Soul or soulless?

I was watching High Tech Soul a few weeks ago, and saw Derrick May saying how he loved techno music, as long as it’s got soul.

Now I’m sure we’ve all heard people saying ………. “Oh I don’t like that, it’s got no soul”, regarding some harder edged techno.

Well I was thinking about this, surely if the producer has been able to get some of their soul out into the music they've made, it shouldn’t matter if its hard, dark and dirty, if that’s what they were feeling at the time.

So my question is, is it easier to associate music that’s emotive and has soul to slower, funkier styles of music, than say a harder, more aggressive style, are we pre-programmed into thinking this way, maybe through soundtracks to TV and films?

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Originally Posted by dan the acid man

I was watching High Tech Soul a few weeks ago, and saw Derrick May saying how he loved techno music, as long as it’s got soul.

Now I’m sure we’ve all heard people saying ………. “Oh I don’t like that, it’s got no soul”, regarding some harder edged techno.

Well I was thinking about this, surely if the producer has been able to get some of their soul out into the music they've made, it shouldn’t matter if its hard, dark and dirty, if that’s what they were feeling at the time.

So my question is, is it easier to associate music that’s emotive and has soul to slower, funkier styles of music, than say a harder, more aggressive style, are we pre-programmed into thinking this way, maybe through soundtracks to TV and films?

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I think most people relate soulful to being a lighter smoother side of things. Atleast for the quote un-quote normal people of society that is.

But for others of use, perhaps it's exactly the opposite. For example if you can listen to more of my recent works...I think they're really soulful...but I think maintaining a sense of mannik destruction and mayhem as well. ha ha

I don't think we can define soul by other genres methods of defining soul.
In this case I think Soul applies to techno as identity.
I can hear just as much "Soul" in Chris McCormack's Blacklisted as I do by anything by the detroit boys.
Soul should not be defined by a preordained categorization.
But by the exact meaning of it's essence.
Something you can feel is soul, regardless of the nature of it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dan the acid man

So my question is, is it easier to associate music that’s emotive and has soul to slower, funkier styles of music, than say a harder, more aggressive style, are we pre-programmed into thinking this way, maybe through soundtracks to TV and films?

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yeah i think we are programmed into thinking something soft, slow and deep has soul, rather than some banging tune.....but who's to say what has or doesn't have soul, should be up to the individual right?

The tracks with real "soul" in them are usually pretty obvious imo. You can say the same about tracks without it. Here's the problem with soul:

1. Soul is commonly referred to a description, not a feeling. Soul should be a feeling whether its Gothic techno or a Detroit classic.

2. Personal feeling is an opinion, so it's hard to place factual judgment on a topic like this. Just because I think a track is soulless doesn't mean it really is.

3. People mix up soul with other intentions. This is common right now because of the minimal bandwagon issue. Some artists are viewed as bandwagon jumpers, when in reality, they're truly placing their heart and soul into the music because they believe in it.

4. Producers can't get their true feelings across musically. While they may have the true heart and soul, its sometimes hard to put into beats and sounds without the know-how. I think this is a huge factor in this subject.

Personally, my favorite tracks are the ones where the first time you hear the track you think, "Man, I totally feel where the artist was going with this..." or something to the affect that you feel you're on the same level. Those tracks obviously have soul and true intent to them. On the flip side of the coin, you hear tracks and you think, "This was always meant to be a B2 track," or you can tell it's just imitating another vibe or sound.

great posts people, especially clit commander

bam be dabba bam, bam ba dabba bam, bam ba dabba bam

"WHAT IS SOUL?"

de de dehdu duh du duh de, de de de duh de dehdu duh du duh de.. etc etc

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Originally Posted by SummerOfSam

I can hear just as much "Soul" in Chris McCormack's Blacklisted as I do by anything by the detroit boys.

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chris mccormack is the exception to the rule though. And of course you picked out his hardest release.... go check out 'what kind of sound'.
As for the 'soul' you heard in 'blacklisted'... this was most likely all the pent up rage which led to his 'soul' speaking when he came out and said most techno was shit & boring and er soulless.

He's a soul-brother.

But you are right 'soul' can come in many shapes or forms..

yeah "soul" is a tricky one to define isn't it?

Soul is what u got.

In the sense, like Clit Commander said, that it's u that define what is Soulfull ou Soulless, and no one else.



At least it's how my soulless mind see it.

well i like Soul as in the Godfather of Soul James Brown -

theres something sexual about it

and for me anythign that an artist puts his soul into, wetehr on vinyl, on some dekcs, or now even Ableton, hopefully that soul will come across in the music or performance.

James Brown - Sex Machine

Fellas, I'm ready to get up and do my thing (yeah go ahead!)
I wanta get into it, man, you know (go ahead!)
Like a, like a sex machine, man, (yeah go ahead!)
Movin' and doin' it, you know
Can I count it off? (Go ahead)

One, two, three, four!

Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up)

Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up)

Get up, (get on up)
Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up)

Wait a minute!
Shake your arm, then use your form
Stay on the scene like a sex machine
You got to have the feeling sure as you're born
Get it together, right on, right on.

Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)

Hah!

Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)

You said, you said you got the,
You said the feeling,
You said the feeling you got to get
You give me the fever 'n' a cold sweat.
The way i like, it is the way it is,
I got mine 'n' don't worry 'bout his

Get up, (get on up)
Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)

Bobby! Should I take 'em to the bridge?
(Go Ahead!)
Take 'em on to the bridge!
(Take em to the bridge!)
Should I take 'em to the bridge?
(Yeah!)
Take 'em to the bridge?
(Go Ahead!)
Hit me now!

Come on!

Stay on the scene, like a sex machine!
The way I like it is, is the way it is
I got mine, (dig it!), he got his

Stay on the scene, like a lovin' machine
Stay on the scene, like a lovin' machine
Stay on the scene

I wanna count it off one more time now
(Go ahead!)
You wanna hear it like it did on the top fellas?
(Yeah!)
Hear it like it did on the top?
(Yeah!)
Hit it now!

Get on up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get on up, (get on up)

Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a lovin' machine, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)

Taste, (get on up)
Bein', (get on up)
Taste, (get on up)
Bein', (get on up)

Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up)

You gotta have the feelin, (get on up)
Sure as you're born, (get on up)

Get it together, right on, right on
right on, right on, (right on, right on)
right on, right on, (right on, right on)
right on, right on, (right on, right on)

Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)

And then, shake your money maker,
Shake your money maker,
Shake your money maker,
Shake your money maker,
Shake your money maker,
Shake your money maker,
Shake your money maker

Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)

Huh!

Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)

Can we hit it like we did one more time, from the top
Can we hit like that one more time
(One more time!)
One more time!
Let's hit it and quit! (Go ahead!)
Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah!)
Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah!)
Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah!)
Hit it!


(^what he said) ****ing fav tune in the world

Heh heh.....

Was totally singin' that in mi head as I followed the words - great stuff!!:;

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Originally Posted by rhythmtech

bam be dabba bam, bam ba dabba bam, bam ba dabba bam

"WHAT IS SOUL?"

de de dehdu duh du duh de, de de de duh de dehdu duh du duh de.. etc etc

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Was singin that one aswell... - lovely tune!!:;

I still play that one off mi Cluster F**k CD from way back...

Certainly an example of 'soul' crossing genres... imo

To be bold in opinion n add to the good points Clit Commander came up with, can I just say that for me a tune that has soul is identifiable by a certain richness in tone that seems to envelop the chest area with warmth & feeling which is accepted by the mind as coming from the soul of the artist who created it...

Lovely it is....:) :)

I should really add more to that but I am being harried at work- the CHeeK!!:grr:

Ho humm...:mmm: