I'm Gen Z and grew up on Daft Punk, so I naturally worship MSBWY. I'm also a fan of Caribou, Jamie xx, and Floating Points. This discussion reminds me of the trend of pop artists interpolating the main vocal hook from classic songs (Bebe Rexha's I'm Good (Blue) comes to mind), which I agree can feel lazy, or as you put it, "piggybacking someone else’s brilliance as a shortcut to the sublime". The examples you mention feel less egregious to me though, maybe because they aren't as blatant as getting hit by a classic song's main vocal hook in the first second of the song. SOPHIE's OOH and Charli XCX's Rewind use the MSBWY chord progression too, and like the songs you mentioned, their referencing is tasteful to my ears.
If you want an example of MSBWY reuse that I'm still on the fence on, it's Parcels' Yougotmefeeling. THAT is egregious, but it also feels in-theme with the cheekiness of the album. Also maybe metacommentary on their association with Daft Punk. I wonder how it'd come across for you though...
And if you want an example of MSBWY reuse I dislike, Neil Frances' cover of it sounds UTTERLY rancid to me.
By the way, I just discovered this Substack and have been loving the French Touch posts!
thanks for checking the Substack out and glad you've been enjoying it. Plenty of French Touch to come. As for MSBWY, it seems to be re-used so often these days, it almost passes me by sometimes. I don't feel I have the stomach to check out Neil Frances' cover!
I was struck by your mention of “young people’s music” in relation to Jamie XX, Floating Points and Caribou given that none of those producers - and I’d argue only a subset of their audiences- are actually that young. I think the simplest answer to the questions you raise is that these producers and listeners, now largely in their late 30s and 40s, grew up with 90s dance music: referencing it in their productions is just a straightforward appeal to nostalgia.
I guess they are younger than me! Doesn't Jamie XX have a young audience? I don't honestly know. But I think when I start to talk about "young people's music" is it more moving on to a general point about the veneration / importance of young people and their musical tastes, rather than these three examples. (I was probably also thinking about Fred Again, who I kind of lump in with those three.) I have no problem with nostalgia but for me it needs to be done well. So you don't just use a vast sample of RIP Groove or Pump Up The Volume. Dig a little...!
I know what you mean about Jamie XX’s music - I kinda sorta like it, and that's been the case for a long time, but it seems to be the sort of affection where I forget it exists until it pops back up on shuffle.
I'm always a bit surprised at how massive he is, while at the same time realising it makes total sense given what he offers to the modern world - if you know what I mean? A kind of uncommital, accessible, highly palatable facsimile of the underground. I don't doubt that he's authentic in his love for the music he's inspired by, but I've never quite connected with anything he's put out, despite trying to.
I think "kinda sorta like it" is quite a common reaction to his music. And that's fine. I imagine that I probably like a lot of the same records as Jamie XX, which makes me wonder why don't like his music more. I don't particularly like The xx either, although people do seem really devoted to them.
A great post this week, Ben! Also interesting that you have Hodge's "Free" in there -- I couldn't quite get with that song (never been a fan of diva-house vocals, I'm afraid), but I love the B-side, "Right There" (which, interestingly, has an absolutely ICONIC hip-hop sample in it).
thank you! Right There is a great song - but I LOVE diva-house vocals and I think Free is one of my songs of the year. He just nails the underground / overground thing for me.
I'm Gen Z and grew up on Daft Punk, so I naturally worship MSBWY. I'm also a fan of Caribou, Jamie xx, and Floating Points. This discussion reminds me of the trend of pop artists interpolating the main vocal hook from classic songs (Bebe Rexha's I'm Good (Blue) comes to mind), which I agree can feel lazy, or as you put it, "piggybacking someone else’s brilliance as a shortcut to the sublime". The examples you mention feel less egregious to me though, maybe because they aren't as blatant as getting hit by a classic song's main vocal hook in the first second of the song. SOPHIE's OOH and Charli XCX's Rewind use the MSBWY chord progression too, and like the songs you mentioned, their referencing is tasteful to my ears.
If you want an example of MSBWY reuse that I'm still on the fence on, it's Parcels' Yougotmefeeling. THAT is egregious, but it also feels in-theme with the cheekiness of the album. Also maybe metacommentary on their association with Daft Punk. I wonder how it'd come across for you though...
And if you want an example of MSBWY reuse I dislike, Neil Frances' cover of it sounds UTTERLY rancid to me.
By the way, I just discovered this Substack and have been loving the French Touch posts!
thanks for checking the Substack out and glad you've been enjoying it. Plenty of French Touch to come. As for MSBWY, it seems to be re-used so often these days, it almost passes me by sometimes. I don't feel I have the stomach to check out Neil Frances' cover!
I was struck by your mention of “young people’s music” in relation to Jamie XX, Floating Points and Caribou given that none of those producers - and I’d argue only a subset of their audiences- are actually that young. I think the simplest answer to the questions you raise is that these producers and listeners, now largely in their late 30s and 40s, grew up with 90s dance music: referencing it in their productions is just a straightforward appeal to nostalgia.
(Equally, I may well be wrong, of course.)
I guess they are younger than me! Doesn't Jamie XX have a young audience? I don't honestly know. But I think when I start to talk about "young people's music" is it more moving on to a general point about the veneration / importance of young people and their musical tastes, rather than these three examples. (I was probably also thinking about Fred Again, who I kind of lump in with those three.) I have no problem with nostalgia but for me it needs to be done well. So you don't just use a vast sample of RIP Groove or Pump Up The Volume. Dig a little...!
I know what you mean about Jamie XX’s music - I kinda sorta like it, and that's been the case for a long time, but it seems to be the sort of affection where I forget it exists until it pops back up on shuffle.
I'm always a bit surprised at how massive he is, while at the same time realising it makes total sense given what he offers to the modern world - if you know what I mean? A kind of uncommital, accessible, highly palatable facsimile of the underground. I don't doubt that he's authentic in his love for the music he's inspired by, but I've never quite connected with anything he's put out, despite trying to.
I think "kinda sorta like it" is quite a common reaction to his music. And that's fine. I imagine that I probably like a lot of the same records as Jamie XX, which makes me wonder why don't like his music more. I don't particularly like The xx either, although people do seem really devoted to them.
Can I be basic and ask what this means? "a like-gate giveaway"
oh sure, sorry. It's a (rather outdated) music marketing idea, whereby you give someone a reward (often an MP3) in return for liking a post.
huh, thank you. Surprised I've never heard of it.
Anyway - totally agree - the album has no grit whatsover, like too much prosecco
A great post this week, Ben! Also interesting that you have Hodge's "Free" in there -- I couldn't quite get with that song (never been a fan of diva-house vocals, I'm afraid), but I love the B-side, "Right There" (which, interestingly, has an absolutely ICONIC hip-hop sample in it).
thank you! Right There is a great song - but I LOVE diva-house vocals and I think Free is one of my songs of the year. He just nails the underground / overground thing for me.