Beyond the tracks

Interview, Oct, 1995 by Evelyn McDonnell

After initially toying with the racist iconography of the swastika, the punks of the '70s united their efforts with reggae bands in concerts for Rock Against Racism, eventually launching the 2-Tone movement of groups with black and white members and black and white musical elements. Alternative seems to be moving in the opposite direction: away from the polyglot possibilities of Fishbone, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Body Count toward an aesthetic where twelve-year-old kids think Boyz II Men's complex vocal harmonies are "fake" and require no talent, while Skid Row are "real" musicians.

Acts like Tricky, Spearhead, Fundamental, and Cibo Matto, all of whom mix hip-hop and alternative music in exciting ways, are pointing toward a new integrationist aesthetic. But unless someone puts together an alternative Lollapalooza, many kids will never get to hear them.