moodmat

ario j

Too often, academic discourse of dance music retreads the same ground: explaining the dj-as-musician, the participatory nature on the dancefloor, and the subtleties of “the mix.” Granted, any understanding offered by master theses on these subjects doesn’t seem to “stick.” It’s more-or-less accepted as part of popular culture, but the masses never remember how the whole thing works.

So I was very pleased to discover an essay by Kevin Driscoll of the Comparative Media Studies program at MIT. Bitch Ass Darius “Follow the Sound” Mixtape manages to cover all of the ground I mentioned above in short order and without creating a thicket of academic jargon. Instead, the reader connects immediately with Driscoll’s initial shock at the lyrical content of booty bass or ghettotech and, even if they’re not fans themselves, can relate to his repeat visits to what will become a favorite mixtape.

You could say Driscoll is making excuses for the cut-to-the-chase sexual banter and the prevailing male dominance within. You could. I have too many Electrofunk records to argue that point. Instead, I loved his explanation of the role the lyrics play in the context of the dancefloor:

The joy I find in booty bass is not simply the naughty thrill at hearing sex chat but is in the liberating potential of a construction of sonic space in which sexual desire, fetish, and perversion are no longer taboo.

I don’t think you need to actually be on a dancefloor to understand this, but I’m also fairly sure these records aren’t targeted at white guys blogging from their couches.