Baltimore Club

May 8, 2006 8:48 AM

Baltimore House is the New Dylan? Probably not, but Baltimore Club is an interesting sub-genre of dance music, anyway-- taking influences from Hip-Hop, House, Go-Go, Miami Bass, Detroit Ghettotech, Rave and TV theme songs(!) and merging them into a sound that's unique to Charm City's underground dance clubs. You can sample (and buy) some of the classics here. (warning, horrible web design, IE only) or listen to a whole mix CD here here. (lyrics NSFW)
posted by empath (19 comments total)

That article makes me want to punch Scott Seward in the cock.
posted by docgonzo at 9:05 AM on May 8, 2006

Yeah, it's definitely one from the Simon Reynolds school of music-crit wankery. But forget that, just listen to the music...
posted by empath at 9:06 AM on May 8, 2006

Agreed. Thanks for the post.
posted by docgonzo at 9:16 AM on May 8, 2006

The mix is quite nice, but I can't believe that one site is selling mp3s for 6 bucks a track. Fuck that.
posted by cloeburner at 9:28 AM on May 8, 2006

Well, he's selling to a micro-market. You used to only be able to buy this stuff on vinyl records with print runs in the hundreds.
posted by empath at 9:36 AM on May 8, 2006

We don't need no stinkin' basslines!
posted by bardic at 9:44 AM on May 8, 2006

Bardic, good find-- and this Scott Seward article is much better than the one in my FPP.
posted by empath at 9:59 AM on May 8, 2006

Woo hoo, fun! Thanks empath :)
posted by nickyskye at 10:52 AM on May 8, 2006

It's interesting, I was just checkign out that Wikipedia article the other day, even emailed it it a DJ friend in Cincinnati. I'm in Baltimore and transplanted to Cinci for a few years. When I found out my friend was a DJ I asked him about the scene in Cinci, but wasn't enough into the Baltimore Club scene (at all) that I knew there was anything unique/different about it, except that they didn't do things like that in Cincinnati, then again, they don't do a lot of things in Cincinnati that they do in Bmore.
posted by TuxHeDoh at 11:21 AM on May 8, 2006

Didn't read the article, but is this the same thing as doo-dew tracks?
posted by subtle-t at 11:29 AM on May 8, 2006

subtle-t: i think so. Thanks for the links empath. This is fun stuff - reminds me of 2-step, with a decidedly american twist.
posted by jba at 12:01 PM on May 8, 2006

Subtle-t: Yes

jba: Baltimore is like 2-step central on the east-coast. There's a lot of cross-over between 2-step, grime and baltimore club.
posted by empath at 12:08 PM on May 8, 2006

Yeah, it's definitely one from the Simon Reynolds school of music-crit wankery. But forget that, just listen to the music...

Wankery indeed. All that talk about "the shock of the new" and all that, over a style of music that (judging from the DJ mix linked in the post, anyway) is closer to 1992-style rave than most of the acts he writes off as pale Dylan imitations are to Dylan. Just about every beat I've heard so far could've come off a Shut Up And Dance or 2 Bad Mice record.

Fun stuff, though.

I'll shut up now, I'm starting to sound jonmc for the ecstasy generation...
posted by arto at 4:44 PM on May 8, 2006

Diplo did a batshit Baltimore Club mix for his first podcast at Mad Decent records. It's on itunes.

It's insane...
posted by SweetJesus at 6:21 PM on May 8, 2006

Oh shit, DJ Johnny Blaze (Blaze-One Records) is also interviewed, inter-cut through out that Diplo mix, talking about the history of Baltimore club music, and why everyone has a bootleg copy of Reason.
posted by SweetJesus at 9:55 PM on May 8, 2006

Look, someone is going to have to say it. This time it is me.

Is this something that I need to be on a bunch of drugs to understand?

Word up arto! Well, at least there is still an underground, despite the internet and all these new fangled pods and mp3 thingies.

I understand there were tracks that predated Marks Summer's 'Summer's Magic' (1991) in using the Magic Underground theme that were released in the 80s. It was suggested that they were acid house tunes.

Not to mention the prevalence of the Inspector Gadget theme in electro. Just recently I downloaded a Latin Rascals mix from 1984 (got to love that internet) which starts with a live (attempt) of Inspector Gadget electro mixing. It also does a good job of reminding me of when just playing tunes was a DJs job. There are all sorts of tunes on there, electro rock, electro pop, electro, electro breaks, electro disco. Well OK, it's all electro, but it's mixed y'know what I'm sayin'?
posted by asok at 5:38 AM on May 9, 2006

Look, someone is going to have to say it. This time it is me.

Is this something that I need to be on a bunch of drugs to understand?

Word up arto! Well, at least there is still an underground, despite the internet and all these new fangled pods and mp3 thingies.

I understand there were tracks that predated Marks Summer's 'Summer's Magic' (1991) in using the Magic Underground theme that were released in the 80s. It was suggested that they were acid house tunes.

Not to mention the prevalence of the Inspector Gadget theme in electro. Just recently I downloaded a Latin Rascals mix from 1984 (got to love that internet) which starts with a live (attempt) of Inspector Gadget electro mixing. It also does a good job of reminding me of when just playing tunes was a DJs job. There are all sorts of tunes on there, electro rock, electro pop, electro, electro breaks, electro disco. Well OK, it's all electro, but it's mixed y'know what I'm sayin'?
posted by asok at 5:39 AM on May 9, 2006

WiFi, can't live with it, can't bury it under the patio.
posted by asok at 5:39 AM on May 9, 2006

Sorry, Addams Family not Inspector Gadget. Orchestral stab! Stab! St Stab!
It's a WKTU mix. I'll shut up now.
posted by asok at 5:54 AM on May 9, 2006