - Re-interpreting Goa Trance say, but arrives at a mobilization of complication of flows which 'we' were never aware of lines which emerge from another zone and meet in wildstyle on the darkside ... (Mackay, 1997: 267) SEBASTIAN CHAN

hile much recent work in musicology has at least acknowledged some of BIBLIOGRAPHY the complex extra-textual elements of contemporary music (see, for in­ Hayward, P (1997) 'Australasian Contemporary Music Studies in the Late 1990s' (unpub­ Wstance, the work of McLary and Walser), there is still a strong tendency, lished) paper presented to IASPM ANZ Conference at University of Technology, Sydney, particularly in the study of certain musical genres, for musicological analyses to July 1997 reduce often vibrant musics to lifeless corpses fit for autopsy. This tendency ) produces analyses which are, at best, partial and often significantly skewed (and Mackay, R (1997) 'Capitalism and Schizophrenia: Wildstyle in Full Effect', in Pearson, K thereby misleading). As this short 'riff' will argue, Cole and Hannan's study 'Goa (ed) Deleuze and Philosophy: the difference engineer London: Routledge 1 Trance' (Perfect Beat v3n3) illustrates precisely these limitations with regard to its Maxwell, I (1997) 'On the Flow: Dancefloor, Grooves, Rapping 'Freestylee' and 'The Real notional subject of analysis, the phenomenon of Goa Trance music, its associated Thing', Perfect Beat v3 n3, July I subcultural mileu, its habitues and its myths of origin.

Neuenfeldt, K ( 1997) 'Insults, Egos and Agendas: Notes on a Debate About Music Research Firstly, Cole And Hannan neglect the contexts in which the music they dissect is on the Internet', Perfect Beatv3 n3, July produced, circulated, consumed and given meaning to. Second, they fail to critically Thompson, R (1986) 'Hip Hop 101 ',Rolling Stone (Australia) n397 analyse their primary sources and tend to take the words of local DJs, musicians, Internet sources (and the totally unrelated and subculturally inappropriate 'glossy' music magazine J-Mag) at face value1• Thirdly their musicological dissection of 'Goa Trance', draws solely on mass market compilations- which are unrepresen­ tative of the music culture as a whole-for source material. On the other-hand, their brief discussion of the effects of specific technologies such as particular sequencing software on the musical styles and sounds produced is a highlight of their paper. This crucial illuminating point offers much for researchers travelling through and mapping the terrains of high-technology musical styles, in particular drum'n'bass/jungle in which the prevailing ideology of musicians is one of 'limit­ less sonic exploration'.

Techno and its related genres continue to revolve around the relatively small circulation of 12" vinyl releases consumed, in the main, by DJs, who then relay their sounds to an audience in a a variety of listening/dancing environments. In the Goa scene, as Cole and Hannan (1997: 8) point out, vinyl is replaced as medium-of-

Perfect Beat Ill v3 n4 Jan 1998 Perfect Beat Bl v3 n4 Jan 1998 4 i

I

l

J

J

,,

II

I

.

5

of is

as

in

in

of as

of

by,

of

the

of,

and

the

Goa

later

or

more

of

dance party

can,

deities

culture

fallout source

itself

press

into

and to Hannan

trance

resultant

coast

traveller

and

as

communi­ context

that

five

production

outside

trance,

more

mainstream beach

of

the

technology

bribes, mediated periphery and

involvement got

48)

Goa

'rave'.

Suzuki, scene

UK,

summer Hindu

the

one of

culture

north

ice-pops

upon

an

the from

of

inroads

of exist

social

and

Goa is

in

appropriation

traditional

the

much Cole

have

to

imperialism: migrant

it the well-educated

us

ideas,

backgrounds music

on

and

subcultural fusion

1996:

psychedelic

I

is

ofBhangra

the

the

draw

the

they

in

and trance

on

selling

the

accepting

'but Tsuyoshi

with British psychedelic

only

that

in Asian linked

local

regardless

'crusty'

up

feel or

histories

white

white,

Melbourne

years

which

involved

British psychedelic trance

cultural

material,

a

symbol

to

traffic

respect

construction Hannan electronic

Europe

as

considerable parties

the of

Allen,

all,

wider

the

explosion

and

draw

Even

1998 both

claim

Champion, South

Goa,

in

down

sampling; the

'We

at

grown

dancing tend

in

to

and

involved

in source

the in

in

The

Jan

if

'Om'

'traditional' British

Psychedelic

producing

of

the

Over Place', says Place',

white

Mark

is

forms

and

as

n4

on

in

them importantly

western have making

in

music.

British

overarching released

been the

Cole

the

v3

Sydney

artists

use work themselves

useful is initially

(cited

says

Holy

to

scene.

rarely,

Hannan's culture'.

1997).

and

've

the

>1 a

shut direct

and

(predominantly)

artists that

overwhelmingly

'East', local

are the

can

1997,

people.

in

in

are local

to

Chan it

and

drawing

construction

the in

their

children

involved

different m

They the

the

are

music' studios

population,

trance

more sets

mythologised

India.

of

of

becomes

local

Wales

'but

particular

the

in

of

invasion'

party

predominantly

Cole

it

of

which

'tablatronics' specifically

trying

from now,

recorded the a

DJ

lot

through

from

(Gartside,

destination

in

(Japanese)

the

and

Beat an

part

Australian Goan

scene'.

A

the

note

beats',

a

of

musicians

are

that

rest

'radical

South parties.

Australia,

by

is

to

doubt Prana.

musicians

mythologies

make

at

music

police

been

it

beside local

urban, recorded

the

Perfect local

termed

tourist

'Goa

culture

contexts

and sounds

eastern

the

point

'ritual politics' key into

separated

tracks

the

destinations

remove

imagery,

whose

the

The

of

has now

of

ofNew

the

pale families.

have

(technologically)

analyses behind

be

more

this

bottles

of

couldn't

in

Israel 'multicultural'.

music

local Goan

remembered

both

welcomed

global

and and its

and

important

at

focus on

distance,

state either

lot

man

is we

throws

tourist

Singh

and

is fusion a

cannot only

'radical by their

to

Shiva,

a

old

a as

parties

UK/Europe-dominated it

truly so

spiritual

also

water supposed

exceptions

been 'alternative'

'exotica'.

of

and

for

Tokyo,

one output,

crucial

a

This is

the

from

Trance,

or

India

locally-made

involved

oflbiza,

1960s ways,

it

was

Talvin And Westemised than few ... has

know way, and

DJ

years

if sort

appropriation

the

parties

'alternative'

Australian

a choosing

Goa

the

westemised Goa as ironically, Here resort

Further

an what ties6.

artists With

in middle-class- of trance many

musical

of the

written

marginal

recently which scene culture. contrived

The particularly

By

even miss material

the

previously mythologies

j

l l

J

J

)

t

a

or

of

of

to

are

in

of

the

DJs the

out

The

and

and

and

three

local

.

tracks

been to be

tracks fairly labels

place

rave'

music

of

more

3

place,

As

limited

Slut 'style'

trance

Bristol

young

(Straw,

to

reaches and

already

a

Europe

of

of cultural

coast

'authen­

ferals complex.

tracks

the

or

journeys has

the

as

Tribe

scene

in

'diasporic'

music

availability

taken

needs to UK it

evolved

as

east important categories

'crusty

initial

rarely

scenes it

Jockey

global

more months

these the

specific

is

reviewed

German

the Coast and white and

far

listeners

re-issue

Spiral

the Goa

particular specific

trance

a techno

way

have

it

mythic

given Indeed

warehouses

portability.

styles,

in

a

that

as

knowledge

As

to 'techno-isation' in

that

boomed

music the

youths.

the even

environments

multiplicity certain

three

or

potential

them

the form

that to

these

are

splinter

that

and

a

North

is

between

of

broader

the

a

rave, UK. only

Mixmag,

Detroit

a the

with

claim

to

German

and

that

interlinked

from

with

white

the

musical

style parties

clubs

Trance);

in

Australian

cases 1998

assume

1990s

(re-)create

into

of

the

historians, Trigger,

of

Australia.

DJ,

delay colony

listening

amongst been

to

of

to

the

when

re-issued

Jan in

made subcultural

and

Context

this

transported

in

through

as scene

Goa

durability

niche

local

Trance,

mix

at and

is

subject n4

form

early taking

own

Hannan

of researcher has

The

emergence

techno-related

of

v3

meanings

to

expanding anywhere

desire

the

and

occurring the

Fax

Goa

network music

and

the

scene

market

other

(such sumptuous

tempted Berlin,

be majority racial

media, DJs.

Trance

as

middle-class, attribute routes Needs a played

the

release

becomes

of

for important

'authentic' Portuguese

in

be

spread'

until

source,

began

rave

to rave

with

Cole reasons -

can

commodities

mass Gaia,

and

'rave'

cultural

vast

discourses;

global

than

press

the Goa

themselves

not

)production

subculture's

its

forests,

the

for

music

massively

in

comes

the

largely

the

is

'interpret'

former

would

broader

after

the

are

intensity

UK

of

both

(re-

Beat

but it the

presence situation

in a

the

the

more

to release by

squatters

Trance, subcultural they

too,

gender

'traveller

of to

coalition

the tape)

subculture,

tempting

of

in

. breakbeat

coincided

particularly

subcultural

[backpacker] the

and

part

2

and

but that

Music(ology)

be

also

in

is

the Harthouse,

reproduce

the Perfect

is

subcultural

sought Goa

circulate

sounds

This

This

the it

UK

circulates

old to predate class,

class

shift

market audio points

Australia

linked

and

familiar, anything

adopted

on

of

and

argue

context

also the or

in

local

impact subcultural

point

in

MFS, the

the

also became

from parties

with which

re-issues

event-goers listeners,

highly

'current'

mass was

'hardcore'

the

Whilst

techno.

the of

which

into

far

the

tracks

DJs it England\

They (digital

at

suitable

the stylistic and

closely in

of

working

are travellers.

latter

which consumption

this knowledge,

and so

along

of

tourism in

environments music punks

distinct

is and

researcher

wider

the

on'

DAT

specifically

of

researcher

language start,

where

This

(all particular, history

via

their

1960s.

emerge.

With emergences

a

the

a

venues

rave and

'new'

by

interpretations

including Reading

culture,

targeted subcultural

in

located

particular through

to

Thus the

which

Australian

the

of

for

for

importation

dubplates

long

Because

listening hop.

themselves

dominance

these 'turned travellers the

local

a

choice

make being release

years. Muzik), indeed 1991)

are

Being local and DJ.

'local'

by formation know trip Through

listeners. tic' factors of parent

Australia

racially-mixed

of Focussing since

began both see

arena. read, the

labels, their the received, scene hippies/squat the

ideas Australia recommenced

! !

i i

i i

i i

; ;

f f

J J

' '

! !

i i

' '

., .,

i i

·I ·I

·~I ·~I

:IJ :IJ

.:_ .:_ II; II;

.1' .1'

:r :r ill ill

JL JL

Of Of

for for

subcul­

n3 n3

Source, Source,

London: London:

London's London's

which which

Soundings Soundings

v5 v5

Politics Politics

The The

and and

Technology, Technology,

was was

To To

Goa Goa

The The

House, House,

-

of of

that that

music music

Studies Studies

Culture', Culture',

Acid Acid

the the

Return Return

club club

Consuming Consuming

July July

DIY DIY

Rhythms Rhythms

And And

Cultural Cultural

of of

n3, n3,

RTTS RTTS

Music, Music,

environments environments

v3 v3

the the

1998 1998

Culture Culture

the the

Jan Jan

over-exposure over-exposure

Change', Change',

Beat Beat

accompanying) accompanying)

from from

n4 n4

Making Making

Disorienting Disorienting

of of

the the

v3 v3

Ecstasy Ecstasy

by by Contradictions Contradictions

Perfect Perfect

1996) 1996)

Of Of

spin-off spin-off

recreating recreating

(booklet (booklet

Books Books

( (

Logics Logics

a a

The The

is is

ed) ed)

Imagine-

Chan Chan

1111 1111

Zed Zed

'ruined' 'ruined'

eds) eds)

Story Story

( (

T ( ( T

Trance', Trance',

Can Can

A A

faithfully faithfully

The The

been been

Beat Beat

Records Records

You You

(UK) (UK)

'Goa 'Goa

Press Press

Politics?-

London: London: Articulation, Articulation,

club club

Marcus, Marcus,

had had

press. press.

Of Of

in in

Perfect Perfect

Sharma, Sharma,

State-

1997) 1997)

Source Source

Sound Sound

( (

Music, Music,

Records Records

and and

purists purists

Trance Trance

British British

M M

'Goa' 'Goa'

J J

The The

University University

Any Any

'Bypassing 'Bypassing

Altered Altered

the the

'Systems 'Systems

To To

Goa Goa

Dance Dance

Source Source

by by

1997) 1997)

(1996) (1996)

Hannan, Hannan,

(1997) (1997)

Hutnyk, Hutnyk,

S S

P P (

(1997) (1997)

The The

subcultural subcultural

prime prime

ture ture

Return Return

Wesleyan Wesleyan

(1991) (1991)

Tail Tail P P

Asian Asian

S, S,

and and

M M

To To

W W

F F

New New

Summer Summer

7. 7.

The The

Straw, Straw,

Serpent's Serpent's

Sharma, Sharma,

Hanover: Hanover:

n6, n6,

BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Return Return

Theberge, Theberge,

Cole, Cole,

Gartside, Gartside,

Champion, Champion, Collin, Collin,

. .

,I ,I it it

";;. ";;.

."~ ."~

.~' .~'

,ti ,ti

~ ~

l l J J

' '

l l

( (

Jj Jj

J

et et

of of its its

in in

or or

in in

of of

and and

UK UK

and and

for for

and and

the the

these these

relies relies

Vibe Vibe

these these

much much

behind behind

imper­

1994, 1994, Miles' Miles'

from from

change. change.

increas­

drawing drawing

people people on on

Bay Bay

effect effect

time-lag time-lag

results. results.

editorial editorial

Cole Cole

Sharma Sharma

in in

musicians musicians

major major

Dubplates Dubplates

structure structure

an an

styles styles

by by

scene scene

of of

the the early early

very very

of of

in in

the the

research research

rely rely

and and

example example

dancers, dancers,

by by

that that

since since

'dubplates' 'dubplates'

Robert Robert

environments. environments.

months months

ignores ignores

DJs. DJs.

highlights highlights

play play

has has

the the

disintegrate disintegrate

and and

an an

of of

of of

'bass 'bass

who who

continual continual

it it

skewed skewed

niche niche at at

for for

sets sets

to to

'n 'n

technology technology

as as

up up

musical musical

music music

DJs DJs

of of

event event

involved involved

many many

This This

Trance Trance

Congwong Congwong

UK UK

questions questions

Theberge, Theberge,

in in

DJ DJ

favoured favoured

amongst amongst

the the off' off'

continuing continuing

expanding expanding

begin begin

the the

success success

state state

documented documented

inter-relation inter-relation

Goa Goa approach approach

music music

the the

trance' trance'

a a

Further, Further,

article article

into into

in in

pressed pressed

venue, venue,

ideas ideas

Little Little

produce produce

1998 1998

own own on on

release. release.

than than

the the

in in

material material

they they

exclusively exclusively

well well

chart chart

of of

in in releases releases

topographies. topographies.

of of

jungle/drum jungle/drum

be be

and and

obviously obviously

Jan Jan

raises raises

my my

scenes/markets scenes/markets

are are

label label

to to

dubplates dubplates

it it

standpoints. standpoints.

n4 n4

dislocate dislocate

the the

cost, cost,

of of

article article

so so

quickly quickly

Context Context

rather rather it it

source source

which which

records records 'cordoning 'cordoning

to to

v3 v3

as as

a a

Hannan's Hannan's

market market

tracks tracks

beach beach

to to

communality communality

low low

are are

global global

are are

jungle!drum'n'bass jungle!drum'n'bass

white white

from from

a a

proliferation proliferation

DJs' DJs'

after after

musicological musicological

argue, argue,

of of

consumption. consumption.

and and

subject subject

new new

ethnography ethnography

of'psychedelic of'psychedelic

mass mass

trance trance

ideological ideological

examination examination

very very on on

the the

here. here.

that that

of of

'compilation' 'compilation'

combination combination

even even

the the

Needs Needs technology technology

name name

- their their

at at

out out

superficial superficial

ideological ideological

the the

manages manages

reaction reaction

tracks tracks

the the

by by

use use

keeping keeping

as as

Cole Cole

and and

interesting interesting

'plays' 'plays'

the the

and and

issues issues

big big

the the

Dubplates Dubplates

test test

are are

by by

the the

briefly briefly styles styles

and and

academically academically

of of

artists artists

market market

to to

see see

their their

Beat Beat

dance, dance,

notably notably

excellent excellent

white white

the the

interviewed interviewed

play play

status. status.

contexts contexts

further further

of of

more more

by by

to to

recording recording

resultant resultant

of of

an an

fifteen fifteen

structures structures musical

UK. UK.

past past

releases releases

scene. scene.

culture culture

the the

enthusiastic enthusiastic

press- 1997). 1997).

magazines magazines

is is

mass mass and and

being being

Goa?) Goa?)

( (

niche niche

hearing' hearing'

have have

fore fore

for for

means means

the the

Perfect Perfect

the the

of of

triggered triggered

it it

the the

even even

I I

a a

majority majority

made made

Music(ology) Music(ology) particularly particularly

and and

social social

of of

about about

through through

'bass 'bass

in in

non-psychedelic non-psychedelic

this this

major major

of of

as as

the the

is is

futility futility

and and

Park Park

music music

the the

of of

too, too,

club/event club/event

1997) 1997)

the the

Collin Collin

of of

overly overly

about about

being being

( (

to to disposable disposable

flows flows

acknowledged acknowledged artists artists

and and important important

musician musician

proportion proportion

the the

subcultural subcultural

the the

relegating relegating

this this

artists artists

many many

be be

trends' trends'

'ideology-free' 'ideology-free'

in in

and and

source source

(imagining (imagining

UK UK

single. single.

initial initial

of of

the the

(1996). (1996).

as as

quote quote

recordings, recordings,

complicated complicated

Sydney Sydney

lifespan lifespan

highly highly 'discourses 'discourses

to to

meanings meanings

larger larger

global global

seems seems

phenomenon phenomenon

writing writing

only only

a a

example example

last last

is is

technology technology

especially especially

in in

Theberge Theberge

ofliberation ofliberation

audiences audiences

'latest 'latest

it it

specialist specialist

bringing bringing jungle/drum'n jungle/drum'n

used used

many many

neglecting neglecting

(eds) (eds)

this this

in in

the the

brought brought

al al imagined imagined

This This

on on See See

See See

and and

need need

These These

the the

continually continually

compilations compilations

labels labels

ingly ingly

between between

Because Because

Perouse Perouse

are are

have have

on on

As As

manent manent Children Children

the the

by by

This This

autonomy autonomy

Hannan Hannan

This This

For For

good good

than than

highlighting highlighting

has has

La La

parties parties

complex complex

musicology musicology

creates creates

conclude conclude

6. 6.

5. 5.

4. 4.

3. 3.

1. 1.

2. 2.

ENDNOTES ENDNOTES

more more

difficulties difficulties

how how philosophies philosophies

positives positives Rather Rather

To To

itself-a itself-a

further further

Tribe Tribe

urban urban analysis. analysis.

that that

which which

I I

i i

I I

1 1

'I 'I

·i ·i l ~ ~