Yesterday was a very busy day. Work, then recording some Descojon Urbano guitar tracks with Rafi Arroyo, then off to Red Shield for a DJ gig on the Ongo, Ser.es, Francotiradores de la Melancolia and Saul from Un.real.
Upcoming gigs are a DJ gig at Los Petardos CD release, and at the Nocturama opening night at Sept the 3rd at Red Shield. DU will play as part of the Hasta el Limite Sonoro gig Sept 10, Also a gig on October the 1st at Red Shield as part of the October 1st Nocturama show.
Keeping busy, alright.
Mostrando las entradas con la etiqueta music. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando las entradas con la etiqueta music. Mostrar todas las entradas
Gracias. Nalgada de Oro, Isabela Music Club, Descojon Urbano Jul 29 2010
En si se pudiera concentrar todo lo que acaba de pasarme en la noche de hoy es esa palabra: gracias.
A los que asistieron y que tuve el placer de ver y compartir despues de mucho tiempo. A Nalgada de Oro, a Isabela Music Club por compartir la tarima con nosotros. A Ariel, Rafy y Carlitos que fueron unos campeones. A El Padrino que trato con lo que habia disponible pero se hizo lo que se pudo. A La Respuesta, Monopolio Records y lFrecuencias ALternas por apostar al talento local. En verdad fue bueno compartir y tener varias pequen-as conversaciones que en realidad me impactaron mucho.
Una de ellas siembra la semilla para futras colaboraciones. Gracias Luis por hablar la clara. La otra fue la conclusion de la noche. Puedo decir con toda franqueza que hoy puedo morir feliz. La gente se divirtio, los muchachos se divirtieron y yo me diverti. Como se lo dije a Andres, se los digo a ustedes: si hoy muero, muero feliz y muero con un sentido de que he logrado lo que me he propuesto y nos divertimos en el proceso.
En realidad lo siento por las dificultades tecnidas, por no tocar las canciones que pidieron y por no poder complacerlos. Falta de tiempo y esa noche definitivamente le pertenecia a los chicos de Nalgada que se pasaron. Isabela Music Club tambien se tiro la mision empezando mellow pero poco a poco me gustaban mas y es bueno ver a los Hermanos Velez, junto a Joy y a Gabriel hacer lo suyo.
Los que no pudieron ir, se perdieron una noche especial, pero eso pasa. Y si, los extran-e.
No se que el futuro depara y no puedo hablar por el resto de los muchachos pero puedo decir de mi parte que tocar y ensayar junto a Ariel, Carlitos y Rafy fue muy divertido y bueno. Si se repite bajo Descojon Urbano u otra cosa, eso esta de parte de todos. Pero esta noche fue muy buena. Gracias.
De nuevo, gracias.
Ahora se pueden ir a otro rincon del Internet. Yo tengo que dormir algo antes de escuchar un lindo seminario de 5 horas man-ana.
A los que asistieron y que tuve el placer de ver y compartir despues de mucho tiempo. A Nalgada de Oro, a Isabela Music Club por compartir la tarima con nosotros. A Ariel, Rafy y Carlitos que fueron unos campeones. A El Padrino que trato con lo que habia disponible pero se hizo lo que se pudo. A La Respuesta, Monopolio Records y lFrecuencias ALternas por apostar al talento local. En verdad fue bueno compartir y tener varias pequen-as conversaciones que en realidad me impactaron mucho.
Una de ellas siembra la semilla para futras colaboraciones. Gracias Luis por hablar la clara. La otra fue la conclusion de la noche. Puedo decir con toda franqueza que hoy puedo morir feliz. La gente se divirtio, los muchachos se divirtieron y yo me diverti. Como se lo dije a Andres, se los digo a ustedes: si hoy muero, muero feliz y muero con un sentido de que he logrado lo que me he propuesto y nos divertimos en el proceso.
En realidad lo siento por las dificultades tecnidas, por no tocar las canciones que pidieron y por no poder complacerlos. Falta de tiempo y esa noche definitivamente le pertenecia a los chicos de Nalgada que se pasaron. Isabela Music Club tambien se tiro la mision empezando mellow pero poco a poco me gustaban mas y es bueno ver a los Hermanos Velez, junto a Joy y a Gabriel hacer lo suyo.
Los que no pudieron ir, se perdieron una noche especial, pero eso pasa. Y si, los extran-e.
No se que el futuro depara y no puedo hablar por el resto de los muchachos pero puedo decir de mi parte que tocar y ensayar junto a Ariel, Carlitos y Rafy fue muy divertido y bueno. Si se repite bajo Descojon Urbano u otra cosa, eso esta de parte de todos. Pero esta noche fue muy buena. Gracias.
De nuevo, gracias.
Ahora se pueden ir a otro rincon del Internet. Yo tengo que dormir algo antes de escuchar un lindo seminario de 5 horas man-ana.
The triumphant return of Nalgada de Oro
Labels:
music,
Nalgada de Oro,
presentaciones,
rants,
talento local
0
observations
Was this the actual movie the guys took their name from? Mebbe. Mebbe not.
About a little less than twenty years ago, most of you weren't probably born or were wee lads and lasses, people used dial-up to access electronic bulletin board systems or BBS, and the only way you could score porn was through your dad's porn mag stash or if you somwhow acquired it/stole it from your friends. Music was mostly on CD, but there were some vynils available, and eMpTyV was actually playing music videos, starting their descent into "reality" tv hell. Most of all, there were local bands doing original music, be it punk rock, hardcore, thrash, all sorts of metal and all genres in between.
In that same period - in the midst of abusing my vocal chords, programming cheap synths, samplers, drum machines and generally annoying and amusing our audiences and each other in Descojon Urbano - we met an amazing bunch of people and bands that we had a blast playing with in several of the seediest dives this God forsaken island has to offer. Actually we played some dives that were not so seedy, but those being the exception let's not allow that fact to get in the way of a good yarn.
Among that amazing bunch of degenerates (I say this as a term of endearment, don't you fucking dare to start getting your panties in a bunch. It's quarter to 5 am and I don't give a shit about offending delicate sensibilities. I don't anyway.) was a trio of local youngsters who called themselves Nalgada de Oro. They took their name from a Mexican movie they found at a video store. They were funny, surreal, brilliant in a goofy kind of way. Words fail me to describe them and when you can't easily pigeonhole someone in this era of categorization, labels, and marketing bullshit, that is good. Alternative could be used in the true sense of the word. Unfortunately that word has been prostituted and watered down beyond belief.
Unlike most bands, they had the good sense to break up once they decided it was time to pack it in. Lead singer and guitar player Jorge Gonzalez went on to became a well-known playwright both in stage and radio. Bass player Marcelo Gomez went on to form La Murga (another brilliant band on it's own right) and later joined his brother Memo in La Experiencia de Ton-ito Cabanillas and then left to finish his studies abroad. Drummer Bernando Dominguez played in La Murga and then joined Burning Face, and has been there ever since. They were unique, brilliant, catchy, fun, goofy and they didn't have any recorded material of their songs. Until now.
Well, not now. Very soon. The boys went into the studio and after almost 20 years of their first appearance, they went into an actual studio and recorded their tunes. And you will be able to see them live on July 29th at La Respuesta in Santurce where they will release their record upon an unsuspecting world. They will play along with some guests, which should be announced shortly.
The only thing I have to say about all of this is: the date has been set. God help us all. See you there.
"Lost" Hijos de Cain tune released! Mujer Satanica!
A lost little gem from the Hijos de Cain's Cristales Rotos recording sessions basically one of the songs that for one reason or another didn't make the cut for the Hijos De Cain CD (possibly time and subject related. yeah, even for us), but thanks to Rafael Arroyo who had a copy handy. This was written in a pinch by Jose Ramon Jimenez and Jose E. Roman and then Rafy Arroyo and Luis Santiago added their guitars when we did the recording. A very sordid tale of a one-night stand gone very, very, very wrong.
O.P.A.L. - Mayoria Silente Minoria Invisible
Labels:
ambient,
experimental,
mp3,
music,
musica,
O.P.A.L.,
songs,
soundtracks
0
observations
A 79 minute generative music piece. O.P.A.L.'s second extended piece. A soundtrack to an imaginary film without a script full of actors devoid of any cues. Silences, noises, birdnoises, liquid, something that might be construed as words, drones. Created somewhere late at night. Feel free to remix, re-cut, re-edit at leisure, but do let me know and send me a copy. You can contact me at info at rojoynegro dot org.
If the player above does not work, you can checck it out here.
bad ass happenings
Labels:
music,
rants,
technology
0
observations
Well, things are not so good in the job front, but I finished making the basis of a new O.P.A.L. track last night. Will upload today and see if some good old buddies of mine want to take a stab at it. There's a lot of phonecalls and emails going back and forth in Maison Morituti. Let's hope that things go according to plan, which they rarely do, but I'm doing my part and setting my gear again. Promises will be made when able to deliver them. Aside from that, it's a fucking hot summer and I want a vuvuzela so I can annoy the fuck outta people at random intervals. So who can score me one? It is indeed the summer of hate in the year of our Clusterfuck 2010, and I'll keep you posted where this leads me.
LS also has some evil plans and I'm in them. That's good.
I worry about the future of Mandriva Linux. That's bad.
LS also has some evil plans and I'm in them. That's good.
I worry about the future of Mandriva Linux. That's bad.
On Sacrifice...
Labels:
censorship,
composing,
download,
gigs,
Hunter S. Thompson,
Jello Biafra,
Les Tambours Du Bronx,
music,
O.P.A.L.,
politics,
rants,
San Juan Noise Fest V,
streaming,
Traicion en Chavier
0
observations
O.P.A.L. - Sacrifice Live At San Juan Noise Fest V
I have a very personal belief that art is both a means of expression and a con (mainly it's business side, and that is usually the subject of another rant). Anyway, it's my belief that for the last twenty years both in the U.S. and Puerto Rico we've seen efforts to suppress that expression. Whether it's a group of "concerned" citizens, or let's just come out and say it: religious zealots or conservative self appointed guardians of morality, who feel entitled to push their religious and political agendas down our throats, damn the opinions of others, much less our hard earned right to freedom of expression.
The funny thing about these people is that they hide behind the bible or their twisted sense of morality to suppress acts of artistic (and non-artistic) expression and are willing to censor them or manifest their 'shock and horror' about them, while they let similar or worse crimes go by unnoticed. Worse, they act 'concerned' while worst things are done by them on a daily basis.
Why am I writing about this? Well, the piece above is about sacrifice. Whether we sacrificed our rights for a false sense of security against a (mostly fabricated) enemy or worse yet, sacrifice our freedom to give an unaccountable few lots of power over our lives. Personally, the American (and to some extent the Puertorican) Dream, whatever that is, went downhill in the last 30 or 40 years. Nixon, Reagan, the Bushes, Romero Barcelo, Rossello and now Fortun~o have come to represent all of those forces who stifle expression and freedom. Whether it's the progressive dissection of our constitutional rights for the past 30 years, whether it's getting upset at a bunch of kids attempt to capture life at their housing project on video, it's all there. Captured in fourteen minutes fifteen seconds in a sound collage.
William S. Burroughs did it way before all of us with his cut-ups in his literary work. Sampling became it's logical successor. We steal shamelessly, but we try to steal from the best. This time, elements from Hunter S. Thompson´s Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, Jello Biafra´s No More Coccoons, Les Tambours Du Bronx, the audio from the video from the boys of the Chavier housing project itself, and an improvised song from a toddler. We added noises, feedback and put it together in one nice little package for your listening pleasure. I think it's our little fuck you to everyone who gets on a high horse and try to justify outright censorship and repression, whether by religious, moral and or political means.
Thanks to Carlos, who was crazy enough to join me on this one. Jorge, for inviting us to play and we created a piece fitting for his, according to him, last stint at helming the San Juan Noise Fest. Angelito, for recording it for posterity. Last but not least, the other artists who played and the staff at Executive Manolo.
Anyway, here it is. Listen to it. Download it. Write about it. Let us know about it. Take care.
San Juan Noise Fest V: Official Flyer
Labels:
gigs,
live,
music,
musica,
noise,
san juan noise fest
0
observations
Here's the flyer for San Juan Noise Fest V
It came from Detroit to blow my brains out!
Labels:
1975,
death,
Detroit,
Drag City Records,
Garage,
music,
Punk
0
observations
Detroit 1975. Three young brothers get together for some Black Sabbath and The MC5 fueled jamming and they end up with 7 songs way ahead of their time predating Bad Brains and the Dead Kennedys. Thanks to Mr. Carlos Rivera-Jones, I bring you DEATH (not the black metal band). They have a collection of their singles titled For The Whole World To See on Drag City Records. Get it. Listen to it. Turn it up to 11. Lick it. Sniff it. Taste it. Fuck it. Think this was 1975 and proceed to get your ass and mind blown. This made my day. Drag City Records rescued this little gems from oblivion for all of you to listen to. Thank you.
Brian Eno Made Me Do It - A not-so-ambient mixtape
Labels:
ambient,
chillout,
electronic,
instrumental,
mixtape,
music
0
observations
Well here's a little mixtape i'd like to call BRIAN ENO MADE ME DO IT. File under ambient, soundscapes, etcetera. Enjoy! 1. NIN - Ghosts I 2:40 2. Deerhunter - Intro 2:50 3. Ulver - All The Love 3:43 4. Boards Of Canada - Smokes Quantity 3:08 5. Carbon Based Lifeforms - MOS 6581 (Album Version) 7:11 6. Burial - Dog Shelter 3:03 7. The Album Leaf - The Light 4:29 8. Brian Eno - Under Stars II 9. Air - Alone In Kyoto 4:51 10. Moby - Walk With Me 4:02 11. Tycho - From Home 6:32 12. M83 - Moonchild 4:39 13. Fever Ray - Dry and Dusty 3:45 14. Helios - Samsara 6:26
New Wave And Her Sneaky Cousins
Labels:
eighties,
mixtape,
modern rock,
music,
new wave,
postpunk,
seventies,
synth pop
0
observations
Here's a little playlist I made today of some tunage from years past. Almost an hour of fun. Enjoy!
New Wave And Her Sneaky Cousins
Elvis Costello Pump It Up 3:16
Echo and The Bunnymen Seven Seas 3:23
Talk Talk Talk Talk 3:18
New Order We All Stand 5:15
Tears For Fears Change 3:53
Soft Cell Tainted Love 2:34
Joy Division Love Will Tear Us Apart 3:11
Gang Of Four Damaged Goods 3:27
Flock Of Seagulls Space Age Love Song 3:47
Blondie One Way Or Another 3:28
Talking Heads Road To Nowhere 4:19
Devo Come Back Jonee 3:47
Gary Numan Cars (Live) 3:39
Dead Or Alive You Spin Me Round 3:13
Television Venus 3:52
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Enola Gay 3:33
New Wave And Her Sneaky Cousins
Elvis Costello Pump It Up 3:16
Echo and The Bunnymen Seven Seas 3:23
Talk Talk Talk Talk 3:18
New Order We All Stand 5:15
Tears For Fears Change 3:53
Soft Cell Tainted Love 2:34
Joy Division Love Will Tear Us Apart 3:11
Gang Of Four Damaged Goods 3:27
Flock Of Seagulls Space Age Love Song 3:47
Blondie One Way Or Another 3:28
Talking Heads Road To Nowhere 4:19
Devo Come Back Jonee 3:47
Gary Numan Cars (Live) 3:39
Dead Or Alive You Spin Me Round 3:13
Television Venus 3:52
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Enola Gay 3:33
DJ Surgeon @ Void @ Static, Shanghai, China
Labels:
Anthony Child,
dj,
dj sets,
DJ Surgeon,
music,
techno
0
observations
Visit http://ping.fm/rvURt > media > audio and download Surgeon's latest 3 hr mix straight outta Shanghai. Enjoy! #DJSurgeon #techno
DJ Gig 03/18/2009 At Don Pablo
Labels:
dj,
don pablo,
gigs,
music,
Noel Villegas,
Old San Juan
0
observations
Yeah, after I while I dust off my computer and get out with some music to play and torture you all with. It's happening this Wendesday at Don Pablo along with Fugo (Mr. Noel Villegas) and we're gonna have a good time. I plan to spin a nice little set of shoegaze, dubstep, dub, idm, hard techno, post punk and some goth rock ditties. Happy hour all night so stop by, listen to some music and bug me. You were warned.
DJ Gig at Old San Juan....soon...
Labels:
dj,
gigs,
music
0
observations
Well I seldom get excited about gigs because of the logistics involved, but I just spoke with an old friend of mine and he's back on the decks and invited me to DJ at one of his nights soon. So, I must confess that I like the prospect of playing some tunes to your aural pleasure. Details to follow soon.
David Byrne - Glass, Concrete and Stone
Labels:
David Byrne,
Dirty Pretty Things,
films,
flight,
inmigration,
lyrics,
music,
soundtracks
0
observations
Heard this song at the end of Dirty Pretty Things, which is one brilliant film.
David Byrne - Glass, Concrete and Stone
Now
I'm wakin' at the crack of dawn
to send a little money home
from here to the moon
is risin' like a discotheque
and now my bags are down and packed for traveling
Lookin' at happiness
keepin' my flavor fresh
nobody knows I guess
how far I'll go, I know
so I'm leavin' at Six O' Clock
meet in a parkin' lot
Harriet Hendershot
sunglasses on, she waits by this
Glass and concrete and stone
It is just a house, not a home.
Skin, that covers me from head to toe
except a couple tiny holes and openings
Where, the city's blowin' in and out
this is what it's all about, delightfully
Everything's possible
when you're an animal
not inconceivable
How things can change, I know
So I'm puttin' on aftershave
nothin' is out of place
gonna be on my way
Try to pretend, it's not only
Glass and concrete and stone
That it's just, not a home.
And its glass and concrete and stone
It is just a house, not a home
And my head is fifty feet high
Let my body and soul be my guide
David Byrne - Glass, Concrete and Stone
Now
I'm wakin' at the crack of dawn
to send a little money home
from here to the moon
is risin' like a discotheque
and now my bags are down and packed for traveling
Lookin' at happiness
keepin' my flavor fresh
nobody knows I guess
how far I'll go, I know
so I'm leavin' at Six O' Clock
meet in a parkin' lot
Harriet Hendershot
sunglasses on, she waits by this
Glass and concrete and stone
It is just a house, not a home.
Skin, that covers me from head to toe
except a couple tiny holes and openings
Where, the city's blowin' in and out
this is what it's all about, delightfully
Everything's possible
when you're an animal
not inconceivable
How things can change, I know
So I'm puttin' on aftershave
nothin' is out of place
gonna be on my way
Try to pretend, it's not only
Glass and concrete and stone
That it's just, not a home.
And its glass and concrete and stone
It is just a house, not a home
And my head is fifty feet high
Let my body and soul be my guide
Pronto en rojoynegro.org re-ediciones de Macroporno
Labels:
macroporno,
music,
música,
myspace,
pneuma,
psiconautas,
rojoynegro
0
observations
Acabo de hablar con Raymond 8-bit de Psiconautas por telefono y pronto por rojoynegro tendremos el placer de tener el material de su proyecto electrónico que tiene con Jammar Jackson y Bernice (Pneuma) Macroporno en nuestro róster. Me alegra mucho el contribuir en que los muchachos tengan sus cosas documentadas a través de rojoynegro. Más detalles pronto.
Mas re-issues de bandas locales GRATIS!
Labels:
archive.org,
mp3,
music,
música,
rapidshare,
technology,
tecnología
0
observations
Estamos sacando de nuevo diferentes producciones que ya no estan disponibles a traves de Archive.org y Rapidshare. Y nos place anunciar que Noisex records tambien se nos unen a esta iniciativa.
Necronazis/Un Final Fatal - El Ultimo Cigarrillo split CD en Archive.org y en Rapidshare.
Introdujos/Juventud Crasa split en Archive.org y en Rapidshare.
Introdujos - Raro y Descontrolado (Rarezas y Temas en directo) en Archive.org (en Rapidshare pronto)
Introdujos - Milimetros en Archive.org (en Rapidshare pronto).
Necronazis/Un Final Fatal - El Ultimo Cigarrillo split CD en Archive.org y en Rapidshare.
Introdujos/Juventud Crasa split en Archive.org y en Rapidshare.
Introdujos - Raro y Descontrolado (Rarezas y Temas en directo) en Archive.org (en Rapidshare pronto)
Introdujos - Milimetros en Archive.org (en Rapidshare pronto).
Vengo Con Varios Regalitos
Puerto Rico hc-ska-rock-punk sampler gratis 2008 666
bueno se esta enviando a la fabrica el CD sampler que llevo un tiempito tratando de sacar.. muchas gracias a las bandas que me hicieron caso yo lo anuncie a todo el mundo pero las que me respondieron y le dieron seguimiento pues aqui estan..... este disco va a ser para regalar 100% en especial a la gente que no conozca de la escena de PR tanto dentro com o fuera de la isla.... por eso muchas canciones ya ustedes las conocen no es una novedad.
De todas formas el que lo quiera le puedo enviar por e-mail los 26 tracks, se lo quema en un CD y se lo puede pasar al que quiera que es la idea.
asi que dejenme sus emails o envienme uno a discosdehoy@yahoo.com
track list:
1. Oberdebaigot- El anti yo
2. La Experiencia de Toñito Cabanilla$$$- We fuck you spics
3. Psycho Tales- Nube de ensueño
4. Diente Perro- Muerte en patineta
5. Teodoro & Los Neandertales- Goldo y pesao
6. Golpe Justo- Rehen de la violencia
7. Un Final Fatal- Un sitio oscuro
8. Los Espectros- No me llames Jesucristo
9. Hay Silencio- Cualquier Hado
10. Ron Calavera- La muerte y resurrección del ninja yaucano... una noche a la mejicana
11. Reacción Despierta- Maldita incertidumbre
12. Cojoba- Rienda suelta
13. Lopodrido- Estamos todos sin estar
14. Napolnariz- Somos héroes
15. La Virgen del Pozo- El regalo de la furia
16. Necronazis- Zarathustra por siempre
17. Calimotxo- Invisible
18. Dávila 666- En la ciudad
19. Juventud Crasa- Borracho en el cairo
20. La Santa Inquisición- Bajo el mismo brazo
21. Abismo Nuclear- Kathie Lee inc.
22. Tropiezo- Armas de distracción masiva
23. Vic Vega & the Caligaris- Estaba muerta
24. La Bella & las Bestias- Un venenito
25. Jenny Fatale y los Degolladores- Klonopina
26. Sin Oficio- Destrucción social
Pero Josu es tan cool que me envio los tracks y me dio permiso para subir esta recopilacion a Rapidshare. Asi es que disfruten de Puerto Rico hc-ska-rock-punk sampler gratis 2008 666
De una vez que estamos regalando cosas, pueden aprovechar y bajar lo siguiente:
Descojon Urbano - 1991 - 1994 Parte 1 Parte 2
Hijos de Cain - Cristales Rotos Parte 1 Parte 2
Descojon Urbano - Live At Ruse De Guerre, Longbranch Aguadilla 1996
Musica Casual EP
bueno se esta enviando a la fabrica el CD sampler que llevo un tiempito tratando de sacar.. muchas gracias a las bandas que me hicieron caso yo lo anuncie a todo el mundo pero las que me respondieron y le dieron seguimiento pues aqui estan..... este disco va a ser para regalar 100% en especial a la gente que no conozca de la escena de PR tanto dentro com o fuera de la isla.... por eso muchas canciones ya ustedes las conocen no es una novedad.
De todas formas el que lo quiera le puedo enviar por e-mail los 26 tracks, se lo quema en un CD y se lo puede pasar al que quiera que es la idea.
asi que dejenme sus emails o envienme uno a discosdehoy@yahoo.com
track list:
1. Oberdebaigot- El anti yo
2. La Experiencia de Toñito Cabanilla$$$- We fuck you spics
3. Psycho Tales- Nube de ensueño
4. Diente Perro- Muerte en patineta
5. Teodoro & Los Neandertales- Goldo y pesao
6. Golpe Justo- Rehen de la violencia
7. Un Final Fatal- Un sitio oscuro
8. Los Espectros- No me llames Jesucristo
9. Hay Silencio- Cualquier Hado
10. Ron Calavera- La muerte y resurrección del ninja yaucano... una noche a la mejicana
11. Reacción Despierta- Maldita incertidumbre
12. Cojoba- Rienda suelta
13. Lopodrido- Estamos todos sin estar
14. Napolnariz- Somos héroes
15. La Virgen del Pozo- El regalo de la furia
16. Necronazis- Zarathustra por siempre
17. Calimotxo- Invisible
18. Dávila 666- En la ciudad
19. Juventud Crasa- Borracho en el cairo
20. La Santa Inquisición- Bajo el mismo brazo
21. Abismo Nuclear- Kathie Lee inc.
22. Tropiezo- Armas de distracción masiva
23. Vic Vega & the Caligaris- Estaba muerta
24. La Bella & las Bestias- Un venenito
25. Jenny Fatale y los Degolladores- Klonopina
26. Sin Oficio- Destrucción social
Pero Josu es tan cool que me envio los tracks y me dio permiso para subir esta recopilacion a Rapidshare. Asi es que disfruten de Puerto Rico hc-ska-rock-punk sampler gratis 2008 666
De una vez que estamos regalando cosas, pueden aprovechar y bajar lo siguiente:
Descojon Urbano - 1991 - 1994 Parte 1 Parte 2
Hijos de Cain - Cristales Rotos Parte 1 Parte 2
Descojon Urbano - Live At Ruse De Guerre, Longbranch Aguadilla 1996
Musica Casual EP
Music For The Masses? I Think Not! by Alan Wilder (Recoil ex Depeche Mode) - Side-line Magazine
Labels:
mp3,
music,
música,
rants
0
observations
Un reprint de un excelente articulo por uno de los musicos mas innovadores de la escena electronica de los ultimos 20 an~os. Enjoy!
Editor's note: It was late January 2008 when we contacted Alan Wilder (ex-Depeche Mode) for an article on the shifting musicmarket and the position of the artist in this. The request came at the right time since Wilder had just announced that a limited enhanced single for 'Prey'/'Allelujah' would be released on February 25th, surprisingly not by the record label but by Russian fans. An interview quickly became an open letter from Alan Wilder...
We live in a world of technology - exponentially increasing breakthroughs in all things scientific. So fast that we can't even keep up with it. So why is it that the audio quality of music is degenerating? Music 'sounds' worse. We have stopped listening, we don't have time. We only have time to be smacked in the face by the loudest, most attention-grabbing blast of souped-up noise imaginable until ear fatigue sets in and the desire to 'change the record' takes over. Why are the adverts on TV twice the volume of the regular broadcasts?
It's the only way to get our attention in the VOLUME WAR.
In recent years, a revolution in processing technology has instigated a change in the way albums are mastered. In order to compete, A&R men, producers, even the artists are demanding that mastering engineers, via digital compression, crank up the level so high that all dynamic range is callously sacrificed.
(Compression essentially increases the volume of the quieter elements within a mix while holding steady the peaks of the louder parts)
The effect of excessive compression is to obscure sonic detail and rob music of its emotional power leaving listeners strangely unmoved. In fact, the ear naturally compresses high volume blasts to protect itself - this is why we associate compression with level. Our sophisticated human brains have evolved to pay particular attention to any loud noise, so initially, compressed sounds seem more exciting. It is short lived. After a few minutes, research shows, constant volume grows tiresome and fatiguing.
True excitement comes from variation in rhythm, tone, pitch and a wide range of dynamics which in turn provides space and warmth - something you're unlikely to find in much of today's rock/pop music. If you want a good example, listen to The Arctic Monkeys 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor' for a bombardment of the most unsubtle, one-dimensional noise.
The download spiral...
At the moment, MP3 compression allows a smaller file to be created by excluding the musical information that the human ear is less likely to notice. Much of the information left out is at the very high and low end (MP3s don't reproduce reverb well for similar transience reasons). So when the already squashed CD master is then consumed via MP3, the flattening effect is enhanced further. The result - an unsatisfying, brittle, indistinct, hollow experience with no punch.
Just as the CD replaced vinyl, we all know that MP3 and other digital formats are quickly replacing CDs as the most popular way to listen to music. This means more convenience but inferior sound (although that may improve over time). Even the audiophiles have moved on to multi-media - the iPod or iPhone being the 'must have' item of choice. Many have lost interest in high-end stereo systems while younger listeners have grown so used to dynamically compressed music that the battle has already been lost.
But this is not the whole story. We are seeing the ramifications of this subtle but significant listening shift for the record industry. You see, it's not just about audio quality. It is about craft, toil. It's about art...
Art for art's sake
Recoil / Alan WilderI am slightly out of the ordinary in that I am not a hugely 'successful' artist in terms of commercial sales and in that sense, I struggle to be heard just like millions of other musicians. However, because of my background in Depeche Mode, I am secure, which has meant (and continues to mean) that I don't have to tailor what I do to conform in any way. The market shift hasn't really affected me that much. It certainly doesn't change how I approach making music. It does reinforce my cynicism towards the injustice of so much good music lost in the mêlée of dross. But that is nothing new. The nature of mainstream radio hasn't improved in any way; magazines have minimal impact, television exposure is more limited than ever - notwithstanding MTV channels which have become more and more marginalised. In fact the best way to get your music heard is through a TV advertisement.
Leaving viability aside for a moment, I would like to see a return to high quality art, embracing all the wonders of technology and science, delivered at a price that reflects the time and effort the artist has put in. Call me old fashioned. Just as one would expect to pay for a hand-crafted piece of furniture or a designer dress or a beautifully printed photograph. Rather than pandering to mass media, why not also produce higher resolution audio - maybe on DVD since that's a format most people can engage with without having to buy new equipment? Combine this with lovingly produced artwork which, if a printed option is too expensive, can at least be downloaded.
Collectors items are becoming a way to escape the turmoil. It makes a lot of sense to subsidise the production of an expensive format for those who really appreciate quality and collectibility by allowing a wider audience to cough up a minimal amount for the fundamental elements.
Some have tried. For instance, Magne Furuholmen (A-ha) released and sold 300 copies of a special 10" vinyl picture disc with hand-painted original sleeves, accompanied by a CD containing all the songs, a poster and a documentary charting the creation of the artwork. The package sold at 100 Euros a piece. Afterwards, all songs were made available on-line for free via MySpace. Hats off to a bold approach which effectively encouraged each serious fan to also become a kind of personal investor.
The successful implementation of a DVD/art/film package such as this by a major company largely remains to be seen. No reason for it not to work as long as the label takes a pragmatic view about downloads - that they can only really act as a promotional tool rather than generating a sustainable source of income.
But really, coming up with a format is the least of the challenges - the difficulty as always is how to sell it.
Certainly trying to get any sort of coverage in the record stores ceased to be a viable option some time ago. The chains themselves are on their last legs (note the recent demise of the excellent 'Fopp' stores) or they are mutating into something different - focusing on games, merchandise, iPod accessories and so on. To ensure their own survival, with their 'no returns' policy, the record stores exert heavy pressure on the record companies by only agreeing to stock 'dead certs' - just the best selling artists, in order to avoid being left with excess stock.
As for marketing and promotion, I want the first listening experience of one of my records to be exactly as I intend it to be heard. For that reason, no longer will I be offering up advance copies for charlatans posing as journalists to sell on E-bay or upload to The Pirate Bay 3 months ahead of release. Considering the amount of advance promotion I get these days, it won't make a blind bit of difference to the sales performance.
Not that there aren't any positive sides to fan-shared files. Clearly, people in remote parts of the world - Siberia for example - can potentially be exposed to my music this way, albeit not, as yet, at optimum quality. It's not ideal but better than no opportunity to hear it at all. Even with CDs, in Russia, they are impossible to buy outside of the major cities which is why we get sharp, entrepreneurial fan sites buying up all the city's stock and selling it on to others outside for a small profit margin.
From Russia with love
Recoil / Alan WilderRecoil recently released an enhanced CD including a film and a special booklet. Let's take a look at the process. The 'Prey'/'Allelujah' package was brought about through fan pressure; by those that want a physical product - completists maybe, but also music lovers who prefer the audio and tactile quality of a CD over downloadable 'faceless' products. The tracks had already been available as downloads but it wasn't satisfying for many. The generation gap is showing.
Following a successful promo appearance in Moscow, a local DM/Recoil webmaster managed to persuade Gala Records (EMI's local label - Mute's partner) that it would be worthwhile to release this disc. They agreed - not without conditions mind you. So what was agreed?
Firstly, the promo trip was instigated by an Electro club manager. The club paid for and largely organised the visit. On the back of that, Gala arranged some radio, press and TV. The results were more than encouraging but despite this, the conditions of a release meant that: the fans had to pay for the manufacture of the disc, the fans had to implement pay structures and distribute the disc via their own website, other Recoil fans produced the artwork for a 28 page booklet that accompanied the disc, another fan produced and directed the 9 minute film that was included for 'Allelujah', the artist (me) produced the music in his own studio, the artist funds its own website along with a dedicated webmaster that works for free, the artist and the fans took care of the on-line marketing, promotion and sales support. All these services were provided as labours of love - no cost except for time and effort through sheer will to make it happen. Astounding. And it warms the cockles of my heart.
So what did the record company do, you ask? A good question. The record company organised the parts into a manufacturable product - this means making a production master from existing music mixes and cobbling together a two-page inlay with label copy from existing artwork. The local licensee added cyrillic legal jargon to the inlay and alerted some press and TV. Not much really is it?
Ok, this is not the norm and as such, slightly unfair. It was a kind of one-off experiment. Gala/Mute might argue - a favour. But it is most definitely the way things are going. Why won't they release the CD in the usual way? Because they don't believe the demand justifies the effort and manufacturing costs when the trend is for cheap or free downloadable music.
The Russian project was an interesting experiment but it could only expect limited success given the current view of that country and the customer mistrust that seemed to permeate the whole enterprise. It wasn't an ideal way to try to sell a product but that doesn't preclude the process itself becoming perfectly workable - as long as solid logistics are in place, making it simple and reliable for the customer.
(Note: despite the obvious hurdles, in fact we still managed to sell all the planned stock prior to release, such was the demand)
Pop will eat itself?
Recoil / Alan WilderSo why bother with a record deal at all? And that is what many artists are now asking themselves. Why wouldn't they when they are being told that their company just can't afford to spend any money? Or that the company wants a cut of the artist's live income to pay for marketing. This is why we see the mass exodus taking place, squeezing the already crippled record industry. The artists that find it easiest to walk away are those that are already highly successful, compounding the problem still further. Why? Because the likes of Radiohead and Prince can afford to give their music away as a cheap promotional gimmick in order to create publicity for their respective machines. They get noticed for doing so and benefit in other areas. So with everyone now expecting free music, all the other artists lose what little income they could expect from record sales, even though the love and money spent producing their product hasn't changed.
I've long since given up expecting to make a profit from what I do. And you might expect that I would be full of resentment and bitterness toward my own record company but that's not really it. Mute are victims in all this. The reality is that all the companies are suffering and are desperately clinging on by their fingernails trying to come up with solutions as the rug is pulled from beneath them.
In Mute's case, EMI have inflicted so many spending restrictions and are 're-shaping' and 'streamlining' with department 'centralisation' and the reduction of the artist roster. EMI big cheese Guy Hands describes his business as 'an unsustainable model' with a need to 'reduce waste'.... Garbage collection. Thinly veiled rhetoric meaning CUTBACKS! He talks of 'eliminating duplication and bureaucracy'. Bottom line: 2000 jobs have to go.
More worryingly, he also offers us the information that currently about 3% of the entire roster is profitable and that those that never will be profitable, no matter how the model is changed, can kiss their arses goodbye.
That is about as far away as you could ever get from what I understood as the Mute philosophy, where the profit from major selling acts is used to nurture all the other artists on the label. Art. A record company does not sell baked beans, it exposes art to the masses. An unquantifiable thing. Baked Beans - a quantifiable thing.
But is that philosophy realistic in these times? Clearly not if you're ruled by a private equity conglomerate. The Mute home (now part of the EMI building) is a shadow of its former self. A few lost souls wandering around in a post-apocalyptic daze, like a scene from '28 Days Later'. There are some good people at the label who have their hands tied. And their feet bound. And some gaffer taped firmly across their mouths, helplessly kidnapped having been lured into the corporate machine.
Of course Mute can't just up and leave. It would be like trying to put your house up for sale when you're only renting it. I imagine Daniel Miller is as concerned as the next tenant. He is contracted to EMI as Mute's label boss and his own future I imagine is unclear. Maybe he is tired of the whole business, his original vision impaired beyond repair. I'm sure he is just as passionate about music as he ever was, but who would want to start a new record company in the current climate?
And can the musician act as entrepreneur? Is it fair to expect our scatterbrained creative songwriters and virtuosos to also hold a degree in business management? Formulating their own strategies and marketing models as they go? I mean wasn't this the whole reason record companies and managers came into existence in the first place? From my own experience, simply trying to 'stage manage' what has been a very small-level experiment has taken up most of the first 3 months of the year - valuable time which I intended to spend composing new music.
Business acumen will vary but it is essential for artists and their representatives to try and stay ahead of the game, to think up new endeavors. One could see the return of small art-focused indie labels employing a new modus operandi (it's already happening if you look around) with minimal overheads, operating more as logistical support to the artists, organising the manufacture and effective mail order distribution via the artists websites and other associated outlets. Taking the strain. (This doesn't mean one has to abandon the idea of mass availability via iTunes or similar)
By the time I finish another album, who knows if I'll have a record deal at all? It would be a shame to end my association with Mute after such so many good years but I've got a feeling the decision could be out of my hands. Much depends on the future of Mute/EMI and indeed all the companies. It could be that the major selling artists on Mute just get sucked into the EMI machine and all the others fall by the wayside, including the Mute label itself. It will be a sad day indeed.
So who shall we blame for the whole mess? Do we stick two fingers up at the record companies who have sat around twiddling their thumbs, peddling overpriced re-issues for years while their A&R men bombard us with shallow, faceless pop idol, X factor boy bands? Is it fair to say “... well, you had it coming”...? Or do we accuse the casual 'non-listener' with the attention span of a three year old living in a disposable, homogenized, Paris Hilton-obsessed society, over stimulated with too much life choice? A society that places value in triviality and accepts mediocrity without much question? Or perhaps the devaluation has evolved from the cult of the DJ, where anyone can regurgitate the very essence of rock 'n' roll by lifting an entire 70's funk classic, adding some rap drivel over the top and calling it their own work? Is modern music regarded as an art form at all anymore? Or is it just another business now?
Alan Wilder (Thanks to Bernard Van Isacker for his input)
More info on Recoil can be found at the links below:
www.recoil.co.uk
www.myspace.com/recoil
www.facebook.com/recoil
Editor's note: It was late January 2008 when we contacted Alan Wilder (ex-Depeche Mode) for an article on the shifting musicmarket and the position of the artist in this. The request came at the right time since Wilder had just announced that a limited enhanced single for 'Prey'/'Allelujah' would be released on February 25th, surprisingly not by the record label but by Russian fans. An interview quickly became an open letter from Alan Wilder...
We live in a world of technology - exponentially increasing breakthroughs in all things scientific. So fast that we can't even keep up with it. So why is it that the audio quality of music is degenerating? Music 'sounds' worse. We have stopped listening, we don't have time. We only have time to be smacked in the face by the loudest, most attention-grabbing blast of souped-up noise imaginable until ear fatigue sets in and the desire to 'change the record' takes over. Why are the adverts on TV twice the volume of the regular broadcasts?
It's the only way to get our attention in the VOLUME WAR.
In recent years, a revolution in processing technology has instigated a change in the way albums are mastered. In order to compete, A&R men, producers, even the artists are demanding that mastering engineers, via digital compression, crank up the level so high that all dynamic range is callously sacrificed.
(Compression essentially increases the volume of the quieter elements within a mix while holding steady the peaks of the louder parts)
The effect of excessive compression is to obscure sonic detail and rob music of its emotional power leaving listeners strangely unmoved. In fact, the ear naturally compresses high volume blasts to protect itself - this is why we associate compression with level. Our sophisticated human brains have evolved to pay particular attention to any loud noise, so initially, compressed sounds seem more exciting. It is short lived. After a few minutes, research shows, constant volume grows tiresome and fatiguing.
True excitement comes from variation in rhythm, tone, pitch and a wide range of dynamics which in turn provides space and warmth - something you're unlikely to find in much of today's rock/pop music. If you want a good example, listen to The Arctic Monkeys 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor' for a bombardment of the most unsubtle, one-dimensional noise.
The download spiral...
At the moment, MP3 compression allows a smaller file to be created by excluding the musical information that the human ear is less likely to notice. Much of the information left out is at the very high and low end (MP3s don't reproduce reverb well for similar transience reasons). So when the already squashed CD master is then consumed via MP3, the flattening effect is enhanced further. The result - an unsatisfying, brittle, indistinct, hollow experience with no punch.
Just as the CD replaced vinyl, we all know that MP3 and other digital formats are quickly replacing CDs as the most popular way to listen to music. This means more convenience but inferior sound (although that may improve over time). Even the audiophiles have moved on to multi-media - the iPod or iPhone being the 'must have' item of choice. Many have lost interest in high-end stereo systems while younger listeners have grown so used to dynamically compressed music that the battle has already been lost.
But this is not the whole story. We are seeing the ramifications of this subtle but significant listening shift for the record industry. You see, it's not just about audio quality. It is about craft, toil. It's about art...
Art for art's sake
Recoil / Alan WilderI am slightly out of the ordinary in that I am not a hugely 'successful' artist in terms of commercial sales and in that sense, I struggle to be heard just like millions of other musicians. However, because of my background in Depeche Mode, I am secure, which has meant (and continues to mean) that I don't have to tailor what I do to conform in any way. The market shift hasn't really affected me that much. It certainly doesn't change how I approach making music. It does reinforce my cynicism towards the injustice of so much good music lost in the mêlée of dross. But that is nothing new. The nature of mainstream radio hasn't improved in any way; magazines have minimal impact, television exposure is more limited than ever - notwithstanding MTV channels which have become more and more marginalised. In fact the best way to get your music heard is through a TV advertisement.
Leaving viability aside for a moment, I would like to see a return to high quality art, embracing all the wonders of technology and science, delivered at a price that reflects the time and effort the artist has put in. Call me old fashioned. Just as one would expect to pay for a hand-crafted piece of furniture or a designer dress or a beautifully printed photograph. Rather than pandering to mass media, why not also produce higher resolution audio - maybe on DVD since that's a format most people can engage with without having to buy new equipment? Combine this with lovingly produced artwork which, if a printed option is too expensive, can at least be downloaded.
Collectors items are becoming a way to escape the turmoil. It makes a lot of sense to subsidise the production of an expensive format for those who really appreciate quality and collectibility by allowing a wider audience to cough up a minimal amount for the fundamental elements.
Some have tried. For instance, Magne Furuholmen (A-ha) released and sold 300 copies of a special 10" vinyl picture disc with hand-painted original sleeves, accompanied by a CD containing all the songs, a poster and a documentary charting the creation of the artwork. The package sold at 100 Euros a piece. Afterwards, all songs were made available on-line for free via MySpace. Hats off to a bold approach which effectively encouraged each serious fan to also become a kind of personal investor.
The successful implementation of a DVD/art/film package such as this by a major company largely remains to be seen. No reason for it not to work as long as the label takes a pragmatic view about downloads - that they can only really act as a promotional tool rather than generating a sustainable source of income.
But really, coming up with a format is the least of the challenges - the difficulty as always is how to sell it.
Certainly trying to get any sort of coverage in the record stores ceased to be a viable option some time ago. The chains themselves are on their last legs (note the recent demise of the excellent 'Fopp' stores) or they are mutating into something different - focusing on games, merchandise, iPod accessories and so on. To ensure their own survival, with their 'no returns' policy, the record stores exert heavy pressure on the record companies by only agreeing to stock 'dead certs' - just the best selling artists, in order to avoid being left with excess stock.
As for marketing and promotion, I want the first listening experience of one of my records to be exactly as I intend it to be heard. For that reason, no longer will I be offering up advance copies for charlatans posing as journalists to sell on E-bay or upload to The Pirate Bay 3 months ahead of release. Considering the amount of advance promotion I get these days, it won't make a blind bit of difference to the sales performance.
Not that there aren't any positive sides to fan-shared files. Clearly, people in remote parts of the world - Siberia for example - can potentially be exposed to my music this way, albeit not, as yet, at optimum quality. It's not ideal but better than no opportunity to hear it at all. Even with CDs, in Russia, they are impossible to buy outside of the major cities which is why we get sharp, entrepreneurial fan sites buying up all the city's stock and selling it on to others outside for a small profit margin.
From Russia with love
Recoil / Alan WilderRecoil recently released an enhanced CD including a film and a special booklet. Let's take a look at the process. The 'Prey'/'Allelujah' package was brought about through fan pressure; by those that want a physical product - completists maybe, but also music lovers who prefer the audio and tactile quality of a CD over downloadable 'faceless' products. The tracks had already been available as downloads but it wasn't satisfying for many. The generation gap is showing.
Following a successful promo appearance in Moscow, a local DM/Recoil webmaster managed to persuade Gala Records (EMI's local label - Mute's partner) that it would be worthwhile to release this disc. They agreed - not without conditions mind you. So what was agreed?
Firstly, the promo trip was instigated by an Electro club manager. The club paid for and largely organised the visit. On the back of that, Gala arranged some radio, press and TV. The results were more than encouraging but despite this, the conditions of a release meant that: the fans had to pay for the manufacture of the disc, the fans had to implement pay structures and distribute the disc via their own website, other Recoil fans produced the artwork for a 28 page booklet that accompanied the disc, another fan produced and directed the 9 minute film that was included for 'Allelujah', the artist (me) produced the music in his own studio, the artist funds its own website along with a dedicated webmaster that works for free, the artist and the fans took care of the on-line marketing, promotion and sales support. All these services were provided as labours of love - no cost except for time and effort through sheer will to make it happen. Astounding. And it warms the cockles of my heart.
So what did the record company do, you ask? A good question. The record company organised the parts into a manufacturable product - this means making a production master from existing music mixes and cobbling together a two-page inlay with label copy from existing artwork. The local licensee added cyrillic legal jargon to the inlay and alerted some press and TV. Not much really is it?
Ok, this is not the norm and as such, slightly unfair. It was a kind of one-off experiment. Gala/Mute might argue - a favour. But it is most definitely the way things are going. Why won't they release the CD in the usual way? Because they don't believe the demand justifies the effort and manufacturing costs when the trend is for cheap or free downloadable music.
The Russian project was an interesting experiment but it could only expect limited success given the current view of that country and the customer mistrust that seemed to permeate the whole enterprise. It wasn't an ideal way to try to sell a product but that doesn't preclude the process itself becoming perfectly workable - as long as solid logistics are in place, making it simple and reliable for the customer.
(Note: despite the obvious hurdles, in fact we still managed to sell all the planned stock prior to release, such was the demand)
Pop will eat itself?
Recoil / Alan WilderSo why bother with a record deal at all? And that is what many artists are now asking themselves. Why wouldn't they when they are being told that their company just can't afford to spend any money? Or that the company wants a cut of the artist's live income to pay for marketing. This is why we see the mass exodus taking place, squeezing the already crippled record industry. The artists that find it easiest to walk away are those that are already highly successful, compounding the problem still further. Why? Because the likes of Radiohead and Prince can afford to give their music away as a cheap promotional gimmick in order to create publicity for their respective machines. They get noticed for doing so and benefit in other areas. So with everyone now expecting free music, all the other artists lose what little income they could expect from record sales, even though the love and money spent producing their product hasn't changed.
I've long since given up expecting to make a profit from what I do. And you might expect that I would be full of resentment and bitterness toward my own record company but that's not really it. Mute are victims in all this. The reality is that all the companies are suffering and are desperately clinging on by their fingernails trying to come up with solutions as the rug is pulled from beneath them.
In Mute's case, EMI have inflicted so many spending restrictions and are 're-shaping' and 'streamlining' with department 'centralisation' and the reduction of the artist roster. EMI big cheese Guy Hands describes his business as 'an unsustainable model' with a need to 'reduce waste'.... Garbage collection. Thinly veiled rhetoric meaning CUTBACKS! He talks of 'eliminating duplication and bureaucracy'. Bottom line: 2000 jobs have to go.
More worryingly, he also offers us the information that currently about 3% of the entire roster is profitable and that those that never will be profitable, no matter how the model is changed, can kiss their arses goodbye.
That is about as far away as you could ever get from what I understood as the Mute philosophy, where the profit from major selling acts is used to nurture all the other artists on the label. Art. A record company does not sell baked beans, it exposes art to the masses. An unquantifiable thing. Baked Beans - a quantifiable thing.
But is that philosophy realistic in these times? Clearly not if you're ruled by a private equity conglomerate. The Mute home (now part of the EMI building) is a shadow of its former self. A few lost souls wandering around in a post-apocalyptic daze, like a scene from '28 Days Later'. There are some good people at the label who have their hands tied. And their feet bound. And some gaffer taped firmly across their mouths, helplessly kidnapped having been lured into the corporate machine.
Of course Mute can't just up and leave. It would be like trying to put your house up for sale when you're only renting it. I imagine Daniel Miller is as concerned as the next tenant. He is contracted to EMI as Mute's label boss and his own future I imagine is unclear. Maybe he is tired of the whole business, his original vision impaired beyond repair. I'm sure he is just as passionate about music as he ever was, but who would want to start a new record company in the current climate?
And can the musician act as entrepreneur? Is it fair to expect our scatterbrained creative songwriters and virtuosos to also hold a degree in business management? Formulating their own strategies and marketing models as they go? I mean wasn't this the whole reason record companies and managers came into existence in the first place? From my own experience, simply trying to 'stage manage' what has been a very small-level experiment has taken up most of the first 3 months of the year - valuable time which I intended to spend composing new music.
Business acumen will vary but it is essential for artists and their representatives to try and stay ahead of the game, to think up new endeavors. One could see the return of small art-focused indie labels employing a new modus operandi (it's already happening if you look around) with minimal overheads, operating more as logistical support to the artists, organising the manufacture and effective mail order distribution via the artists websites and other associated outlets. Taking the strain. (This doesn't mean one has to abandon the idea of mass availability via iTunes or similar)
By the time I finish another album, who knows if I'll have a record deal at all? It would be a shame to end my association with Mute after such so many good years but I've got a feeling the decision could be out of my hands. Much depends on the future of Mute/EMI and indeed all the companies. It could be that the major selling artists on Mute just get sucked into the EMI machine and all the others fall by the wayside, including the Mute label itself. It will be a sad day indeed.
So who shall we blame for the whole mess? Do we stick two fingers up at the record companies who have sat around twiddling their thumbs, peddling overpriced re-issues for years while their A&R men bombard us with shallow, faceless pop idol, X factor boy bands? Is it fair to say “... well, you had it coming”...? Or do we accuse the casual 'non-listener' with the attention span of a three year old living in a disposable, homogenized, Paris Hilton-obsessed society, over stimulated with too much life choice? A society that places value in triviality and accepts mediocrity without much question? Or perhaps the devaluation has evolved from the cult of the DJ, where anyone can regurgitate the very essence of rock 'n' roll by lifting an entire 70's funk classic, adding some rap drivel over the top and calling it their own work? Is modern music regarded as an art form at all anymore? Or is it just another business now?
Alan Wilder (Thanks to Bernard Van Isacker for his input)
More info on Recoil can be found at the links below:
www.recoil.co.uk
www.myspace.com/recoil
www.facebook.com/recoil
ORIGINAL LINE-UP OF KILLING JOKE PLAY 3 CLASSIC ALBUMS BACK TO BACK ON WORLD TOUR AND RELEASE NEW ALBUM
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ORIGINAL LINE-UP OF KILLING JOKE PLAY 3 CLASSIC ALBUMS BACK TO BACK ON WORLD TOUR AND RELEASE NEW ALBUM
Finally, after numerous line-up changes through the years, all original Killing Joke members reunite for new album and world tour.
Drummer, Paul Ferguson, rejoins the line up for the first time since 1987 enabling a whole new generation of fans to see Killing Joke’s legendary original formation. Diehard fans have been waiting for this moment for two decades!
Bassist, Martin ‘Youth’ Glover also steps back into the live arena after a near 15yr hiatus, having not played live with Killing Joke since 1994’s Pandemonium tour.
The tour will see Killing Joke take up a two night residency in most venues offering a different set on each evening. On the first night, they will play their first two albums in their entirety, 1980’s self-titled album followed by the album ‘What’s This…For!’. Their second performance in each city will treat fans to 1994’s Pandemonium and the Island Records singles of ’79 to ’80.
Once described by Ferguson as ‘the sound of the earth vomiting’, Killing Joke is anthemic and grandiose in it’s evocation of nightmare visions. Taking a sarcastic jab at authority and perceived reality to a sonically charged mixture of post punk and metal, Killing Joke’s heavy guitars and pounding tribal drums conjure a primitive atmosphere of doom, gloom and resistance.
Notorious for their use of inflammatory imagery, a backlash against a world they perceived as ever more materialistic, unjust and conservative, Killing Joke, railed against the establishment and created a unique sound from their very conception.
Ironically, in the current musical climate with it’s obsession with rehashing eighties sounds, the 80s saw Killing Joke really pushing music forward, incorporating danceable elements with aggressive, grinding guitars and thumping drums. With elements of
proto-techno rock, their post apocalyptic vision has inspired bands as diverse and influential as Nirvana, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden and Godflesh. Killing Joke have always been and continue to be more than just a band.
Godfathers of post-punk, Killing Joke return with their eagerly anticipated new album to coincide with their world tour. Album release date TBC.
LIVE DATES
September
13 - (JP) Tokyo
14 - (JP) Tokyo
16 - (ES) Madrid
17 - (ES) Barcelona
19 - (IT) Milan
20 - (IT) Milan
22 - (CH) Geneva TBC
24 - (DE) Berlin
25 - (DE) Berlin
26 - (FR) Paris
27 - (FR) Paris
29 - (BE) Brussels
30 - (BE) Brussels
October
02 - (UK) London
03 - (UK) London
TBC - (US) New York
TBC - (US) New York
"At last a ray of sunlight to illuminate these dark days. It is indeed my deepest pleasure to announce the dates of the 29th anniversary of the gathering. As usual we are never content sitting on the laurels of past Glories, a new Killing Joke recording is scheduled this summer!. Both Geordie and myself are thrilled as we hope you are with the line up, such anticipation comes as no surprise considering we have not played together since the Brighton Top Rank in 1982. We always knew this day would come after all it was inevitable. We hope all gatherers will join us in warmly welcoming back to active service our brothers Big Paul and Youth. The mysterious chemistry of the original line up is back, let there be gladness in your hearts." - Jaz
Finally, after numerous line-up changes through the years, all original Killing Joke members reunite for new album and world tour.
Drummer, Paul Ferguson, rejoins the line up for the first time since 1987 enabling a whole new generation of fans to see Killing Joke’s legendary original formation. Diehard fans have been waiting for this moment for two decades!
Bassist, Martin ‘Youth’ Glover also steps back into the live arena after a near 15yr hiatus, having not played live with Killing Joke since 1994’s Pandemonium tour.
The tour will see Killing Joke take up a two night residency in most venues offering a different set on each evening. On the first night, they will play their first two albums in their entirety, 1980’s self-titled album followed by the album ‘What’s This…For!’. Their second performance in each city will treat fans to 1994’s Pandemonium and the Island Records singles of ’79 to ’80.
Once described by Ferguson as ‘the sound of the earth vomiting’, Killing Joke is anthemic and grandiose in it’s evocation of nightmare visions. Taking a sarcastic jab at authority and perceived reality to a sonically charged mixture of post punk and metal, Killing Joke’s heavy guitars and pounding tribal drums conjure a primitive atmosphere of doom, gloom and resistance.
Notorious for their use of inflammatory imagery, a backlash against a world they perceived as ever more materialistic, unjust and conservative, Killing Joke, railed against the establishment and created a unique sound from their very conception.
Ironically, in the current musical climate with it’s obsession with rehashing eighties sounds, the 80s saw Killing Joke really pushing music forward, incorporating danceable elements with aggressive, grinding guitars and thumping drums. With elements of
proto-techno rock, their post apocalyptic vision has inspired bands as diverse and influential as Nirvana, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden and Godflesh. Killing Joke have always been and continue to be more than just a band.
Godfathers of post-punk, Killing Joke return with their eagerly anticipated new album to coincide with their world tour. Album release date TBC.
LIVE DATES
September
13 - (JP) Tokyo
14 - (JP) Tokyo
16 - (ES) Madrid
17 - (ES) Barcelona
19 - (IT) Milan
20 - (IT) Milan
22 - (CH) Geneva TBC
24 - (DE) Berlin
25 - (DE) Berlin
26 - (FR) Paris
27 - (FR) Paris
29 - (BE) Brussels
30 - (BE) Brussels
October
02 - (UK) London
03 - (UK) London
TBC - (US) New York
TBC - (US) New York
"At last a ray of sunlight to illuminate these dark days. It is indeed my deepest pleasure to announce the dates of the 29th anniversary of the gathering. As usual we are never content sitting on the laurels of past Glories, a new Killing Joke recording is scheduled this summer!. Both Geordie and myself are thrilled as we hope you are with the line up, such anticipation comes as no surprise considering we have not played together since the Brighton Top Rank in 1982. We always knew this day would come after all it was inevitable. We hope all gatherers will join us in warmly welcoming back to active service our brothers Big Paul and Youth. The mysterious chemistry of the original line up is back, let there be gladness in your hearts." - Jaz
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