This board is anti-East Coast

[Morpheux]

I always thought the dance community at large was tight knit with hardly any factions BUT the last week has really highlighted the differences.

There must be some sort of resentment against the Northeast because it is the heart of the Domestic dance sound. I noticed most people into the Euro sound tend to be from outside of the Northeast. Personally,I like all sounds of dance so I find this to be so trivial. Could we support domestic artists please...given that it is a quality release and up to standards?

Someone should make that a novelty dance track. "Hey Deejay-won't you play; Dance beats made in the USA! ;D

 

[CHRles]

Seeing as how a lot of the regulars on this board either live on the East Coast, or are originally from the East Coast your statement doesn't hold up.
At the same time, people from Yonkers and West Philly can't hold a candle to the fine folks living in Wichita and Des Moines, which as we all know are the Real Dance capitals of the country ;D

 

[theedger]

My weekly email to the labels/promoters starts with "Greetings from the Center of Dance" - which we all know is Beaverton, Oregon. Just look at how many songs we start playing and the others 'pick up'. I can count 6 stations that we influence. If that isn't the center, then I've got my head so far up my azz I can smell New York

Funniest moment of my weekend... someone told me a couple of months ago I was playing the wrong songs.. Nobody knows what song x or song y is. I see they're playing those songs now. Even BPM has picked up songs we hammered (not just domestic ones). I see people on their facebook page asking for our playlisted songs all the time. Maybe it's part of the butterfly effect?

Back to the original post on for this thread - I think it's because NY people are very confident in their culture that they can be perceived as arrogant. You'd think I'm from New York.

 

[JayR]

Back to the original post on for this thread - I think it's because NY people are very confident in their culture that they can be perceived as arrogant. You'd think I'm from New York.

Not to say all are but some New Yawkers (Big Apple New Yorkers, that is) I've come across think their s#!t doesn't stink. Anywho...

Dance music in NYC/northern NJ has been associated with Bennies/Guidos...and I don't mean Italians necessarily.

 

[2Son]

I always thought the dance community at large was tight knit with hardly any factions BUT the last week has really highlighted the differences.

There must be some sort of resentment against the Northeast because it is the heart of the Domestic dance sound. I noticed most people into the Euro sound tend to be from outside of the Northeast. Personally,I like all sounds of dance so I find this to be so trivial. Could we support domestic artists please...given that it is a quality release and up to standards?

Someone should make that a novelty dance track. "Hey Deejay-won't you play; Dance beats made in the USA! ;D

Perhaps I'm out of the loop, but can you explain to me a little more about what you're speaking of? I think many of the posters here have tried to support dance in their own communities, let alone yours for years. Let's not forget, my area alone (Phoenix) had a dance station for nearly 7 years; however, I do specifically remember people complaining about EnergyAZ off and on throughout its tenure, and I CERTAINLY remember hearing more about the demise of Pulse in NY than I did about EnergyAZ, a station I feel supported all types of dance for a hell of a lot longer than Pulse...While NYC is a trend-setter, the type of thinking that NYC should earn respect because it IS the heart of this and the heart of that and that it must set the standard or trend for everyone and everything else in the US (while everyone else will fall below the ranks) and that everyone else should support it because of this is ridiculous. People outside of NYC can be just as informed about what they like/dislike without bringing NYC into the equation.

As I will be 40 years old this next year, my passion for dance music didn't come from listening to radio stations out of the NE. Sure, I appreciate all types of dance music and I appreciate stations like KTU and B96 (I grew up in Chicago) for their contribution, but aside from the freestyle hits of the 80's, my passion lied with bands like Yaz(oo), New Order, Sandra, Section 25, Voyou, 101 (Rock to the Beat), Cetu Javu, Taste of Sugar, Mental Cube, Quantize, Moby, The Grid, FKW, T42, Dj Dick, The Shamen, etc., and from listening to stations like KHFI (Austin), and a few out of Houston: KKBQ, KRBE, KNRJ (at that time was Energy 96.5) which were a mix of top 40/alternative/dance/euro pop. Back in the late 80's/early 90's, these stations WERE what CHR/Top 40 stations today SHOULD be and I have yet to find any stations here in the U.S. like them since, whether in NYC, CHI, Miami, San Francisco, etc. Although my musical interests have widen much over the years, this time in my life perhaps influenced the types of music I would continue to enjoy, and that has nothing to do with me loving or ignoring anything being a product of the NE or East Coast and I imagine others may feel the same way as well.

 

[Mid West Clubber]

Since I never got to go to the East Coast or West Coast when i was much younger, and way before internet streaming, I learned about Dance most heavily from B-96 Chicago, and Power 96 Miami,, and later on from WMGI Terre Haute indiana,, Which played mostly Freestyle and Euro in the mid 90s,, and also I thought Toronto Ontario was the Dance Meca,, as we had available online Energy 108,, CIDC which was Hot 103.5 at the time, and power 88.5,, and also 100.7 in Toront which was all Dance at Night.

 

[DJ_Perry]

To me, it seems East Coast people are very hardcore and passionate about particular styles and artists that are only regional. They get so wrapped up in how successful a song is in their city, but elsewhere it hardly makes a dent. I also feel they ignore certain global styles and pretend their niche stuff is better. I won't point out examples. Something tells me this subject won't go over well....

 

[TonySantiago]

Morpheux,

You went somewhere that you shouldn't have.

As a New Yorker (native from The Bronx, Yonkers 3 blocks away ), sure we have a long legacy regarding dance music here. There is a pride for it. I know that because we have 1,000+ people in the New York Dance Music Coalition that loves this stuff . But to point out anti anything is more detrimental to our cause than helpful.

PD's, back me on this, but it is fair to say that each market has their own style. The New York City Area may come off as more "rapid" because of the type of area we live in but that's not to say that even though people in Seattle, for example, may listen to a different "brand" of dance as we do that they are anti-us (or for that matter us anti-them). It's just a different market. Brett even talked about it for his station in Pemberton, NJ. Even listening to certain tracks that I get for my show, if I had to regionalize certain things, there are songs that would make a PERFECT fit if there was a station in Providence, RI that could NEVER work out in New York City ("The Air" by Avatars is what I'm thinking of - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXtEuYJn90M) Beautiful track but I can't see Vic adding on Party or Joel adding it on Pulse (if that station was still over the air).

Dance music in the US, in itself, is very regional. Let's face it....classic freestyle is STILL huge in the New York, Philly So. Jersey and Miami markets. Makes a VERY little dent in Cleveland, OH (maybe Lorain since the Puerto Rican population in Ohio is there). Dubstep, popular in places....very little to no impact here in NYC. Trance....still a core following out in the New England states (RI, MA, NH) but somewhat less elsewhere. And that's the trick...to cater to the region you are in.

I strongly agree with 2Son, people outside of NYC are informed about dance music and can do so without US (New Yorkers) in the loop. And we're not THAT arrogant, lol. The "benny/guido" argument....that is just ONE aspect of the New York dance music scene (mainly outer borough/NJ/LI). We also have the transplanted hipsters, African-Americans and Asians that pack the underground house clubs here (go to Cielo...best example). We have the "soccer moms" who swears that 'KTU is a dance station. We also have the GLBT population whose "circuit" is all their own brand .

I'm just trying to throw "cold water" on this thing. I don't see this board being anti-anything. We may not all agree on certain things but as "regulars" we all want what is best for the music we love. Nothing wrong with that . I think we just need more exposure as well as easing the staunchly core attitudes so that the music can progress and things can grow further from that

 

[TonySantiago]

To me, it seems East Coast people are very hardcore and passionate about particular styles and artists that are only regional. They get so wrapped up in how successful a song is in their city, but elsewhere it hardly makes a dent. I also feel they ignore certain global styles and pretend their niche stuff is better. I won't point out examples. Something tells me this subject won't go over well....

No need to point. Wish you said my name outright actually.

Yeah, I support Kim, Lucas, Judy, Reina, Sylvia and others that are in NYC. But that does not mean that I'm not aware of the global material. If ANYTHING, what I do on my show on Party Radio USA is bring that out somewhat. But I also have to concern myself to the audience as well. Just because I may like something doesn't mean that they do, or vice versa.

Yeah, this isn't going well because I don't see this anti anything here. Even though my coalition says "New York" on it, it really is for EVERYONE that is a dance music fan, whether you live in my area or not. And I'm open to hearing these discussions because yes, dance music here is EXTREMELY regional. I'm certainly not going to ignore someone from Joliet, IL because their city is smaller than mine. Everyone matters.

 

[DJ_Perry]

No need to point. Wish you said my name outright actually.

Was speaking of a good number of people other than New York (hence east coast)...don't be so vain, lol! But since you brought it up, I don't play an artist from AZ just because they are from AZ....ok ok, that's a bad example. I don't lean west coast with only artists like Richard Vission, LMFAO or DJ Dan. I also include Chicago stuff, Florida stuff, Canadian stuff, European....stuff that has a following everywhere. I actually don't agree that dance is regional anymore (with the exception of East Coast Dance). People everywhere are becoming more and more open minded to the sound, and if WE truly love dance, WE need to embrace this trend as opposed to keeping it real with playing stiff tracks just because they are personal friends. Dance is losing it's "Gay" stereotype because it is now being associated with more Mass Appeal styles. To me, that's a great direction, so I don't think the tribal or circuit sound will crossover any time soon.

And BTW, I don't even feel this thread is anti anything, it's just an observation. You pretty much confirmed my earlier post, so I don't even know what the argument is.

 

[TonySantiago]

No need to point. Wish you said my name outright actually.

Was speaking of a good number of people other than New York (hence east coast)...don't be so vain, lol! But since you brought it up, I don't play an artist from AZ just because they are from AZ....ok ok, that's a bad example. I don't lean west coast with only artists like Richard Vission, LMFAO or DJ Dan. I also include Chicago stuff, Florida stuff, Canadian stuff, European....stuff that has a following everywhere. I actually don't agree that dance is regional anymore (with the exception of East Coast Dance). People everywhere are becoming more and more open minded to the sound, and if WE truly love dance, WE need to embrace this trend as opposed to keeping it real with playing stiff tracks just because they are personal friends. Dance is losing it's "Gay" stereotype because it is now being associated with more Mass Appeal styles. To me, that's a great direction, so I don't think the tribal or circuit sound will crossover any time soon.

And BTW, I don't even feel this thread is anti anything, it's just an observation. You pretty much confirmed my earlier post, so I don't even know what the argument is.

I AIN'T VAIN! ;D

But yeah, things are going great for us because more people are getting exposed to the music on CHR outlets that, in the past, have brushed it off. And since you mentioned it based on a thread I did, Kim Sozzi may be a friend in the NYC area but her music has commercial appeal. Just because some might not like "Rated R" doesn't mean that the track won't get airplay. And just like "Feel Your Love" and "Secret Love", this track will travel . And I am viewing this without bias. I may know the NY people but still I'll play a dance track for what it is...a good track no matter where it's from .

If there is ANYTHING that I DO wish for the board, is that we get more people in here from other cities and regions to talk dance music so that we have a better idea of what trends are in differing areas. We have AZ covered (Perry, KDM, 2Son), NYC (Me, JP, D21ofNJ), So. Jersey/Philly (Dancerev, Nick), Fla (Morpheux, Techno Kelvin), Indianapolis (MWC), Beaverton, OR (theedger)...CHRles...where are you from again? lol. Any names I left out, my apologies but you know who you are . I'd love to hear more views.

I'd also love to hear from WOMEN! Let's face it, our board is male dominated here. I'd really love to hear what a woman has to say. There are quite a few out there that are just as core as us guys I'd love to hear their views And it's not an
anti thing....it's just what's "missing" here.

 

[DJ_Perry]

I AIN'T VAIN! ;D

Is that so? Ha, my bad....I must have been thinking of another Tony =]

And since you mentioned it based on a thread I did, Kim Sozzi may be a friend in the NYC area but her music has commercial appeal. Just because some might not like "Rated R" doesn't mean that the track won't get airplay. And just like "Feel Your Love" and "Secret Love", this track will travel .

It wasn't just that example...see, there you go! (just messin) You mentioned some other NY artists that, in my opinion, are not flagship examples of what the masses are expecting to hear in a club or a dance mix. All those tracks you mentioned by Kim.....I can't even recite one lyric, or melody. We may have rotated her on Energy Az once apon a time, but I'm afraid the songs were not memorable. So my post on your earlier subject was not to show anti NY, but I feel alot of that music appeals to the boys. It shouldn't be an issue if a non gay audience rejects something that is not edgy enough for them.

 

[Morpheux]

It's just an observation I made folks and I could be wrong. Btw I'm not on the East Coast so let's not bash the East Coasters =. The title of the thread is misleading and more inflammatory than I intended it to be.

A better topic to have discuss is why do domestic dance tracks have difficulty gaining national attention?

 

[JayR]

Tony,

I was interrupted by I.T. (I'm at work) when I made my post so I apologize. I am aware of the variety that NYC has when it comes to dance music. I was simply stating a perception some have to dance music. Back in the early 90's I was working at a country club when I began speaking to a guy from the NYC area. I asked him if he listened to freestyle. He responded with the following: "Do you mean guido music?" This is the first time I heard about the guido. It wasn't until sometime later that I learned what he meant by that. Nowadays, you can just look it up online.

I'm from southwest Florida. My dance music influences came from Miami (80's electro, freestyle), Tampa and Orlando (Florida breaks).

 

[TonySantiago]

Tony,

I was interrupted by I.T. (I'm at work) when I made my post so I apologize. I am aware of the variety that NYC has when it comes to dance music. I was simply stating a perception some have to dance music. Back in the early 90's I was working at a country club when I began speaking to a guy from the NYC area. I asked him if he listened to freestyle. He responded with the following: "Do you mean guido music?" This is the first time I heard about the guido. It wasn't until sometime later that I learned what he meant by that. Nowadays, you can just look it up online.

I'm from southwest Florida. My dance music influences came from Miami (80's electro, freestyle), Tampa and Orlando (Florida breaks).

It's cool.

It does get said often enough about freestyle being "guido", etc. The music stems from the "working class" (mainly Latinos and Italians) in the outer boroughs of NYC so that's how it stuck. I lived through that although around that time I was following Chicago house as well. And yeah, I remember the breaks sound when I did my Orlando trips 10 years ago listening to 95.3 Party

 

[TonySantiago]

Is that so? Ha, my bad....I must have been thinking of another Tony =]

Works for me! (as I look in the mirror and kiss myself)

It wasn't just that example...see, there you go! (just messin) You mentioned some other NY artists that, in my opinion, are not flagship examples of what the masses are expecting to hear in a club or a dance mix. All those tracks you mentioned by Kim.....I can't even recite one lyric, or melody. We may have rotated her on Energy Az once apon a time, but I'm afraid the songs were not memorable. So my post on your earlier subject was not to show anti NY, but I feel alot of that music appeals to the boys. It shouldn't be an issue if a non gay audience rejects something that is not edgy enough for them.

That's why I want to get women in here....to get their viewpoints on the subject matter.

For that matter, the NY artists I've mentioned are commercial (if not commercial potential) so in that sense the sound isn't "edgy" - no issue on gay or straight in that regard. And with the good tracks comes the not-so-good tracks that I wasn't "feeling" either (maybe a remix could have helped).

For the clubs, that's all variable. Sure, you won't hear a commercial artist putting on a mass appeal dance track at a Pacha but at the same time you won't hear deep underground soulful house or an "Above & Beyond" style trance track at a club on the Jersey Shore that caters to a "fist pump" mentality either. It's what the target demo of the crowd demands. And thinking NYC because you have the 4 "worlds", thats where artists come to play for any given demo that they serve.

 

[JayR]

Let's face it....classic freestyle is STILL huge in the New York, Philly So. Jersey and Miami markets. Makes a VERY little dent in Cleveland, OH (maybe Lorain since the Puerto Rican population in Ohio is there).

I almost fell out of my chair when I read that!

My cousins make up 1/5 of the PR population in Lorain. ;D

 

[Morpheux]

^^^

I just saw that previous post from Tony. Cleveland's PR Population is estimated to be near 35,000 while Lorain is at 15,000. And yes they do love freestyle in Cleveland. Lisette Melendez was there about two months ago. Jammin' 92 used to play a good dose of freestyle back when in was a dance leaning CHR.

 

[TonySantiago]

Let's face it....classic freestyle is STILL huge in the New York, Philly So. Jersey and Miami markets. Makes a VERY little dent in Cleveland, OH (maybe Lorain since the Puerto Rican population in Ohio is there).

I almost fell out of my chair when I read that!

My cousins make up 1/5 of the PR population in Lorain. ;D

I have family out there too! That's why I knew it! Bodegas in Ohio...never thought! lol Possible we could be related backhandedly with some of my relatives out there!

@Morpheux - That's why I chose Lorain! Cleveland may be the larger city but per capita, Lorain has the larger population of Puerto Ricans there.

 

[Morpheux]

@ Tony....yes,but Lorain is like going to Newark when you already live in NYC.