This wasn’t the year that Seattle’s electronic music scene broke. We
threw some sweaty parties, put out some great records, and cultivated
local talent—but there wasn’t any singular event or definitive
record that screamed to the world that “we have arrived.” Which
isn’t to say that we haven’t arrived; more like we won’t be screaming
anything to the world when we can talk quietly and confidently among
ourselves instead.
Promotion-wise, collaboration was the theme for the year.
Decibel and Death of the Party started with some friction
but pulled together the hoppingest night at this year’s
not-scaled-back-as-planned Decibel Festival. It’s not easy to
get the techno nerds and the hipster set raging in the same room.
Even larger in scale is the rise of Broken Disco. Despite the
egos, turmoil, and varied working styles, somehow that crew has held it
together, putting its money, time, and networks on the table to throw a
kick-ass party every month. They’ve turned Broken Disco into a local
brand, ensuring that even the more obscure headliners are met by a
welcoming, dancing audience. The bookings set for next year (Egyptian
Lover and a few surprises) are taking things up a few more notches.
A resurgent after-hours scene that didn’t cater to the tweaker
contingent demonstrated a new willingness to leave the Seattle core
this year. Colin Johnson’s hiring (and subsequent bookings) actually
got bodies to make the trek to Fremont’s Nectar Lounge. His move
was a net benefit to the city, opening a new venue to electronic music.
Better that than the cloud of closure/sale that floated over
Re-bar most of the year (the venue—and
Flammable—is safe for the time being, so breathe easy).
The same can’t be said for the Baltic Room. Sure, the sign’s the
same on the door, but the club you once knew is dead and gone. It was a
special place, resting comfortably in the overlap between lounge and
club, an extension of your living room. There’s still worthwhile stuff
going on in the space so don’t write it off entirely, but a few people
lingering in your living room doesn’t mean the party isn’t over.
And the music? This year Daft Punk played at our house (our
house), proving just how amazing two dudes standing in one place could
be. But who needs high-tech Parisian grandstanding? The “future of
techno” already lives here, as eloquently stated by Pitchfork’s Philip
Sherburne, with Truckasauras leaving no parking lot safe from their
bleepy lo-fi funk. Bolstered by visits from big names like Benga
& Hatcha and Various, DJ Struggle and the local
dubstep massive showed why our scene is one of the tops in the world
for the genre, even putting out choice tracks on local labels.
Established talent Rebecca West made new waves under her Red
Pony alias and local label Orac reached a milestone, putting
out its 25th release, with more heat coming in the new year. There’s
too much to mention.
And that’s just it: For any one thing that gets captured in even the
most well-intentioned year-end wrap-up, there are dozens left out. Very
few definitive statements can be made. Instead of taking this quiet
time of the year to reflect and make grand statements about the “state
of the scene,” take a breather. 2008 is already looking to be an
ass-kicker. 