SUB GENRES

Some new neighbours have moved in downstairs and I've finally managed to pluck up the courage to knock on neighbour #2’s door to introduce myself (if only to give him a name other than ‘number 2’, which was a bit unfair as I hadn’t had time to suss out his hygiene habits yet). Once we’d fumbled our way through the usual to-and-fro topics of weather, employment and the next-door-neighbour with the monobrow I thought I’d aim for some common ground. Naturally, music was the obvious starting point, and on this occasion I struck lucky.

At first he was wary of elaborating on exactly what ‘electronic stuff’ he liked, which I suppose is understandable. Though I consider myself to be fairly open-minded I would probably have drawn negative conclusions were he to have proclaimed his love of Scooter or DJ Sammy. But in the end it turned out to be quite the opposite. He broke eye contact, looked down and said: ‘I feel like a bit of a dick for saying this, but I’m really into post-Dubstep’.

I could see exactly where he was coming from. Not his appreciation of the sub-genre itself, but rather his reluctance to say its name. People often question the necessity of having so many genres and sub-genres. Many consider them to be either fabricated by journalists wanting something new to write about or used by pretentious idiots who feel the need to form cliques or distance themselves from fans of more ‘commercial’ music.

That’s not how I see them though. In this continually evolving musical landscape, sub-genres are essential. While Djent and thrash metal may sound like ‘a lot of angry noise’ to one person, the same person would probably give you a back-hander for suggesting that he checks out an artist who actually makes Tech house rather than progressive house.

It’s rarely about having a superiority complex in my experience, though. People just don’t want to spend valuable time wading through stuff that they don’t like. Of course, it’s great to experiment outside the confines of your usual music of choice, but sometimes, such as when you’re trawling mp3 shops for new tracks, it’s useful to be able to click on ‘terror-jazz’ safe in the knowledge that you won’t have to listen to sample after sample of doom-jazz that you know just won’t hit the spot.

An awareness of sub-genres is essential in the world of live events too. The subtle differences between them can help create a sense of progression that is all too often lacking in large-scale gigs where the schedule is decided upon depending on the availability and popularity of the headliners.

It’s a hugely clichéd thing to say, but when I go to a club or a gig I want to be taken on a journey. Even a genre like drum ‘n’ bass that’s simply considered ‘ravey’ by many people varies wildly; from the melodic and jazzy sounds of LTJ Bukem to the frantic ‘dishwasher-falling-down-the-stairs’ noises favoured by the likes of Donny and Current Value. 

Put these guys in the wrong order on the same line-up and you risk having half the club bailing early with neck-ache and the rest getting confused by the sound of chirping birds emanating from the speakers and leaving at midnight thinking that it’s sunrise.

So by all means savour the broadness of ‘rock’ and ‘metal’ and ‘dance’. But remember that within each vast genre lies lovingly-nurtured musical morsels that can tickle your ears in ways that their collective elements never could.