MUTANT DANCEFLOOR MANIFESTO

Rexistenz Records' Phonomaic! S"ncretism

# $ Cosmic %&'ses
(e )ere a'' do&*t'ess'" *red +,s%a)ned,- *" te!no.
In the '/0ies1 descendin 2rom En'and and France1 a *&nch o2 entities !no)n as Tri*es or So&nd
S"stems in3aded Ita'" 'i!e modern *ar*arian hordes.
The %re$existin a&toctone techno$e'ectronic tradition1 main'" 'ocated in Rome1 )as hard'"
s%readin thro&h the 'and in s%ite o2 the extreme'" hih 'e3e' achie3ed in so&nd and r"thm
mani%&'ation.
The comin o2 the tri*es *ro&ht the 3oice o2 the %rimar" tri*a' %&'se straiht to the 2rine socia'
en3iroment o2 the 3aried4di3erse4dis%arate +,'e %i&' dis%arate- 'oca' s&*c&'t&res5 a'' o2 a s&dden
rasta2arians1 *$*o"s1 %&n!s and mi'itants 2rom the 'oca' s6&atter scene 2o&nd themse'3es dancin
to the r"thm o2 the ancestra' dr&m*eat.
The sin o2 those times )as ecstas"1 the i3in o&t o2 the indi3id&a' eo *arriers and the rit&a'
2&sion into iant desirin machine$*odies.
The %s"choeora%hica' mani2estation o2 this re3o'&tion too! the 2orm o2 a *idirectiona'
mo3ement5 centri%eta' +in)ard,-1 )ith the atherin o2 e3er ro)in masses in the deconsecrated
tem%'es o2 the %ost$ind&stria' ae7+, %&nteiat&ra- centri2&a'1 )ith the ado%tion o2 nomadic
c&stoms and o2 mo*i'e ho&ses as an attem%t to 2ind in the here$and$no) some %ossi*'e )a" to
esca%e the s'a3er" o2 a 'i2e de3oted to %rod&ction and cons&m%tion.
In the meantime the 'ac! o2 de3e'o%ement o2 )e''$esta*'ished com%&ter net)or!s 2a3o&red
decentra'ized socia'isin and an exchane o2 datas and in2ormation *ased on the )ord o2 mo&th.
This )as oin nat&ra''" hand in hand )ith a enera'ized de%ersona'isation and s&*3ersion o2 the
other)ise 2ixed ro'es o2 %rod&cers and cons&mers +o2 oods1 ser3ices1 sense-. That's the time o2
the anon"mo&s d8s1 o2 the camo&2'ae sheets hidden conso''es +, conso''es hidden *ehind
camo&2'ae sheets ,-1 o2 the annihi'ation o2 indi3id&a'it" 2or a d"onisian 2'o)in o2 *odies and
minds1 rit&a'ized est&res1 in2rinements to the esta*'ished s%ace$time norms.
9 $ :rea! the rh"thm $ c&t the )ord
The e3er massi3e s%read o2 2ree %arties *ro&ht this s&*3ersi3e %ractice on one hand to a
ro)in ex%os&re to re%ression1 and on the other to the 'oica' incor%oration *" the mainstream.
For each e3icted )areho&se another d8 in a c'&*. F&rthermore1 the anarchist &to%ia o2 a s%ace$
time o&tside o2 the contro' d"namics+, mechanisms ,- )as more and more o2ten c'ashin aainst
the nat&ra' dis%osition o2 h&man ro&%s to recreate hierarchica' and o%%ressi3e str&ct&res
*orro)ed 2rom the nihtmarish ca%ita'ist societ" the" )ere tr"in to esca%e.
Conse6&ent'"1 the maic!a'4m&sica' ex%erimentation ended &% *ein increasin'" di'&ted and
deca"in +, coerenza de''a 2rase ,- into crista'ized 2orm&'as more and more a'i!e +simi'ar to- the
%a'e em%t" hosts mirrored *" the mainstream +,that the mainstream mirrored,-.
Mean)hi'e1 *orn in 'eendar" %'aces 'i!e Detroit or Chicao1 im%renated *" di3erse4dis%arate
ethno$m&sica' in2'&ences1 techno had a'read" s%a)ned its mani2o'd o22s%rin +,*reed,-.
;&n'e4dr&m'n'*ass %'a"ed *rea!in the <4< !ic! dr&m's tri*a' heemon"1 recon2i&rin it into
s"nco%ated !a'eidosco%es o2 2&n! and 8azz rh"thms +,s"nco%ated 2&n! and 8azz rh"thm4ica'
!a'eidosco%es,-1 )ra%%in it in )arm *asses enerated 2rom o*sc&re 8amaican so&nd s"stems...
Soon1 tho&h1 it 2o&nd itse'2 as )e'' &nder the "o!e o2 the Norm1 armed )ith r&'er +sare**e
s6&are1 ma e' %er e3itare 'a ri%etizione5 !iedi a iona- and com%asses1 s6&arin the circ'e and
2orcin a ne) order onto chaos. +,)ho1 armed... 1 s6&ared ... and 2orced... , 4 , ... the "o!e o2 the
S6&ared and Com%assed Norm,1 2ocin a ne) order onto chaos-
=eresies rose dai'"1 shatterin the *o&ndaries *et)een techno1 dr&m'n'*ass1 am*ient1 me'tin the
heat o2 the s"nco%ated dr&ms to the chi'' o2 c"*er%&n! d"sto%ian atmos%heres. The reime's
m&sic re3ie)ers' )e'' %aid arm" +,,,- %rom%t'" stro!e *ac!1 2orin one o2 the most sic!enin
de2inition in its )ho'e histor"5 IDM. Acron"m 2or Inte''ient Dance M&sic1 this in2amo&s 'a*e'
attemt%s to mar! a distinction *et)een re2ined e'ectronic m&sic1 )orth *ein re3ie)ed on s'ic!
maazines and 2o''o)ed *" an e'ite o2 m&sica' sno*s1 and the 'o)1 %o%&'ar1 3&'ar one1 o2ten
racia''" connoted and s&ita*'e 2or r&**ins in s)eat" and *east'" s'&m c'&*s...
+Ma non t&tto e' %erd&to- >et1 not e3er"thin )as 'ost5 an &nderro&nd c&rrent1 ad3erse to
domestication1 *orn o&t o2 +, o2 ,- the d&st o2 )areho&se ra3es and the ind&stria' c&'t&re's
ex%erimentations1 a)a!ened +,a)o!e,- in di22erent areas o2 occ&'t %o)er aro&nd the )or'd...
A tiht net)or! o2 sonic terrorist dedicated to rh"thm *rea!in1 extreme sam%'in1 contin&a' tem%o
and !e" chanes...
:rea!core s&*c&'t&re ne3er reached the mainstream1 tho&h some o2 its re%resentati3es1
straihta)a" remar!eted as *isho%s4standard *earers4*earers o2 the ne) IDM1 o*tained the
6&estiona*'e hono&r o2 notoriet"...
In s%ite o2 the constant )or! o2 s"nthesis and e3o'&tion %romoted *" a 2e) entities1 amon them
the 'a*e' Praxis and Datacide maazine1 the D"onisian com%onent ot a'most tota''" 2orotten1 in
2a3o&r o2 se'2 a22irmation1 'eendar" names1 rotes6&e mas6&es1 and the )izard4sonic
o%erator's tri&m%hant )i'' 4 o2 the )izard's4sonic o%erator's se'2 a22irmation1 'eendar" name1
rotes6&e mas!1 tri&m%hant )i''. +,,, ?iona5 e' so'o 'a 3o'onta trion2ante ri2erita a' mao1 o
an!e 'i a'tri attri*&ti,-
The shattered !ic! and snare rh"thms1 the contin&o&s a*sor%tion and de2ecation o2
recontext&a'ised mainstream s%'inters1 the 8&stax%osition o2 dis%arate e'ements ma!e this !ind o2
a&dio mani%&'ation %ractice one o2 the most di22ic&'t and 2ascinatin o2 the 'ast decades.
@ $ Possession %henomenas
In the haitians Ao&do& rites1 )hen a L)a +s%irit1 archet"%e1 disem*odied entit"- descends into the
*od" o2 a de3otee1 it is said +,,,- that the 'atter is BriddenB *" the L)a. A 2irst %erson detai'ed
descri%tion o2 this %henomena is i3en *" Ma"a Deren in her *oo! BDi3ine =orsemen5 The Li3in
?ods o2 =aitiB.
The m&tant dance2'oor is s&*8ect to a 3er" simi'ar %ossession %rocess. Em*odied in e'ectronic
dance m&sic are a 'are n&m*er o2 archet"%a' entities residin in the co''ecti3e &nconscio&s1 *e
them ata3istic echoes tied to *'ood and ancestors or 3isions comin 2rom h"%otetica' 2&t&res. The
c'assica' <4< !ic! dr&m str&ct&re &nderoes this in2'&ence and "e'ds to archeti%a' 2orms %re3ai'in
in the c&rrent time5 the 2o&rth dr&m !ic! 2a''s o&t or is do&*'ed1 the snare chanes %osition or is
re%'aced *" the host o2 a s'ammed door1 the *ass 'ine comes a'i3e and *ecomes the roar o2 a
'ion or the *&**'in o2 the (itch's ca&'dron +the )itch's ca&'dron's *&**'in,-.
At the same a Ceiteist 2or e3er" m&sica' ae exists in o&r %'anet's menta' net)or!1 it *eha3es
itse'2 as )e'' as a disem*odied entit" o%eratin its transm&tations into the m&sic com%osed in the
i3en time.
An %resent4act&a'+,- exam%'e is the in2'&ence o2 D&*ste% on modern e'ectronic m&sic.
(i''in or not1 )e are a'' in2'&enced *" this entit" )ith its o)n d"namics 'i!e its tem%o aro&nd #<0
*%m7 its rindin %ace +o%%ressi3e %ace-1 a'most martia' in its s'o)'iness7 the *ass1 em*racin
'i!e a %"thon and ta'!in1 orac&'ar1 'i!e a P"thoness +,,,-. Ma"a Deren te''s in the 6&oted *oo!
the %s"cho$%h"sica' %rocess o22 %ossession5 )hi'e the dr&ms *eat aitated *&t coherent1 re&'ar
rh"thms1 %&shin to a co''ecti3e ecstatic ex%erience1 a'' o2 a s&dden an instr&ment *ranches o22
2rom the stream1 )or!in1 so to sa"1 inside r"thm's crac!s1 in the 'imina' areas o2 *od" and
tho&ht1 2orcin the sensi*'e de3otee to an a'teration o2 the state o2 conscio&sness )hich o%ens
doors to the s%irit and a''o)s it to incarnate.
Simi'ar'"1 the ade%ts o2 the M&tant Dance2'oor 'oo! 2or the r"thm in *et)een r"thms1 the )or'd that
can't *e &ttered1 the de3i'ish roo3e that neither oes on time nor o&t o2 time. Dance cannot *e
codi2ied1 it mo3es *et)een e3enness and e%i'e%s"1 *et)een indi3id&a'ization and disso'&tion1
den"in *oth in the *east'" co%&'ation )ith the m&tant r"thm.
Another ma8or 2eat&re o2 the m&tant dance2'oor is its time'essness4s%ace'essness.
Sti'' in2'&enced *" the a2orementioned S%irit o2 Its Time1 it's not %recise'" inscri*a*'e in a
contin&&m1 in a 'inear or h"storica' e3o'&tion. The sonorities com%o&ndin it come 2rom the %ast1
the 2&t&re1 the %resent and other rationa''" &nidenti2ia*'e atem%ora' dimensions. It is s%ace'ess
since it doesn't 2o&nd direct roots in an" existin traditiona' or etno$c&'t&ra' ex%ression. (here1 2or
exam%'e1 8&n'e and dr&m'n'*ass's h"*rid stem can *e stron'" heard1 the m&tant dance2'oor is a
8o"2&''" state'ess or%han1 %ro&d heir o2 no*od"1 or1 *etter said1 o2 e3er"thin. +?iona5 ''&t'ima 2rase
e' stata cam*iata &n %oco1 %ero' credo di a3erne reso com%'etamente i' senso1 dimmi cosa ne
%ensi-
For this reason1 m&tant o%erators can a''o) themse'3es a %re3io&s'" &n!no)n ece'cticism1 *ein
&n*o&nd to the ties o2 m&sica' enres and to the a!no)'edement o2 %ro2essiona' re3ie)ers and
mar!etin necromancers and e3ent&a''" indi%endent e3en 2rom the tho&sand %erishes +, modo di
dire inesistente in in'ese1 c'e' &n ana'oo,- o2 the Ch&rch o2 the Underro&nd.
The M&tant Dance2'oor reconise itse'2 in the heres" o2 the )ides%read1 rhizomatic1 &nsectarian
and tr&'" anarchistic and irre3erent &nderro&nd.
(e re2&se the 2a!e and *&reoise distinction o2 m&sic *et)een c&'t&red and %o%&'ar1 sacred and
%ro2ane1 serio&s and tri3ia'.
The 2ree1 %romisc&o&s and '&x&rio&s cross*reedin is o&r creed1 *rea!in do)n e3er" so&nd
*arrier o&r s&%reme )i''.
Frater N.M.T. $ Inner Circ'e o2 the Co''ee 2or the Transm&tation o2 E'ectronic Dance M&sic