As a happily married father of two boys, I guess it's okay for me to like 'Dad's Music'. Thankfully, in my case this doesn't extend to Bryan Adam's Greatest Hits or some compilation of classic Power-ballads. I am of course referring to Ninja Tune's retrospective "Zen CD" compilation. I feel like a bit of an old fart for digging this collection, what with all the electrodiscopunk and grime (or whatever it's called these days) doing the rounds on hipster's lists. Ninja's distintive breakbeat/jazz/funk/ambient flavas are probably a bit old hat these days, but I can't help but love it, representing as it does more 'traditional' values of what sample-based dance music is all about: harmonically complex arrangements, stoned downtempo grooves, old skool cut 'n' scratch fx, easy-listening strings, twinkly Fender Rhodes licks, phat Moogs...yeah it's all kinda 1990's chin-stroker shit but I'm okay with that. I'm nearly 35 years old, I don't have to be listening to the cutting-edge stuff all the time, so leave me alone ya bastards.
Actually, I have noticed that I've been getting more militantly possessive about 'uncool' music that I grew up with. Like early/mid-90's Intelligent Techno, for example. Does anyone give a shit about acts like B12, Beaumont Hannant or Speedy J anymore? I doubt it. I'll probably be citing artists like these when I'm old and grey and moaning about the crap that young people are listening to in years to come. "We had proper techno music back when I were a lad..blah blah blah". I'm not proud of myself, merely aware of the situation and observing my gradual slide into middle-age (21st century stylee) with some amusement.
