Interview: Theo Parrish talks about the music industry

Interview: Theo Parrish talks about the music industry

21 July, 2008 | 9.01AM

• Written by: svnvt
• Filed under: Music News: theo parrish

Last week was the week of controversy, or so it seems.

After the Brikha vs. Aber dispute and Philip Sherburnes’ new ’month in techno’ column for Pitchfork Media (more about that in another post tomorrow), Detroit’s deep house maestro Theo Parrish expressed his views on western music’s pattern of ”black roots, white fruits“ in a one-question interview with Moodmat blog.

While I am with Theo Parrish on some of his observations and statements about the music industry and the dance music underground, I (not being from the US) am still astonished at the amount of simplification and self-righteousness he answers the question with.

But read for yourselves.

Before there was Elvis and rock and roll there was “race music” and Chess records. Before there was Benny Goodman there was ragtime and blues. Given the long standing pattern of “black roots, white fruits” in western music, has dance music fallen prey to this concept more or less than other genres in history?

I wouldn’t say it’s ‘fallen prey’, I’d say this has been going on so long, its expected to eventually happen in every known musical discipline, but that doesn’t make it less of a crime, or less irritating.

Today, things are just more complicated in terms of the way people try to coexist, but when you get down to basic social dynamics, its not different.

The music industry, like most huge industries, is owned by white men.

Black men and women (musicians) tend to provide the labor (talent) that makes the product (songs).

This isn’t a mystery and nor is it shocking since everyone white, black and otherwise living in the western world lives their respective lives with slavery as a backdrop to everything they do.

White folks at their worst will deny it, black people at their worst will use it as an excuse for stagnation.

White people at their best will know of the historical imbalance socially, and act with that in mind when dealing amongst each other and with black folks.

Black people at their best will know what is stacked against them, stay motivated anyway, and try not to let cynicism eat them when they deal with white people and each other.

I don’t believe in genre titles.

I don’t think they actually describe any kind of music accurately, but I do know the industry uses these divisions to sell stuff and pimp people.

In the music industry, each genre has its own pre-set roles for black people to play a part in.

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To read the rest of what Theo’s got to say regarding each genre, check out the full interview on moodmat.com and then come back here and share your opinions.

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Sources:
words: moodmat
Images: jaysoul gallery

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