“There’ll be these weird mutations that shoot out and maybe they die in a year or maybe somebody takes just one thing from it. But it is, more than any other place, I think, somewhere that new forms are showing up.” We’re backstage at the Maison d'Arts in the Parisian suburb of Creteil and Dan Bitney, percussionist, keyboardist, sample-triggerer and occasional saxophonist for Tortoise since their second ever gig, two decades ago, is expounding his theory of why London might just be the only place in the world right now producing original music.
It’s at this point that guitarist Jeff Parker interrupts in the meekest, most humble of tones, “You don’t think that Juke and stuff is original?”
“Yeah,” Bitney grudgingly concedes.
“Baltimore Club? Like all of that?” Parker prods.
“Yeah…”
“But what I think is unique about England,” offers John Herndon, drummer, sequencer, vibes player, “is that it gets broadcast onto radio and people get to hear it. And that’s why it makes a broad splash rather than, like, a niche thing where people have to go and seek it out. Urban dance music is definitely mutating in pockets around the world but not all of them have a system of pirate radio that will broadcast it into your home, or into your car. There’s a razor’s edge about UK pirate radio that is different from other shit.”
It is a curious thing to find oneself deep in the Parisian banlieues talking about the UK hardcore continuum with three members of one of Chicago’s most eminent and influential post-rock bands.
Chatting ‘bout grime with Tortoise over at FACT.