07/19/05 22:19:51
Business??? No Thanks Money??? Yeah, why not? by Lord Litter, 1992
07/19/05 22:19:51
Business??? No Thanks Money??? Yeah, why not? by Lord Litter, 1992
CATEGORY: article
Some people have problems because "nobody" buys cassettes. Though, basically, the answer is really an easy one, it still leads to unsatisfied network activists, who have severe problems then start to think if it is really worth it all.
( comments)
Probably the first question is to ask yourself how many tapes (or other network "products") you actually buy - I have to admit that I very seldom really buy tapes. One obvious reason sure is that I get many tapes anyway because of my KFR activities. But even before the news about KFR was spreading I probably bought about ten tapes, then it all became an exchanging habit. I heard about an interesting address sent one of my tapes - got one back or didn't hear anything from this address. Later when I knew many people I always got recommendations, so it was almost guaranteed that I would get a tape in exchange. It all developed somehow naturally, I just did it all without thinking.
I had ideas about making this "under the underground" scene known to the public so that they would then buy my/our tapes - I thought that this tape scene would somehow become, or is, a part of the music business. . . something obsucre for people who wanted to find something different. When KFR started we even gave interviews at major radio stations, had the idea about medium sized ads, about opening shops. . .
Well, that was when I/we started.Then I did massive research for my magister thesis (one final work at University) about the home-recording movement. I was diving into the history of music, had a close look at all those waves that were coming and going, read loads of articles from those independent magazines from the late seventies/early eighties and had a very close look at what is going on today. . . network-wise and musicbiz-wise. Then I picked up some statements from long going network people (Don Campau, Hal McGee, Zan Hoffman, Robin James) and finally added all that up. . . out came a very logical conclusion: There is no (and probably never will be) a real "market" for home-produced cassettes.
Almost everybody who is with this scene is a producer. . . so exchange comes first.Sure, you can try to compete with the big music scene - you can put ads in bigger papers (pay lots of. . . whatever your currency is). But then the people also have to hear your stuff somewhere. So you send promo packages to bigger radiostations. Don't be surprised if no one will play your stuff - first they just don't like the tape format, "Oh, it's so difficult to handle!" Then you sure have to compete with the new SO AND SO single, LP, CD which comes with a four color cover, etc. . . . OK - imagine some station's DJ, well please don't believe that you'll get many orders then, even if the DJ announced your address. Oh, NO - you gotta have your stuff in the shops!!! OK - then the hassle with the distributors starts...
Well, I could go on endlessly talking about this system - and I'm still not talking about the major scene - oh NO - it already starts way down at the small/medium sized so-called "independent" scene. As soon as you really want to sell your music you are part of the business and you have to follow all their rules. . . and there are quite a lot of rules to follow - and it is all about COMPETITION. Everybody is bigger and better and crazier and. . .
In the mid-eighties the scene that started as Punk, became "independent" and kept developing, was separating into two factions. One faction tried to enter the market, make a living with their music and slowly became just a part of the same old market. Yeah, sure, they still call themselves "independent" but if you take a real close look it is very obviously just another label to sell something, sometimes the music is still different and sometimes it is impossible to tell from the music if this specific artist belongs to the "indpendent" scene or to the major scene. Major companies are distributing "independent" stuff and many products of the "independent" dance stuff could very easily fit into the major program. Well, if you go to those "independent" fairs that take place all over the world now (New Music Seminar, Berlin Independence Days. . .) the main topic that they are all talking about is how to expand their market, how to sell more products, how to get more airplay, how to enter the charts. . .
The second faction had something different in mind. They just wanted to do exactly what their emotions and feeling told them to do. Remember that was the basic idea of the first Punk/independent days - that was how it all started. Well, this second faction had a real hard time in the mid-eighties - they saw "them all" running for the big time. So many people of the second faction simply resigned or had a solid break to think about it all. The real free-minded independent scene almost died at that time. But the force to express oneself through freely created art was just too strong. More and more people started to create something - first very isolated, because to get reliable addresses was not that easy in those days.
Then around 1987/88 there were so many new people creating something, exchanging addresses and art that it was like an explosion. Suddenly everywhere people collected lists of interesting addresses, some even printed booklets, many new magazines started at that time, spreading the news. . . and then the avalanche really started. More and more new technical developments made it very easy to do it almost all at home.Today this second scene represents a kind of new "folk culture" (Hal McGee) and it is definitely a worldwide "sociological phenomenon" (Don Campau).
This movement has got nothing to do with business - it presents the joy of being alive - the people "need" to do it, simply to feel better, like in the old days when the family gathered in the evening after a hard day's work to sing songs at home with friends. Well, today it's the future, so we can sing our songs onto tape, copy it and send it to our friends who live very far away - friends who grew up in a different culture - we can understand them on a a very personal level, because their songs, poems, etc., speak about their daily life, about their emotions and feelings and we understand the world on a totally different level - it's the real life. . .
Well, I think it's pretty clear now that this really has nothing to do with business. . . you just have to ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing. I have absolutely no problem with the fact if you WANT to sell your stuff but the basic force that makes this worldwide network movement grow every day a bit more is definitely the above mentioned one. And that is the reason why "nobody" buys those tapes - you can't buy emotions, you can only exchange them!!!
Please don't get me wrong - I don't want to make this idea a narrow-minded intellectual condition or something stupid. . . there will always be people who will buy your tapes - there will always be mixtures with the normal music biz behavior (and that is absolutely OK. . . I just LOVE getting some dollars for my own tapes!!!) but basically this networking lifestyle is simply SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
And now comes the tricky part - to explain why you should make it a habit to send cash to network people. . .
Well, this whole moevement is so massive today, that it became impossible to have an overview by writing letters to "everyone." So now we have those wonderful people who found their part in the network by presenting many individuals - for example this magazine that you are holding in your hands. Here you have loads of "letters" and facts from "friends" from all around the world. Now you can write to the ones that sound interesting to you. The same goes for "big" labels that offer 200 or more tapes - you can order their catalogs/samplers and find an incredible amount of people.
Well, to gather and present all that sure costs quite some money and much work - now it is impossible to do all that and then give the result away for free - nobody could afford that - so it's absolutely logical to send your "support money" to those active people, then you can enjoy an incredible amount of information/sound that would be impossible for you to collect on your own. This will help to make this scene even healthier than it is.
The problem for those magzines and "big" labels is that this is now business - so they can't calculate it the business way, which would make it much easier. Now - if it becomes a habit to support really active people, they can start to calculate on a real different level. . . on our level - trust! . . .
go for it!!!
06/16/06 14:54:25
More About Me
CATEGORY: article
I've been rapping for almost two years...mad skillz is one of the 1st collaborations i made with my cousin (lil ash). I am going to keep writing music..and maybe one day get discovered.
( comments)
"Peace n' Luv"
BMW
01/03/08 17:02:59
How to 'Network' your music on the Web
CATEGORY: article
This was the first site I ever put my music on...isn't it great!!! but I though I could get more 'airplay', so I check into my space (www.myspace.com/dflight101). I've accually met alot of great artists and musicians using that. I started finding other sites to put my music on...and I've had alot of success. I've received so many emails....not spam.....from many people telling me that they have appreciated my music and are influenced by it. I'm not telling every one that my music is awesome...but it is really great to know that other people like it as much as I do. I look for sites that I can sell my music as MP3 downloads and also sell leasing and licensing. I've been really successful at it so far....It's all about 'marketing' or 'self promotion'... each site I put my music on...I link to all my other sites ...creating a broader reach for people to hear my music. I don't have any lofty goals of getting signed, but the more people comment to me it motivates me to keep making better and better music. Check out my music at www.myspace.com/dflight101 www.soundclick.com/dflight www.makehitsongs.com/dflight www.reverbnation/dflight and www.showcasemymusic.com I'm always puting more of my music on more and more websites to broaden my reach.
( comments)
Make sure if possible to use key words (meta searches) that will most likely bring a google search into the top results, preferable the first page. Use broad words as well as detailed specific words to narrow search engines. Best of Luck!!!
If interested in any type of licence/lease or Exclusive Rights to any of my music feel free to contact me at DFLIGHT101@YAHOO.COM
Thanks,
Dan Dunford
10/23/08 12:29:17
New Songs Uploaded
CATEGORY: article
I just added a few more songs to the site. Some political context, it being pre-election season. Enjoy.
( comments)
Search 'daveski'
04/19/08 02:20:20
BILOCATE to Mix & Master the Forthcoming Album in SWEDEN by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Bloodbath, Amon Amarth, Symphony X)
CATEGORY: article
( comments)
Following the success of BILOCATE's last release Dysphoria back in 2005, a new Chapter has begun
with engineer Jens Bogren best Recognized for his outstanding work with Opeth, Katatonia,
Bloodbath, Amon Amarth, Symphony X, Paradise Lost and much more, the new Album
is currently being mixed by Jens in Fascination Street Studio in Sweden.
As Jens commented on Bilocate's Album:
"Bilocate takes the qualities from the best epic death metal bands and blend it with their very own
middle eastern touch, and out comes one of the most interesting metal bands I've heard for a long time You can hear that they put effort and thought in to every note and every scream!" (Jens Bogren)
Yet early this month BILOCATE's Vocalist Ramzi Essayed Finished the recording of the vocal at "In the Mix" studios with Eng. Nash who is well recognized for his work as a Monitor Engineer for Iron Maiden and Saxon, as Nash commented on the project:
"...refreshing, promising
and definitely most tight project I ever done so far here in Dubai. On the other hand definitely most demanding task, guys know exactly what they want and that's the way to be!!!
looking forward together with Jens and guys from Bilocate to open new horizons
for the music coming from the region, and proof the fact that the good music lays deep down under the remains of Petra and sand dunes of futuristic Dubai!" (Nash Planojevic)
The Album title and track list soon to be posted.
For more information please visit:
Official website: www.Bilocate.net
Official Myspace: www.myspace.com/Bilocate
Fascination Street studio: www.fascinationstreet.se
In the Mix Studio: www.inthemixme.com
02/08/09 07:03:21
Whitehouse finalist within 15 categories of the Effigy Award. Fame Games / ABC Networks.
CATEGORY: article
Whitehouse finalist within 15 categories of the Effigy Award. Fame Games / ABC Networks.
( comments)
Award Summary for Whitehouse
Artist Finalist
Best Overall Artist
Best Group
Best Artist in Style - Latin
Most Popular Artist
Most Popular Band
Best FG Profile
Song Finalist
"Nobody To Blame" - Best Song in Style - Country
"The Games That People Play" - Best Song in Style - Rock L
"Terrina" - Best Overall Song
"Terrina" - Best Production
"Terrina" - Best Songwriting
"Terrina" - Best Song in Style - Power Ballad
"Terrina" - Most Popular Song
"Sol En El Portal" - Best Song in Style - Jazz Funk
"Deep" - Best Song in Style - Rock L
08/05/06 09:55:54
Making My First CD (circa 1993)
CATEGORY: article
In September 1993 I did what only a small number of home-tapers have been able to do: I released a compact disc. But don't cry "sell out!" yet. I did it in true home-taper style: at home and on cassette tape. I'll describe my experience for you.
( comments)
I started the project in September 1992. I had been doing cassettes for several years, and even a couple of vinyl records, but I was now in a rut. I was bored and frustrated with the whole cassette thing. I wanted to do something different for a change. The idea of a compact disc came quickly to mind, but at first I dismissed it. I didn't have tens of thousands of dollars laying around waiting to be spent. But I looked into it a bit, just out of curiosity. I discovered that CD manufacturing was far less expensive than I had thought. I had no intention of ever recording in any commercial studio, ( I'd gone that route before. and it was a nightmare), so I was worried about getting good quality recordings. I finally decided that the least I could do was try, so I took a deep breath and dived in.
The first thing I did was check over my equipment. My stuff is very modest, even by home-taper standards, but I knew my 4-track was up to the job. I debated whether I should use my $50 dollar vocal microphone or buy a professional one, and figured I'd just make do with what I had, (a decision I came to regret). I bought a reverb unit and a drum machine, and took a couple of weeks learning how to use them.
Then I turned to the songs themselves. I made a list of the almost two hundred songs I've written, and started going through it. First off, I eliminated all of my early experimental stuff. I had lost interest in that style of music, and I couldn't re-create most of those noise improvs anyways. Secondly, I avoided instrumentals. I've done dozens of them, and they're always fun, but they don't really 'say' anything specific, in my opinion. Lyrics have become very important to me, so they played a big role in selecting the songs. I finally ended up with about 15 of my favorite tunes, plus a few extras just to be safe.
And so, with songs in hand and guitars tuned up, I started recording. I spent October and November making 3 or 4 complete recordings of each song, changing and improving them each time. At this point everything was straight 4-track; I didn't do any track bouncing at all. Throughout December I listened to everything, and picked the versions I liked the best.
Now it was time to put together a master tape. I needed outside help for this, so I went to Ohio to stay with Ray Carmen for a couple of days, and we mixed up a DAT master at Mike Crooker's Uneven Tracks Studio. After getting back home and listening to the reference tape a few times, I decided it just wasn't up to snuff. Now what? Try again at another studio? I didn't really want to. By now I had become pretty possessive about my project. I wanted to do it all by myself. So, even though I knew it would set me back a few months, I went out and bought my own DAT recorder.
But once I got it home and had it figured out, I started thinking, "Gee, I could make great sub-mixes with this, and then bounce them back into the 4-track. I could build up a lot more layers of guitars and stuff." So, between March and May 1993 I re-recorded half of the songs, greatly improving them. I also replaced a couple tunes with brand new ones I had written over the winter.
Now I was ready to have a try at another master. I planned on doing it slowly, just one or two songs a day, taking my time and getting the best sound possible. But, for some reason I just can't work that way. I sat down at noon one Saturday in June, and I didn't stand up again until the whole thing was all mixed, eight hours later. I was a bit stiff, to say the least.
At this point I think I made a major mistake. I had mixed everything straight off the 4-track into the DAT, without going through any external mixers or compressers or anything, and I used my cheap stereo speakers as monitors. With this kind of set-up, I should have made more than one master, changing my position in relation to the speakers each time, working at different volume levels, changing things around a bit and so forth.
Then I could have compared each mix with one another, as well as with recordings by other artists. I think the final result would have been much better than what it actually is .
But nevertheless, what I did do was send the one DAT master off to the manufacturer first thing the following Monday morning. My second regret. Oh well, live and learn.
Now it was July. For the next month I lived in a state of constant anxiety. I waited and waited, and worried and worried. I imagined all sorts of horrible things that were probably going wrong. But finally in August I recieved word that the CD's were ready to be picked up. Everything had gone smoothly. I hauled them home, and then set about getting the tray cards printed up. I had held back on them because I didn't know exactly what color the labels would be, and I wanted to try and match them. I took my copy and my artwork over to a local printshop, and was promised a completed job in two weeks. Six agonising weeks later the cards were finally done. I made a vow to never ever set foot in that print shop again.
I had already started advertising the cd's several weeks earlier, and there were a bunch of orders piled up and waiting. I assembled the CD's and jewel boxes, wrapped them up with a short note apologizing for the delay, and trooped off to the Post Office. It was now September again, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I had pulled it off.
Looking back, I now think a year was too short. It seems to me that I rushed through the whole project. I wish I had done the whole thing, then let it sit for six months, and then gone back and done it all over again. I think I could have made a million improvements.
But what the heck, don't we all wish we could do all our projects over again? I'm not going to worry about it. For what it is, I think it turned out rather well. I can sit down and listen to it without cringing too much.
Some of my fellow home-tapers have confided that they're thinking about doing their own CD's. All I can say is, take your time, do the very best you can, and enjoy yourself. Figure on spending around two thousand bucks on the manufacturing, depending on how many you're going to make. The whole project cost me five thousand, but that includes the equipment I bought. I suppose groups like Pink Floyd spend that much on guitar strings alone, but who cares? I'm no pampered, indulgent rock star, thank God. I'm not the least bit interested in moving units of product. I made this compact disc for the sole reason that I'm a musician, and that's what musicians do. What more could you ask for?
03/08/08 05:00:16
Whitehouse -featured on Artist Launch Magazine
CATEGORY: article
Artist Launch Magazine
( comments)
WHITEHOUSE
MUSIC AND GAMES IN THE
ROSE GARDEN
by Joey Stuckey (summary)
I don´t know why the band is called
Whitehouse,but perhaps a better name .
would be the United Nations,as the band
lives in Germany but with members
hailing from not only there,but also
Australia and Spain.
First,let me say that the guitar work
is the best I´ve heard this year,I love it
and it is obvious that Stephan Simon
and Jose Amigo have spent time
working on their craft.
The guitar duo of Whitehouse provides
the listener with alot to take in.From
very Western pop guitar like you
might find on Richard Marks or Chicago
album to blazing flamenco runs and
licks.For guitar lovers the guys just
got to be heard.
The songs are sung in both Spanish
and English by vocalist Jose Amigo.I
don´t speak spanish,but when Jose sings
in that language,the music vocally comes
alive.I would imagine that it is because of
the flow of syllables in Spanish is different
than English and the vocals just seem to
feel more true both rhythmically and
melodically when Jose sings in his
native tongue.
Their current releases,Games is
avaiable where you would expect to see
Indie CD´s and it is well worth a visit to
their CDbaby page to check out their
audio clips.
www.whitehouse-music.com/
www.myspace.com/whitehousemusic
03/16/08 11:39:53
4 NEW albums at PROJECTOPUS
CATEGORY: article
4 of our CD's have been posted for sale (by individual track, or by album) at::
( comments)
ZZAJ on PROJECT OPUS
The albums are:
ZEE ZZAJ ZINGER, which features Zzaj on vocals and Eric Wallack on guitars/strings
NOWSTERDAY, with Kramtones and Zzaj on synth-based experiments to delight your mind
Thanks!
01/12/08 10:54:10
IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION, issue #79
CATEGORY: article
Just so you know, I've been writing this magazine (first on paper, then converted to the web) since 1990. As you might imagine, that's a LOT of tapes & CD's reviewed. The focus has been on independent musicians, with little/no "preference" for genre.
( comments)
What guarantees a REVIEW in my magazine is the ENERGY the artists show in their playing... we have reviewed ALL genres, ever since we started, with CD's & tapes coming directly from artists, as well as high-end promoters.
In addition to the music reviews, we also conduct INTERVIEWS with artists around the world, with emphasis on those who are INDEPENDENT & free of the chains that traditional record companies have often weighed artists down with. Since I'm a musician myself, I'm often able to ask questions that prompt artists to reveal a great deal about themselves (as artists & as PEOPLE). I also write a "RANT" in each issue, on various & sundry topics...
One recent feature is that I've linked in music (from the web) from my OWN CD's (I've played on over 65 CD's)... it's setup so you can choose whether to listen or not; but, of course, we hope you'll sample a few of our tunes. If not, that's cool, too... many of the reviews also have tunes or videos of the artists linked right into the review!
Anyway, we hope you enjoy our magazine, & that you'll pass our links along to others you think may like IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION! Thanks for checking us out!
Hope you enjoy reading this issue, at:
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INTERVIEW with "Chris Fellure (BlastMyMusic)"
Zzaj-rant on "Music Upload sites"
Evermore exciting MUSIC reviews (Over 20 new CD's)
In Issue # 80 (& later):
More fine interviews & music reviews with today's INDIE "shakers & movers"
We don't take poetry submissions by snail; please e-mail poetry submissions to rotcod@hawaii.rr.com - but DO email us anything you have you would like published - we are sorely in need of more poetry, as some of our previous submissions got "lost" when my HD crashed last month.
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I really DO want to emphasize that we WANT e-mail poetry submissions! The 'zine started out with a heavy emphasis on poems, and I'd like to keep that - but unless YOU submit YOUR material, that "section" of the 'zine will drop off! Send yours TODAY, please! (orb-viously, poems which have an emphasis on music are the ones that will get selected first)!!!
01/06/08 18:18:31
Spent the WHOLE weekend...
CATEGORY: article
...adding trax & store items here at INDIEONESTOP. The energy rush I'm on reminds me, very much, of the times (way back when) that I was doing the "home-taper" thing. Plus, it's extremely fun to see all those tapers (or many of them, anyway) in here. Mark Kissinger, Eric Hausmann, Bryan (of course, & so many others that I either reviewed or played with back in the early days. & that's not to mention the "mainstream" folks that have been attracted here.. Judi Silvano & Howard Britz are two folks that I've (either) already reviewed in IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION, or will be shortly.
( comments)
This IS my "home base" now... for as long as it lasts, anyway. So many of the places I've plopped down (MIXPOSURE is a good example of that) & tried to settle in have vanished from the face of the nets. That's one thing about GAJOOB, INDIEONESTOP, DISCOVER Sounds, & all the other ventures Bryan's been involved in... they haven't "gone away". & I'm telling you, folks, with all the work he's been doing over the last few weeks, it looks like he's HERE to STAY. & that can only bode well for us INDIE folks!
Hope you'll stop by my place, poke around at the tracks & maybe leave a comment or two for me.
GREAT to be back!
07/24/06 17:50:55
Translation Guide to a Recording Session
CATEGORY: article
Musician to engineer: "Could we have more band in the phones?"
( comments)
Translation: "The singer is too f**king loud in the phones!"
Singer to engineer: "I can't hear myself."
Translation: "I don't want to hear anyone but myself."
Musician to guitarist: "Can you hear yourself okay?"
Translation: "You're too f**king loud in the phones!"
Bassist to band: "Can everybody hear the drums?"
Translation: "This band is swinging like a broken record!"
Drummer to bassist: "Can you hear the kick drum?"
Translation: "We're not locking....."
Musician to producer: "Could we have more piano in the phones?"
Translation: "Your artist can't sing in tune."
Musician to writer: "This song has nice changes."
Translation: "It's amazing what you can do with two chords."
Musician to producer or artist: "This song sounds like a hit."
Translation: "This song sounds like another song."
Producer to band: "It's a feel thing."
Translation: "I know the song sucks, but the artist wrote it."
Musician to producer: "I don't think we'll beat the magic of that first take."
Translation: "Please don't make us play this piece of s**t again."
Drummer to band: "Should we speed up the tempo a couple of clicks?"
Translation: "Do you all intend to keep rushing?"
Musician: "Could we listen to one in the control room?"
Translation: "These cheap phones make it sound like Radio Free Europe."
Producer to band: "Let's take a break and come back and try one more."
Translation: "I think I'm having a nervous breakdown."
Musician to producer: "Were we booked for two sessions today?"
Translation: "Another three hours of this and I may have to kill you."
Producer to band: "We're supposed to be done at six, but we've got only one more tune and I was wondering if we could skip our dinner break and work straight through."
Translation: "You'll be done at nine, and you'll be starved."
Artist to producer: "I don't like this song. It really sucks."
Translation: "I didn't write this song."
Producer to artist: "Trust me. It is a good song. Radio will love it."
Translation: "F**k you! I own the publishing on this song. Morons will buy it."
Singer to musician: "Can you play something like (so-and-so) would play?"
Translation: "I really wanted (so-and-so) on this record."
Forwarded From Bob Clayton
Home of the Songster at