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Simon Reynolds (born 1963 in London, England; raised in Hertfordshire) is an English music critic who is well-known for his writings on electronic dance music and for coining the term "post-rock". Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of A music critic is someone who reviews Music (including printed music performances and recorded music and publishes writing on them in books or journals (or on the internet Synonyms Since around the mid-1980s electronic dance music has enjoyed popularity in many Nightclubs and as of 2006 is the predominant type of music played in Post-rock is a genre of Alternative rock characterized by the use of Musical instruments commonly associated with Rock music, but using Rhythms Besides electronic dance music, Reynolds has written about a wide range of artists and musical genres, and has written books on post-punk and rock. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. He has contributed to Melody Maker (where he first made his name), The New York Times, Village Voice, Spin, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The Observer, Artforum, New Statesman, The Wire, Mojo, Uncut, and others. Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper This article is about a New York newspaper For the Ottawa Hills Ohio magazine see The Village Voice of Ottawa Hills. Spin is a Music Magazine that reports on Music for Life Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published The Observer is a British Newspaper published on Sundays In about the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Artforum is an international monthly magazine specializing in Contemporary art. The New Statesman is a British Left-wing political Magazine published weekly in London. The Wire is a British Avant garde music Magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray Mojo is a popular Music Magazine published by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Uncut magazine trademarked as UNCUT, is a popular monthly publication based in London. He currently resides in the East Village in New York City, USA with his wife, Joy Press, and their children, Kieran and Tasmine. The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Joy Press (born 1966) is a writer and editor In the late 80s she wrote music criticism for American magazines and for the English weekly music paper Melody Maker.

Contents

History and career

Reynolds' first experience writing about music was with Monitor, a fanzine he helped to found in 1984 while he was studying history at Oxford. A fanzine (see also Zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre for the pleasure The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the The publication only lasted for six issues. When it was discontinued in 1986, Reynolds was already making his name writing for Melody Maker, one of the three major British music magazines of the time (the other two being the New Musical Express and Sounds). Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been Sounds was a British Music paper, published weekly from October 10, 1970 &ndash April 6, 1991 His early Melody Maker writings often contained strong criticisms of the concept of "soul" (then being heavily promoted by the NME), and of the somewhat earnest politicisation associated with the Red Wedge movement. Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Red Wedge was a collective of British Popular musicians who attempted to engage young people with Politics in general and the policies of the Labour He has since stated that his apparent de-politicisation at the time was mainly a result of his sheer despair at Thatcherism and desire to escape - into a parallel world which was, as in the title of his first book, "blissed out". Thatcherism is the system of political thought attributed to the governments of Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 He also wrote a number of articles analysing what has since become known as twee pop from a somewhat sociological perspective, seeing in it a desire to escape the dominant 1980s values of commercialism and Americanisation and to return to a perceived innocent past. "Twee" redirects here For a definition of the word see its entry at wiktionary. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Commercialism, in its original meaning is the practices methods aims and spirit of Commerce or Business. Americanization (verb form Americanize,) is the term used for the influence the United States of America has on the Culture of other countries resulting

In 1990, Reynolds left Melody Maker (although he would continue to contribute to the magazine until 1996) and went freelance, splitting his time between London and New York. A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The same year, he published Blissed Out: Raptures of Rock, a collection of his writings from the 1980s. Until his switch to freelance writing, Reynolds had focused mainly on rock, punk rock, post-punk, and pop. A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure But in the early 1990s, he became involved in rave culture and the electronic dance music scene. A rave (or rave party) is a term in use since the 1980s to describe Dance Parties (often all-night events Synonyms Since around the mid-1980s electronic dance music has enjoyed popularity in many Nightclubs and as of 2006 is the predominant type of music played in He began writing about electronic music and became one of the foremost music critics of electronic dance music. Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production A music critic is someone who reviews Music (including printed music performances and recorded music and publishes writing on them in books or journals (or on the internet

In 1994, Reynolds moved permanently to the East Village in Manhattan. The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York In 1995, he co-authored The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion and Rock'N'Roll with his wife, Joy Press. Joy Press (born 1966) is a writer and editor In the late 80s she wrote music criticism for American magazines and for the English weekly music paper Melody Maker. Sex Revolts is one of the major reasons why Reynolds has gained a reputation for the discussion of gender roles in music; the book is a critical/clinical analysis of the theme of gender in rock. Click here for the New York Times review.

In 1998, Reynolds published Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture in the UK, and became a senior editor at Spin magazine in the US. Spin is a Music Magazine that reports on Music for Life Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr In 1999, he went back to freelance work and published the American version of Energy Flash in abridged form, titled: Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture. Energy Flash is a comprehensive history of what became rave music, starting with Detroit techno and Chicago house and tracing the evolution of the music back and forth across the Atlantic, all the way up to the late 1990s. Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Reynolds combines analysis of the music, social background and history, and interviews with big names of the day. One of the most notable aspects of the book is Reynolds' analysis of the role of drugs, particularly ecstasy, in rave culture. MDMA ( 34-methylenedioxy- N -methylamphetamine) most commonly known today by the street name Ecstasy (often abbreviated E, X, Click here for a synopsis and review.

In 2005, the UK version of Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984 was published; the American version came out in early 2006. Rip it Up is a history of post-punk, defining the genre and placing it in the context of 1970s and 1980s music. Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s Click here for the New York Times Review. He runs a website to promote Rip it Up.

Reynolds has continued writing for prominent magazines, as well as his blog, Blissblog. A blog (a contraction of the term " Web log " is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary descriptions of He will be featured in the 2006 book by Spin magazine: Spin: 20 years in alternative music.

In 2007, Reynolds published Bring the Noise: 20 Years of Writing about Hip Rock and Hip Hop in the UK, a collection of his writing themed around the relationship between white bohemian rock and black street music. Upcoming in 2008, an updated edition of Energy Flash will be published, with new chapters on the last ten years of dance music.

He recently contributed a chapter to Sound Unbound: Sampling Digital Music and Culture (The MIT Press, 2008) edited by Paul D. Miller a. k. a. DJ Spooky. DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid (born Paul D Miller,1970 is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental Hip hop musician whose work is often called "

Critical theory

Reynolds has become well-known for his incorporation of critical theory in his analysis of music. In the Humanities and Social sciences, critical theory is the examination and critique of Society and Literature, drawing from knowledge across He has written extensively on gender, class, race, and sexuality, and their influence on music. Gender comprises a range of differences between men and women extending from the biological to the social Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets Generally speaking human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings The Sex Revolts discusses gender in rock music. In his study of the relationship between class and music, Reynolds coined the term liminal class, defined as the upper-working class and lower-middle-class. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. This is a group he credits with "a lot of music energy". [1]

Reynolds has also written extensively about drug culture and its relationship to and effect on music. Drug subcultures are examples of Countercultures primarily defined by Recreational drug use. In his book, Generation Ecstasy, Reynolds traces the effects of drugs on the ups and downs of the rave scene. His evidence of his interest in the topic can be found in Generation Ecstasy, and in his review of Trainspotting, among other things. Trainspotting is a 1996 Scottish film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

Reynolds was influenced by philosophers as well as music theorists, including:

Reynolds says that he has been greatly influenced by Marxist thought. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Music theory is the field of study that deals with the Mechanics of music and how Music works Gilles Deleuze ( (January 18 1925 &ndash November 4 1995 was a French philosopher of the late 20th century Pierre-Félix Guattari ( April 30, 1930 – August 29, 1992) was a French Militant, institutional Psychotherapist Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (born 15 May 1948 commonly known as Brian Eno (ˈiːnoʊ is an English Musician, producer Joe Carducci is a Writer, Record producer, and former A&R executive formerly most closely associated with the influential record label SST Records The Situationist International ( SI) was a small group of international political and artistic Agitators with roots in Marxism, Lettrism and the Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. He talks about concepts like commodity fetishism and false consciousness where they apply to music (Reynolds spoke of the two examples mentioned in relation to hip hop). In Marxist theory Commodity Fetishism is a state of social relations said to arise in capitalist market based societies in which social relationships Theory The concept flows from the theory of Commodity fetishism &mdash that people experience social relationships as value relations between things e Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with

Books

External links

Sources

Trainspotting is a 1996 Scottish film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
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