Dear Music Writer, Enough of the Fluff

Music writers, we’re in a crisis of credibility - as in we’re losing it. Whether we’re confusing readers with our descriptive diarrhoea, numbing them with our misplaced hyperbole or galling them with our shameless clichés, they are gradually becoming desensitized to everything we have to say.

In a moment of clarity Herbie Hancock told me, “Music happens to be an art form that transcends language.” So we music writers deserve some praise, for essentially tackling the insurmountable task of describing the indescribable - of putting into language that which transcends language. So a pat on the back for all of us, very well done, mum would be proud, here’s an award for participation, now it’s time to pull the finger out. The overwhelming majority of publications spouting ‘content’ (as writing has now been demoted to) are now working directly with the artists, or artists’ PR companies, which they are supposedly appraising independently. Advertising has swallowed up critique and the result is suspiciously unbridled positivity – with dance music writers some of the worst offenders. Well, the readers are onto us.

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