Matthew Eberhart
(editor from US)
1. please introduce yourslf

I'm music editor for theblowup [http://www.theblowup.com] and reviews editor for VICE [http://www.viceland.com].
I also write for many music and culture magazines in the US, like XLR8R, URB, MASS APPEAL, SOUNDCOLLECTOR, etc.
2. what do you think about your domestic electronic music scene?

Because America is so large, we have a few different electronic scenes. However, what seems to be the case with most of them--and specifically with New York City--is that everyone is trying to do their own thing, so we lack a massive and cohesively unified scene. The audience size at a typical show is embarrassingly small. And our government is uninterested in new forms of art, so the possibility of a festival being sponsored by the state is a pipedream.

We have these huge projects like Tigerbeat6, but on the global scale, the United States is really lacking in electronic music representation.
3. what do you think about european electronic music scene?

Some of the greatest electronic music is coming out of Europe. To list all of the incredible artists and labels would be too much, so I'll say this. The nations of Europe have had a pleasant history with electronic music, which is to say that in the early part of the 20th century, artists and musicians introduced the electronic medium to their cultures with much success.

Now, there are so many different major projects and festivals and styles. Europe's scene is rather impressive.
4. do you know the japanese electronic music scene?

INCREDIBLE.
When Progressive Form brought me out to Voyage.1 in November 2002, I wasn't expecting an event as large as it was. There were probably around 300 people in attendance--about 280 more than what you'd generally find at a show in New York. And to top it off, nearly half of them were WOMEN--ladies almost never go to shows in New York.

There is definitely a community being fostered in the Japanese scene. Performers are all working together to create one giant force, and it's really great.

> and are you interested in it?

Yes. I was so impressed by what I saw that I've been trying to figure out a way to actually move to Tokyo and work there! It would be wonderful to involve myself with that scene for a few years. But speaking very little Japanese makes that prospect seem rather impossible.

5. what do you think about the future of electronic music environment/scene?

Rather than growing into one mass or collective, electronic music is already splintering into thousands of microcosms in terms of styles and genres. But in terms of a scene, the scenes are really pervasive in Japan and Europe. Commercials, advertisements, shops, pop music, etc. All of these things are aware of and incorporate electronic music into their existence. Hopefully, the United States will follow in suit at some point in the near future.

　
6. do you have any interests in current music scene?

If, by interests, you mean favorite artists, yes. In terms of electronic music: Portable [K]ommunity and AOKI Takamasa from Japan. Misc. from Germany. Stewart Walker and Geoff White. Dorine Muraille from France. Jan Jelinek. In terms of other types of music, I'm really into Wolf Eyes from the United States. And the death metal band, Origin.

　
7. if you have something to add, feel free.

To use this opportunity as a forum for the advancement of electronic music, I invite anyone who is interested to check out http://www.theblowup.com.
I am always looking for more people to write interesting texts on music, and I'm also interested in putting together a book of texts on new music.

　
website: Theblowup < http://theblowup.com >

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