Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis is a backseat ride through one of the most exciting lives ever lived. He is the epitome of a genuine badass, and that is where the book gets its theme. It would be rare to come across another person with the same uncanny ability to force copious amounts of drugs into his or her body; or to come across someone who as experienced as many perfect sexual endeavors. With that said, this autobiography is about how to become a rockstar, starting at age 13.

If you have been living under a large stone you probably don’t know that the Red Hot Chili Peppers spent the 80’s and 90’s clashing with mainstream, producing several awesome records. Their record Californication sold over 13 million copies, thats enough to give a hint of the type of fame Mr. Kiedis has achieved.

Everything started in Grand Rapids, Michigan where Anthony was born, but the story doesn’t begin until he moves to Los Angeles, California with his drug dealing father. Being the way it was, Anthony spent the majority of his time growing up in a hectic LA drug scene. He lost his virginity at age 12 to his dads 18 eighteen year old girlfriend, but do not think this hurt the father-son relationship. Anthony merely asked his dad if he minded and his dad set up the escapade.

At age 15 he broke his back jumping the gap between a 5-story apartment building and a pool; his back still bothers him today. Receiving straight-A’s throughout school at Fairfax High School he was accepted into UCLA. That went well until his worsening drug addiction forced him to drop out. He met his band mates Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons at that high school.

Drug addiction takes up a good chunk of the story of Anthony Kiedis’s life. His dad let him smoke his first joint when he was only 13; opening doors that led to harder drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. He was a habitual user of heroin, a drug known to ruin peoples lives. Heroin forced Mr. Kiedis into a rehabilitation center multiple different times, the first after the heroin induced death of band mate Hillel Slovak. Kiedis talked a lot about the things he learned during his drug binges; mainly the things he learned about himself. He wraps up by talking about his life, and the journey that it has been.

The best part of this book would have to be the value that it holds as being a view into the life of a Hollywood star, and the meaning behind it all. It covers the period from mid-eighties to late-nineties. Anybody that reads Scar Tissue would have an idea at the least of what it means to be famous and addicted to heroin, and a perk is that the book does not make heroin seem like something a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan would want to indulge in. Kiedis lets everybody know about the negativity that is can bring down on a person, and all of the people that are connected to that person.

The downfall of this book is that there is absolutely no structure to his writing. Although this comes as no surprise, it is sad that the book plays out as; this happened, then this happened, and when that happened this happened, which made this happen. This issue can be seen as a double edged sword though. Seeing that Anthony Kiedis is a former rock star, this unstructured structure gives the book a realistic and believable style. Had Kiedis worked more into his writing the book could have been much more impressive. Another disappointment is the fact that the drummer of the band, Chad Smith, is practically kept out of the book. He is mentioned only a few times, and only because he was the drummer, and because him and Kiedis nearly got into a fight together in a hotel

On the whole, the book Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis is a very interesting book, and if should be read by those not considered the faint of heart. It is directed towards the younger age group, mostly males. The numerous sexual encounters that Kiedis describes is the perfect balance to the chapters caught up in heroin addiction. If you like reading about extremely interesting people this book is right up your alley, Anthony Kiedis is one of the most interesting people that I have ever had the privilege to read about, so on the final analysis, I would recommend this book to anybody that thinks their somebody, under the age of 30

This book hardly relates to the topic of electronic music. It was too difficult to find a book that connected with what I’m going for, but personally I really enjoyed this book. I found Anthony Kiedis to be an intriguing character. I don’t want to follow his exact life style, but I agree with his views on life and how to be a good person. On the final note, Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis is a worthwhile autobiography to be read.

It was a Journey of a Lifetime

The goal of this post is to explore the people who can connect with the Electronic Dance Music scene. This post is not for the faint of heart, it is a true story with the names left out for the credibility of those people. The story starts in the simple Colorado town of Boulder, and the people were brought together because of their love for music. The Event was a Zeds Dead show at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom on Wednesday, December 29. Zeds Dead is a pair of Djs who were brought here by a local Aspen valley girl. She did everything necessary to promote this show and in the end it was bigger than a great success. The story is divided into two parts and
into four different people.

Before the show the four men began their preparations for the night. Back in Boulder they began with a solid meal, team stretching, and meditation. One might ask why so much preparation, those men would say why not. They live their lives on the basic principle that anything is worth it, and if you plan for fun, fun will plan for you. After the pre-gaming the men got in their car and departed for the city of Denver. The energy was electric running though the guys like they were metal. They arrived in the city and headed towards the venue. Luckily, they had a place to go within walking distance of the ballroom. They found a parking spot and approached a row of houses where they were told to go to. A voice was heard calling out, “hey! up here!” Thats where they went. Inside the sounds of EDM were calling out to everyone as they socialized and let the vibe encapsulate them. This energy was on the build all night and never stopped.

When the time called, the crew left the house for the short trek over to Cervantes. We were all inside the club, and thats where the insanity began. It took all of about three minutes for the crew to separate into their own comfort zones within the club. The venue was completely sold out; no empty space anywhere on the floor. An hour or two went by and the headliner took ahold of the stage. The crowd began screaming the Bruce Willis quote, “zeds dead baby,” and like an eruption the night exploded. The only way to describe the emotions felt that night to someone alien to the EDM scene would be that it was like taking your first breath, and combining with the energy of the sun, and then... Thats it because that would be just as insanely fun as this show. Everybody danced the night away, some on the balcony above the madness, and others on the dance floor producing the madness. After the last song the performers approached the stage to absorb that insane energy. They couldn’t get away. They were pulled in by all the people; literally surfing the crowds energy.

As they headed backstage a new feeling encompassed the venue. Love.. Everybody was handing out hugs, and kisses, and high-fives, and handshakes. Everybody had a mutual respect for everyone surrounding them. This show meant so much more than what the tickets had printed on them, and thats what is special about Electronic Dance Music events. They bring so much energy to the table every single time, and the only sad part about it is that not that many people actually know about it, and even worse some people think they know what it is. They think is like the raves in the 90’s.... Based off of the drugs, but that is stupid to believe. Love could be used as an umbrella term in this situation because that is why everybody was there. Love for music, love for friends, and most of all a love for love itself.

Movie? Music vid more like it

Note: there are no(good) movies that i could use for this blog so I had to get creative and write about my favorite dubstep music video. Yeah Mrs. Wright Im difficult....

The music video for the song “Hold On” by Rusko feat. Amber Coffman is a beautiful depiction of the life of Producer/DJ Rusko. It shows his life, his job, and his friends all in their natural habitat; the most comfortable place they can be.

The fist twenty seconds of the video are all shots of England; where Rusko is from. It shows London and its vintage architecture. This leads into more of those shots, but with Rusko looking out at everything. It gives the feeling that he has a special place for his home country.

The song builds up and drops, and right when it drops the video changes into scenes from multiple different shows of his. It conveys the energy of the crowd and how they get it all from the DJ. This goes on for another minute and a half, and at the bridge the song and video change again.

At 2:20 the songs mood changes, and the video goes to shots that are of the fans at Rusko’s shows. They all are of happy people; smiling and hugging each other and dancing.

This video is actually amazing for multiple reasons. It was produced extremely well; one instance is that in one scene it shows multiple beautiful girls all dancing and during that the vocalist of the song whispers “come dance with me.. come dance with me baby.” Together those two elements create a perfect mood. It does it another time when the song sings, “i know, you’ve waited, all you’re life. But finally you’re here with me tonight,” it sings this while it shows Rusko Dj’ing for a sold out venue. It gives off the feeling that everybody has waited for Rusko to become this famous, and to become the person that he has become.

On the final analysis, this music video is of expert quality and tells Rusko’s story in the best way possible. If you could make you’re life like the one depicted by this music video.... Would you?

Some Data For those music Geeks

Top DJ’s of 2010

1. Armin Van Buuren
2. David Guetta
3. Tiësto
4. Deadmau5
5. Above & Beyond
6. Paul Van Dyk
7. Gareth Emery
8. Markus Schulz
9. Ferry Corsten
10. Axwell

"Top 100 Djs." DJ Mag. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. .

These ten DJs were voted for by the general public with the help of DJ Magazine.
With the help of this list anybody could find some music that they find amazing. These DJs have the highest acclaim when it comes to the electronic music scene; these people travel the world constantly to share their love of music with as many people as possible. To speak for myself, I found about 15 great songs just by doing some research in order to write this article. I definitely recommend buying some songs from any of these Producer/Djs.

The data I provided is not 100 percent complete; the actual list is of the top 100 Djs, but I am adamant when I say that it would be amoral for me to copy the entire list. On the topic of reliability these results are very accurate. DJ Magazine has been doing this for multiple years now, and by now they really know what they’re doing. On the final analysis, this is the epitome of great electronic music as of today, so enjoy.

Reflection

I felt like creating this blog was really easy, I went about starting it in a well planned manor. Picking my topic of Electronic Music was pretty easy, I used something that I felt I was truly passionate about. Once I had my base it was easy to set up the rest of the blog; from the background to the right font. The technique I found indispensable was the use of an accessory word processor to draft each blog post. This helped especially well in making my papers less rushed and more planned out. This helped increase the quality of the majority of writing I do. Overall, this is how the blog process started.

I have come a long way with the topic of Electronic Music. It’s quite interesting learning so much about something that I feel passionately about. Now I know a lot more about who the music represents and the how they represent themselves. Doing the blog has not changed my current feelings of the music, but much of my research has lead me to something much better. On most of the blogs I look at are songs that are posted up to be downloaded. This treasure has been the most rewarding part, I have found and downloaded many electronic songs... They all rock!

To conclude, I still feel good about the topic, in terms of writing about it. I have not lost any interest yet. I’m only curious about what else I am going to be able to write about, but we’ll see. I am going to try and learn more about the history and the roots of the music. I am going to elicit as much as I can before this project is over, but most important; I am going to keep doing my best to report what Electronic music is about and how I feel about it.

Some Deep Research

Electronic music has been connected with many negative things as it has been becoming more and more popular with contemporary-minded people. It is being linked to drug abuse, underage drinking, and many other negative ideas. This happens to be quite wrong; what Electronic music represents is a unifying force that brings people together through fun times and great music. The people against this type of music see right through all of the good, and can only see an electronic music concert as being evil. They are the parents of the kids that attend these shows. It is much like the situation that Rock music was in during the late sixties; people that oppose Electronic music don’t understand this contemporary generation.

P.L.U.R is a well known acronym within Electronic music. It stands for peace, love, unity, and respect. It sums up the vibe of the music quite well. It would not be smart to assume that all attendees of Electronic music shows follow this simple mantra, but P.L.U.R actually fits what the artists and listeners of the music want to represent. It is based off of several key principles that in correlation with Electronic music produce the epitome of a unifying experience. This philosophy runs all the way through from those that listen to the music to the ones that make it. Several artist interviews ask the same question; how did you get into producing music? It all comes down to one simple emotion, and that is love. They all talk about a love for music; a love for listening, a love for making music, and a love for the fans that enjoy their music. They aren’t in the business because they like to party and get rowdy every night. They do it because of the love and the passion.

Being united is a large part of what DJs strive for these days. In one interview of the most popular DJ in the world, DJ Tiesto, he was asked where he finds the best audiences. He replied, “all over the world, every country has its own special crowd,” this resonates with unity. Electronic music in a sense is bringing the whole world together through the love of music. People in Los Angeles are listening to a Dutch DJ/Producer, and at the same time people in China are listening to the same thing. They might not be able to translate the vocals, but everything else with the vibe included is understood by both parties. As an example, Country music in America is isolated quite well, though there are Australian, and Mexican country music stars most are only listened to by the people that also are from those places. In other words, people in Eastern Europe are not going to be listening to Toby Keith, or Tim McGraw; but it’s common to see people from all over the world listening to DJ Tiesto or Armin Van Burren.

On the final analysis, the true purpose of electronic music is being lost in the eyes of those that oppose everything that has to do with it. No right minded person would spend more that 50 dollars in most cases to go to a show with the purpose of getting “messed up.” They want to see that artist perform, and express what he or she feels. Thats is the purpose of Electronic music, to let the audience feel what the DJ feels, to let everybody share the same feelings of unity, love, peace, and respect. As you can see, Electronic music is much deeper than the average person would expect. It is an important part of the upcoming generation and it lead those people in a positive direction. In conclusion, if everybody were to follow the philosophy behind electronic music, the world would most definitely be a happier and more peaceful place to live in.

Verwest, Tijs. "DJ Tiesto... Trance Master." Interview. Ask Men. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. .

Wikipedia contributors. "PLUR." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 23 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2010.

Wikipedia contributors. "Counterculture of the 1960s." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 4 Nov. 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2010.

Debate This!

When it comes to Electronic music the issue of MDMA is always lurking around the corner. MDMA, chemically known as Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, is a common drug that has been around since 1912 when it was first synthesized. The common effects of the drug are euphoria and the loss of anxiety. The debate is always on a few different parts within the issue; such as whether there are long-term neurological affects, and whether it can be used as a pharmaceutical to help people overcome serious psychological problems. In brief, there are always arguments occurring related to the affects and use of MDMA.

Are there long-term effects on the brains of repeated users, or even single-time users? Many scientists claim the drug can affect the brain. There are several studies that have been conducted to prove this. One study showed how memory was affected after consuming MDMA. It showed that the more of the substance that was taken the more the persons memory was affected. In other words, they had a more difficult time recalling what they saw and heard while on the drug. The short-term problems are a somewhat different; MDMA causes the serotonin receptors in the brain to empty their contents making a flood of the chemical. This is what causes the euphoria, but also that chemical is responsible for controlling body temperature, so hyperthermia and hypothermia are prevalent dangers associated with the use of the drug. The other side of this debate are the recreational users that disagree by saying MDMA is harmless when taken with moderation in mind. These people in a way have been conducting their own studies. Another effect is that after use the brains serotonin levels are lower than normal so there is a period where the person would have to regain those levels, he or she could possibly experience some sort of depression during this period, but once the levels are back to normal the person would feel normal again. Many more studies need to be done before there is concrete proof of the long and short term effects of MDMA on a person.

On the other hand MDMA is a psychotherapeutic medicine that could be used to help many people suffering from mental disorders. In the United States about 3.6 percent of adults have what is known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It’s an anxiety disorder caused by the exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies has been studying the effects of MDMA on people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Their preliminary results concluded that with psychotherapy MDMA can be used to overcome the disorder. One psychiatrist was quoted saying, "MDMA is penicillin for the soul, and you don't give up penicillin, once you've seen what it can do." This shows the medicinal side of the drug compared to the side that sees MDMA as a brain-damaging party drug. On the final analysis, the topic of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine is still pretty closed, and the drug is still considered illegal, so it’s up to you to decide how you feel about it.

Jacob, Sullum. "Sex, Drugs, and Techno Music." Reason Magazine. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. .

"MDMA Research." Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Web.

Poll Results

I created my poll with the intentions to learn about the musical tastes of the students in our English 4 class and anybody else who s following my blog. I did this because of how personal the music somebody listens to can be to them; the favorite genre of a certain person can help explain who that person is, and what kind of energy they prefer. I didn’t have many expectations at all, except I had a pretty good feeling the electronic based genres, such as House and Dubstep, were going to prevail on top of the poll.

A total of eight people voted in my poll. They had the choice of Rap music, Reggae, House music, and Dubstep. Reggae received no votes, Rap and Dubstep got two each, and House lead the poll with a total of four votes.

I suppose the results came out this way because of the era we’re in as of today. Electronic music represents the people who listen to the most contemporary music; the most progressive and experimental sounds. This is shown by data with Dubstep receiving 25% of the votes and House with 50% of all the votes. The only surprise I got from my poll was that apparently nobody likes Reggae music anymore; it seems to have lost its acclaim. Although it is a pretty small poll to base that claim off of, Reggae is more popular with the earlier eras of listening.

To conclude, this poll has elicited some ideas for future posts of mine. For one, I am going to continue representing electronic music, because of how people obviously enjoy it, but the best idea I have is to make a post conveying the mixture of genres within Electronic music. Many people with single minded likes could be intrigued to hear their favorite songs remixed into electric masterpieces. Anyways, thanks for reading and I’ll get back at you with more interesting parts of the Electronic music scene.

How to Dance Dirty

The website Gotta Dance Dirty is a useful multi-purpose music blog that keeps people up to date on the electronic music scene. It was started by a man named Jonah( without a last name), and is maintained and edited by him and ten other editors. It’s impossible telling how old this blog is or when it was started because of how many older posts there are. It could take hours of hitting the older posts button before reaching the start of it all.

The layout of everything is quite nice, since it’s a blog everything is in chronological order, meaning the newer posts are the first things that you see. It has a black studded leather background that elicits the electro feel. Finding information and music is actually really simple, by simply scrolling the page down the information seems to just magically appear.

The accuracy of the content on the site is definitely high up there. It isn’t hard to tell that the editors love music and have made it a part of their lives. Also, compared to other music blogs Gotta Dance Dirty has the most recent songs and interviews. Any professional or even amateur DJ would appreciate what this site does for electronic music. On the basis of credibility this site is very credible, but slightly biased. For a music blog such as Gotta Dance Dirty this is a good thing. They have a bias toward good music and artists. In other words, they only put good music on their site and only interview good, upcoming artists(I’m sure they would interview the bigger artists, but Rolling Stone has seniority over Gotta Dance Dirty. (haha)).

The most impressive part of Gotta Dance Dirty is the content. As far as what somebody could learn from the site, they could learn about a certain motives of artists, and how they feel about their music. The most recent interview of duo Booka Shade regarded their tour that they are about to embark on across North America. The interviewer seemed intelligent as well as kind, and asked many good questions. Other than the interviews are the mp3s and DJ mixes that are posted up. They are always high quality recordings, and the blog has it setup so you can download these songs almost directly off of the site. This makes it a useful utility for DJs to find and download music. The purpose of this site is too expand and represent electronic music for all the people in the world, and they are doing a swell job doing so. Gotta Dance Dirty is the epitome of a music blog, and will continue to do good work.

The Currant Standing

As of today electronic music has been in an interesting light; the younger generation has embraced it for the energetic and fun times that are associated with it, but the older people who’s kids may enjoy these shows do not know what to think. They link these parties, concerts, and festivals with the negativity of underage drinking, elicit drug use, and the distribution of illegal drugs. The University of Delaware sponsored a project that explored the “significance of electronica in youth culture today and its connections to collective identity and positive and negative human agency.” They found that the underground “rave scene” has expanded into a bigger and broader collection of people. For the most part, those people with the negative views of contemporary music need to revaluate the music scene of today.

The research of sociologist Tammy Anderson Ph.D. reviled the truth about the different subcultures of electronica. Her findings suggested that the people that attend these events are comprised of two general types; the first are the people that go to have a good time with friends and see the music that they love, and the others are the people that go to do a variety of illegal things. In addition, social diversity of the people that devote themselves to this scene contributes to the amount of negative talk among todays adults. The easy going group is the epitome of the modern era, whereas the other, darker sub-culture represents the people tainting the reputations of those who follow an “electronic lifestyle.” The amiable people that are taking over the obsolete rave scene give a new light to the culture of electronic music. Dubstep is a genre, that has been making headway in the mainstream music scene, and leaving its some of its underground roots behind. Getting its influence from the sub-bass utilizing producers of British dance music in the early 90’s dubstep has evolved into a mash up of genres, though it will always keep its characteristic 2-step drum lines and wobble bass. Producer Rusko has been drifting into mainstream music; he recently has done some production work on the new Brittany Spears album. This is a big change from producing for the underground UK club culture to whatever kind of people listen to Brittany Spears. The electronic music scene has become something very different from the old rave-scene that the late 80’s and early 90’s brought to us. Now its a mix of new-school party people and electronica enthusiasts that are helping propel these contemporary artists to fame.

Citiations
Murphy, Tom. "OMG! Rusko's Stepping into Mainstream Territory with His New Album - Page 1 - Music - Denver - Westword." Denver News, Events, Restaurants, Music Westword. 16 Sept. 2010. Web. 09 Oct. 2010. .

Anderson, Tammy L. Rave Culture and the Contemporary Electronic Music Scene. University of Delaware, 2007. Web. 9 Oct. 2010.

General Information

Over time music has evolved into something that the first musicians never would have even imagined. The first tribal drummers and vocalists did not know the concept of electricity, so of course they were not even thinking about electronic music, but about electronic noise.

Electronic music is thought to have stemmed from the first machine designed to record sounds; despite the fact that it could not replay the sounds it recorded. It was designed by the famous Thomas Edison in 1878, and used cylinders to record the noises. A second influential invention was the first vacuum tube, created by Lee DeForest in 1906. It allowed the amplification of electronic signals. This is where it all started; using electricity to produce noise. It wasn’t until the late 1960’s when the first computer was used to make music. During the 70’s synthesizers were becoming popular in rock music. The band Pink Floyd used them to much of his advantage . Next, was the rise of electronic dance music, the product of these technological advances.

During the last decade computer related technology has been on the rise. This has brought a whole new approach to electronic music. Better computers and synthesizers have helped electronic producers to express themselves in whichever way they desire. They have access to virtually any instrument, and can record any type of audio to use in an arrangement.

The festivals and tours related to the electronic music culture are some of the most popular in the world; having international acclaim. The 2010 Electric Daisy Carnival in Los Angeles, California was an event to be remembered. 185,000 people showed up to the two day festival highlighting the best electronic music of the year. Said to be the largest North American electronic music festival ever. On the less bright side of the event, a drug related death of a 15 year old girl brought strong animosity. The drug ecstasy is a widely used throughout this “music scene,” and when teenager have access to this dangerous drug there is no telling what might happen. In response to the death, the company Insomniac Events has changed there 16 and up policy to 18 and up, and have inquired the help of a consulting firm with experience in general safety protocol. The change in age requirement will hopefully lead to less injuries, and fatalities. To sum up everything, the electronic music culture is a wide spread group, that spans the globe, and has come extremely far; and is the music of the current generation.

Citations

Wikipedia contributors. "Electronic music." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 Oct. 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.

"Girl, 15, Dies after Weekend Rave at L.A. Coliseum - Page 2 - Los Angeles Times." Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. 30 June 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .

"Electric Daisy Carnival - Friday June 25 & Saturday June 26th 2010." Electric Daisy Carnival 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .

Johnson, By Reed. "Electric Daisy Carnival Draws 185,000 for Electronic Music and Good Vibes - Los Angeles Times." Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. 28 June 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. .

Narrowing this Blogs Horizons

I have recently decided to narrow the topic of this blog from music culture to the culture of electronic music. This way I will be able to increase the effectiveness of my research, and the material I produce.

First Post

The purpose of this blog is to explore music culture, and expose the many hidden facets of it. I will be searching for the answers of questions such as: how do music festivals affect the people that attend, what are the most influential festivals for people, how do people relate with different genres of music, and how is music used to spread messages. So, if you also share these questions you can find the answers here.