Random Slices #15

In this special edition of Random Slices (it’s random so we can blather on about anything), we get all Mayan and look ahead to 2013 with a prediction on the next big trend in electronic music…

 

 

If the electronic music released in 2012 has been consistent in any way, it’s been in it’s increasing lurch towards rawness. A thread has developed that runs through the outsider house and techno of labels like L.I.E.S and Blackest Ever Black through to the Electronic Pop of Tale of Us and Footprintz and permeated the scenes of London, Bristol, LA, Amsterdam etc. 

 

Of course, a renewed fascination with the music of Detroit has been an important factor in this, but I also think it’s down, at least in part, to a reaction to the times we live in: As computers become more and more central to music production, there is a growing school of musicians and producers who are shunning the cleanness and sharpness of digital for the murky joy of over-ridden analogue. I predict 2013 will continue this trend in a big way, with bumpy, visceral, ragged music taking precedence over sharp, cleanly rendered productions. In some ways, this is obvious: when RA charts L.I.E.S as the number one label of 2012, you can expect a legion of copycats to move in on the sound. 

 

But, equally, it’s quite thrilling to think that we can look forward to increasingly avant garde music forcing it’s way into a new sphere of popularity. My specific prediction is that Jungle (not the later D&B off shoots, but the original early nineties form that sprang from hardcore and acid house) will hybridise with techno and acid and become the big sound of the year – moving away from a dependence on the amen break and instead, utilizing drum machines and analogue machinery to forge a breakier, wilder form of Techno. 

 

Jungle’s already made a bit of resurgence (well, in some corners it’s never gone away) finding it’s way into Juke sets and rubbing up against the dubbier forms of dubstep, but I think we’re headed towards something more earthy and crucially, slowed down from it’s native speed of 140 – 160 bpm to the upper end of the 120s, allowing it to fit into house and techno sets. So there we have it, the big sound of 2013 will be ‘Tungle’ or ‘Jechno’. Producers – you’ve got a blueprint, if it works out send me a fiver.