Not even the launch of the first Dublin Electronic Arts Festival could alleviate electronic music's crisis in definition. In the dark, bustling 4 Dame Lane as house music (or was it techno?) pulsed through our conversations, Simon Kelly admitted, "I'm in a band alright. Well, it's more a collective.
It's not really a band." Empire's music is hard to label. "It's been described, basically, as power ambient. Kind of love-anthem-marching-tunes."
One of the festival's three directors, Rob Roland, made a case for uniting the Dublin electronic arts scene through the festival. "There's a great \ output that's being acknowledged internationally, but not so much at home. This is an adventure for visuals, music and media. It's an opportunity to showcase all the talents that are here."
Underground networks with electronic artists in the US and Europe make the organisers optimistic that the festival could form "an international situation".
Dunk Murphy from the Dublin . . . er . . . collective, Ambulance, described their forthcoming performance. "We're playing live on synthesisers, samplers and computers. We just make it up as we go along and make - I suppose you could call it techno, if you like."
Auctioneer Sonja Bermingham went some way to explaining the electronic allure. "The Detroit acts are going to be the highlight of the festival. House music can be deep and soulful."
Nollaig O'Fionghaile, music officer of the Arts Council, was interested in the festival's plans. "The Arts Council wants to be open and inclusive in terms of encouraging all kinds of music activity. It's very much open to pop, rock and electronic music and new developments in music." She doesn't mention techno, though.
The festival takes place from October 20th to 28th,