Product Description

Electronic music over the last few years has conquered the Western world with the force of a thunderstorm. It has created a new movement that expresses itself in Love Parades in Berlin and Zurich and in club scenes that fans of the "old" rock and pop music scene never even dreamt of. Zurich, Switzerland has become a European center for electronic music, and one of its most popular nightspots, founded in 1997, is Rohstofflager ("warehouse for raw material"). The club has invited almost every DJ of importance to spin there: world-famous Jeff Mills and Curtis "Cajmere" Jones from Chicago, Kevin Saunderson , Derrik May, Juan Atkins and Robert Hood from Detroit, Laurent Garnier from Paris, Claude Young from Glasgow, Richie Hawtin from Windsor, Canada, Luke Slater, Dave Clarke, Kevin "Hype" Ford, Ray "Grooverider" Bingham, "Goldie" and Roni Size from the United Kingdom, Cisco "The Advent" Ferreira from Lisbon, Helmut "Hell" Geier and Maximilian "Westbam" Lenz from Germany, Cari Lekebusch and Adam Beyer from Stockholm, and more. The stars of the international electronic music scene are represented in this book, not only through panoramic color portraits, but also in statements explaining why they do what they do, what happens with them while entertaining the feverish Saturday night dancers of today, and what happens when they make the people fly to their rhythms. This is a book for club-goers who want to know what their DJ's really feel and think when they are in action. And, last but not least: readers become listeners with the two music CDs included in this must-have publication, which brings the energy of the dance floor to your book shelf.

80 color.
9.5 x 12.5 in.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2093028 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Customer Reviews

Sound and vision
fantastic book with great portraits of some of the most important people in electronic dance (mainly techno) today. Each artist describes in their own words what is going through their mind on the topic of techno/dance music - where they came from - how they work - etc. These are true techno artists. You won't find any Paul Oakenfolds or John Digweeds in this book which is such a relief. The bulk of the book is Detroit (Jeff Mills, Rob Hood, Derrick May, Saunderson, Larkin) Northern European (Heiko Laux, DJ Hell, Mss Djax) artists but there are a few d&b/junglists like Ed Rush and LTJ Bukem towards the back. The two CDs included are an excellent way for those unfamiliar with some of the profiles to place face, name, and sound together. Highly recommended for anyone interested in electronic dance music.

A cutting-edge showcase of modern popular culture
Compiled, arranged, and edited by Walter Huegli (in collaboration with Martin Jaeggi), Raw Music Material: Electronic Music DJs Today is an impressively presented archive featuring color photographs, personal interviews, enhanced with exciting music on two accompanying audio CDS. Presenting a cohesive and upbeat portrait of electronic music DJs in the modern age, Raw Music Material is enthusiastically recommended as a cutting-edge showcase of modern popular culture and rhythm.

An excellent primer
A book like this is never as complete as true fans of a musical genre would prefer and is almost instantly obsolete by the time it sees publication.

This is, however, a notable snapshot of the people who made music and the time, and gives loads of insight into their motivations as artists and culture bearers. And with the inclusion of two CDs featuring 36 tracks by covered DJs/artists, this club is well worth the price of admission.