Racism in the UK’s Electronic Music World
In a modern civil society, every industry should embrace diversity and inclusion. However, inclusivity of Black people in the music industry is particularly important as it’s the contributions of Black people and Black culture that has given us this amazing art form that we all love, some whom are fortunate to make an income from, others whom choose to exploit without respect to its history.
From House and Country, to Blues and Salsa. From steady percussive patterns to call-and-response chants. From experimenting with drum machines to experimenting with turntables. Literally almost every element that contributes to the modern sound of music can be attributed to the people of Africa and its diaspora. Even the earliest forms of guitars were brought into Europe by the Moors of Africa prior the 15th century.
This in recent years, has been a particular topic amongst Electronic dance music. Where people have considered it to be a “European” sound, when it was actually birthed in Chicago, USA, by Black Americans. House, Techno, Trap, Grime, Jungle/DnB, Dubstep, Bass, Disco, and even Rock, are foundational genres of Black origin, that have especially come together to form the more commercialised “EDM” sound have genres. Even the raving culture that provided a physical space for these genres to grow stems from Jamaican Sound-System culture.
Racism lies in the roots of the contemporary-commercial music industry, and the foundational contributions made by Black Africans and its diaspora is becoming evermore erased as the years go by. So much so, that people have forgotten (or don’t even realise) that almost very genre in the current popular musicsphere has people of African decent at its foundations. As new forms of musical genres emerge and spread influence, it’s often the efforts of its Black foundational figures that get overlooked as the music spreads to a more economically viable White audience.
Scratcha DVA and Tim&Barry put together this really interesting three-part series, discussion of racism in the music industry, focusing particularly on systemic issues that Black individuals face within the UK’s electronic music scene. From the DJs and artists, to people working behind the scenes, to the fans. Almost every aspect is discussed. The talks involve Plastician, Kode 9, Blaise (of Boiler Room), DJ Oblig and loads more. I really really recommend watching it all. My key takeaway was that Electronic music in the West, is no longer considered a space for Black people.