if you want to know whose shoulders we're standing on in electronic dance music, you should watch the 2001 channel four documentary 'pump up the volume'. although the 3-part documentary is about the history of house music in the uk, almost half of it is dedicated to what happened in chicago and detroit before 1987.

there are a lot of interviews with key players, which results in some memorable moments. like chip e playing the bassline to 'time to jack' for us in his studio. it sends shivers down my spine every time i watch it. it's as if i'm transported to the moment of creation. it's 1985, somewhere in chicago. chip e is running his fingers over the keyboard, looking for a bass line. and then, out of nothing, he hits on this one. and he saw it was good.

but my favorite scene has got to be the one below. marshall jefferson, the guy who brought us 'the house music anthem', gets a lot of airtime in the documentary. and without exception he's energetic, positive, self-confident, funny and full of praise for his peers. but watch what happens near the end, when he himself gets praise.

excerpt from 'pump up the volume', part 2

thank you, marshall jefferson! for your music and your personality.

and i propose that 'blowing the budget on handclaps' will from now on be an expression, used to describe a situation in which somebody makes a difference by spending a lot of time and energy on details.