Don’t be afraid of evolution: Dispatch from Fuzzy Needle
Greetings Fuzzy Needle friends,
Hope everyone is doing well. Today’s newsletter starts with what has lately been my favorite corner of the internet: a blog called Drexciya Research Lab. The site dates back almost two decades (in fact, it’s still hosted on Blogspot. Remember Blogspot?) Its sole aim is to collect and consider the works of a deeply influential music act you probably never heard of: Drexciya, from Detroit, Michigan.
Drexciya was a duo — James Stinson and Gerald Donald, both Detroit-born musicians who grew up during techno’s heyday in the 80s — but it was also an idea. “Drexciya” was a subaquatic country made up of the super-evolved children of African slaves who were thrown overboard on the Middle Passage. In the liner notes for the 1997 album The Quest, these Drexciyans were said to breathe underwater; they migrated “from the Gulf of Mexico to the Mississippi river basin and on to the Great Lakes of Michigan.” Stinson and Donald were revolutionary musicians, but they were also revolutionary mythmakers testing out eco-critical, Afrofuturistic ideas. They drew on centuries of history and art to create something that sounded like (and in fact was) the future.
I love all kinds of music, but techno in particular holds a special place in my heart. Much like its godfather disco, it’s one of those genres people love to hate. Granted, the techno that’s popular now is a far cry from what it once was, but the same complaints persist: it’s too loud, too industrial, too repetitive, too vulgar; it’s unmelodic, unsanitized, unremitting, unbeholden to anything; it’s just some guy with a couple of weird-looking machines and a laptop pushing buttons.
It’d be easy to snark back and challenge its critics to try coaxing a single sound, let alone listenable music, from a machine straight out of Star Trek — bud you couldn’t even beat match!!!! — but I think that distracts from the real pull of the genre. Techno was not started by robots, or AI, or overpaid English venture capitalists masquerading as DJs. It was the product of Detroit’s Black working class, which, after being abandoned by government and industry, made something so intensely creative that it forever changed music.
I could write millions of words about this subject (and probably will for my Substack.) In the interest of brevity, I’ll leave you with this: You don’t have to like it. But during Black Music Month, I invite you to reconsider techno as both an art form and lifeline. To quote Drexciya Research Lab: don’t be afraid of evolution.
Q & A with Tanner Lackey
I love interviewing all the brilliant artists that perform, exhibit, speak and otherwise augment our shared reality here at Fuzzy Needle. But I am also deeply interested (and I’m sure I’m not alone in that sentiment) in the men and women behind the curtain: the equally brilliant staff behind the counter at the shop. We’ve got some real cool cats working here, and periodically, I’ll share a Q&A with one of our folks, too.
This week, we’re spotlighting Tanner Lackey, a guy who’s always got a smile on his face and a cool record on deck. Tanner has been working at the Wilmington location for a couple months now, and it’s always a pleasure to run into him and talk shop. He’s also a member of Lady Die, a buzzy indie rock group that’s been playing all over North Carolina this year. Here is our interview, which has been lightly edited for clarity.
Nikolai Mather: So what brought you to Fuzzy Needle?
Tanner Lackey: I was fairly new to town when I first came by the shop. I had heard about Fuzzy from friends and had seen folks wearing merch occasionally. Tim welcomed me immediately upon walking in and while I was there, he introduced me to another musician who had just happened by (shoutout Owen Casey!). It felt like every time I came by, there were cool people and good conversation. Pretty soon after that, Tim asked if I was free to run sound for the band Widowspeak who were stopping by Fuzzy on their tour. I remember feeling surprised but also so stoked that they were playing such a small venue. That show ended up being one of my favorite early memories of the shop and my life in Wilmington.
NM: Speaking of bands, you’re a member of Lady Die, one of Wilmington’s most illustrious acts. What’s been your favorite live performance so far and why?
TL: This is a tough one! At the risk of maybe sounding biased, the first show that pops into my head was our EP release show that we played at Fuzzy last summer haha. But I think it was our first sold out show! And it really felt like everyone in the crowd was a friend. It was also the first time I noticed people singing along to our songs too. At one point during the height of our last tune, someone had accidentally tripped the alarm to the building and just the chaos of that moment while we played through the rest of the song while everyone danced was just so fun.
NM: What book would you bring with you on a desert island?
TL: I’m really torn between a book I’ve read (Siddartha) and a book I’ve yet to read (Pedro Páramo). But, if I’m being honest with you, I’m probably bringing some Calvin & Hobbes to the island.
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Shop recs
〰️ Shop recs
Wilmington
Durham
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Upcoming events
〰️ Upcoming events
Durham
June 10 (tonight!), Jah-Monte Ogbon Listening Party, the Fuzzy Needle, 7 pm… It’s free! And comes with a Q&A from Dash Lewis. More info here.
June 15, Sadurn and Amelia Cry Til I Die, the Fuzzy Needle, 8 pm… Gonna be marvelous. Doors at 7:30 pm.
June 21, Fuzzy Needle DJ Night, Old North, 6 pm… We’re gonna be spinning some of our favorite records, and if any of them strike your fancy, you can grab them from our pop up. Gonna be good times.
June 24, Old Time Jam, the Fuzzy Needle, 7 pm… It’s just a little Old Time Jam. Come by.
Wilmington
June 12, Pause for Poetry with Speak Ya Peace, the Fuzzy Needle, 7 pm… We had a ball with Speak Ya Peace during their last poetry mic, and we’re excited to welcome them back this Friday for more. Hoping to create a really solid and inspiring literary community with this event series. If you’d like to join, grab a ticket on our website and come through on Friday. BYOB. Doors open at 6:30.
Postscript
New book lovers will be delighted to hear our Durham location is selling new books. Stop by one of these days to see some of the fabulous contemporary titles we’ve been stocking.
And, as always, you can check out our stuff on Discogs and eBay. See you at the shop.
- Your friends at the Fuzzy Needle
