Meat Beat Manifesto continues to lead electronica pack ; 'Actual Sounds and Voices' heard on tour

by Jason Forshey
K.E.G. Editor
Millersville University
The Snapper
December 4, 1998
Vol. 71, Issue 11

Although Jack Dangers' work with Meat Beat Manifesto has both bred and borrowed, he claims to see "a little bit of discrepancy" in the stillborn electronica culture that he once midwifed.

Over the course of the past 12 years, Meat Beat Manifesto has pioneered the sound that now allows acts like Prodigy to see "millions" of albums at a time.

Meat Beat Manifesto sold only twenty thousand copies of their last album, Dangers says, making hm wonder if his music is "truly well-received" by American audiences.

Although Meat Beat Manifesto engineered the phenomenon of electronica, those spawned from Dangers' creation (such as Prodigy) have carried the music to the border of pop mainstream.

Dangers' legendary performances of his club-inspired sound last long into the night. "I don't see much sun," Dangers said, with shows sometimes running as late as 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning. Even larger, more prominent venues such as the House of Blues in New Orleans have welcomed the techno/electrponica style of music and the type of late-night/early morning show that characterizes Meat Beat Manifesto.

The sound that Meat Beat "seems to have inspired" certainly has not left the band behind. Their latest release, "Actual Sounds and Voices," has won acclaim with their colleages.

Atticus Ross of fellow Nothing band 12 Rounds describes Dangers as "One of the most important" figures in modern music.

While past albums may not have held the attention of the Amercian masses, Dangers' savvy in his use of beats and sampling has made him something of an underground giant.

In reference to the trend of record-scratching, Dangers said "I was using turntables back in '85."

He is "definitely influenced by hip-hop and scratching," but he still prefers "to take a backseat" when it comes to the authoring of any new trend.

Being a prime mover in the electronica movement, Dangers viewing his options, he "I could just pack it in," or "go and be a DJ."

Critiquing the scene with his "DJ" joke, he passed off the issue of copycat bands as "Water under the bridge."

Bands like the Chemical Brothers don't bother him anymopre, but he believes their work to be nearly identical to his "Album of ten years ago."

Dangers sums up his view of the past, present, and future in the music business by citing the naming of his band.

Meat Beat Manifesto was "made up in my head;" it would be too easy to "call it something nice and friendly so everyone will like it." Perhaps the American mainstream has eluded him, because he, "Along with bands like Butthole Surfers," has chosen artistic freedom.

"Must be the name" was his definitive yet characteristic facetious answer for Meat Beat Manifesto's continued success.