LONDON LIFE

Sat. January 31, 2004
Categories: Abstract Dynamics

Undercurrent secures its reputation as best new blog on the block with an evocation of eski’s heart of darkness in Bromley-by-Bow.
Cittaviolenta’s Oliver confirms his status as one of our foremost poets of London with a wonderful word painting of Soho.

3 Responses to “LONDON LIFE”

  1. jon t Says:
    February 1st, 2004 at 2:24 pm

    undercurrent’s evocation of east london is pretty dull. leave that job to people you actually live there, speak to people in the area and know something about the history and culture of the area
    it draws attention to one of the worst aspects of blogging and grime. the tendency of people at a distance to romanticize the worst side of an area at the expense of the 99% of its other aspects. most people involved in the scene have pretty mundane, unexciting working class white and black lives. i think people are going to far with the grime/crime/reality thing
    it is based on too many racist stereotypes, no matter how many disclaimers you want to make about neutral description
    it is fictional reality, and no less real for that
    ‘best new blog on the block’. . somewhat pre-mature i think

  2. mark k-punk Says:
    February 1st, 2004 at 3:19 pm

    >undercurrent’s evocation of east london is pretty dull.
    This seems to contradict your later claims that it is also a ‘romanticization’ and ‘based on stereotypes’. I should have thought Robin’s description was the exact opposite of romanticization, actually.
    >’best new blog on the block’. . somewhat pre-mature i think
    Yeh, well we’re all entitled to our opinions, so they say. Mine are based on reading Robin’s consistently brilliant posts of the last 2 months.

  3. undercurrent Says:
    February 1st, 2004 at 3:42 pm

    see my response to jon’s comments on undercurrent – no need to post multiple, identical slatings, eh?
    As mark rightly says, inability to remain in the area denotes an inability, rather than a tendency, to romanticize.
    I fully admit that I’m writing speculatively and from ‘outside’. But since you’re obviously privy to the inner workings of the scene what’s your explanation: if all the people on the grime scene are just regular steady characters, quite satisfied with their lot and unaffected by any of the negative aspects of inner-city life, then what is the music all about, and where does it come from?