/412/ No Future But Future Music ft. Simon Reynolds

On Futuromania and closing and opening of musical horizons.

 

We talk to renowned music critic Simon Reynolds about his new book. A counterpart of sorts to his famous Retromania (2011), Futuromania looks at the exciting futuristic music of the past and present. We discuss its themes to try understand whether the culture is still about to throw up something new.

• Is talk about popular music stuck between the poles of “rockism” and “poptimism”?

• How did Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder invent "electronic dance music"?

• Why is "future music" good? What are its pitfalls?

• How did Daft Punk run out of futurity?

• Why is Auto-Tune actually not the worst invention?

• How are genres like trap technically exciting but thematically glum?

• Is there any way of bringing the future back?

Links:

• Futuromania: Electronic Dreams, Desiring Machines, and Tomorrow's Music Today, Simon Reynolds
• blissblog, Simon Reynolds blog
• Futuromania companion playlist with Reynolds' introductions, on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/guests/episodes/simon-reynolds-9th-april-2024
• Futuromania companion playlist on Spotify
• No Bells music blog