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Are discs as dead
as disco?
13 april 2007
Traditional music shops are experiencing
plummeting sales (25% for some last year). The big music labels are
fighting to realign their portfolios by allowing the sales of MP3 files
without security measures through consumer interfaces like itunes music
store.
It would seem digital Darwinism has
struck again. The CD unveiled as the height of technology in the early
1980s, much to the chagrin of vinyl and tape producers will now experience
the rapid decent into senility. Given the fact that the writing is on the
wall for this form of storage system, why are so many bands still focused on
the first release?
Biztec are a band from Aguascalientes
formed in 2001. Over the past 6 years they have been working there way
towards making their first CD which actually became reality at the end of
2006. The CD marks the most important stage on their “rites of passage”
which has led them through many musical styles from “punk gore” through post
punk, noise pop, country psychedelic to arrive at the “space folk” of their
present musical perspective.
They regard the release as a
“retrato de una etapa en la que
aprendiamos y desapprendiamos de la musica que escuchamos y de la nuestra
propia”
Given the design input of lead singer JP
one can imagine the importance of the CD as a statement of intent by the
band. It is the design aspects of musical proposals that are often most
clearly captured by CD and LP sleeve design. Although many will argue that
website and multimedia support for bands provide the new medium of artistic
expression.
So do digital downloads replace the need
for CDs? Given the ease with which file sharing can occur there is little
hope of extracting revenues from online sales. This is certainly the case
for starter bands.
In fact many within the business
recommend files being actively given away as “loss leaders” to build brand
loyalty in order to extract revenues in other more controllable ways. These
include merchandising, live events, ringtones and wait for it…. special
edition CD sales.
One has to remember that choosing the
ideal delivery mechanism for your music is more than a commercial decision.
MP3, CD, tape and indeed vinyl all display unique audio characteristics that
may bring a different aspect to your musical proposal.
Los Llamarada have taken the LO-FI sound
that Monterrey bands seem to specialise in to the absolute extreme with
their first release “The Exploding Now” on white vinyl from Ss Records in
California. The combination of recording in live sessions on tape which is
transferred to vinyl has achieved a sound quality that completely
compliments their musical style, self described as a “super sonic din”.
In the days when technology seems to be
closing in on perfect “noiseless” sound, the double distortion of Los
llamarada is as stimulating as a rub-down with sonic sandpaper. This
creates intense, even at first uncomfortable experience, but is ultimately
invigorating for mind, body, soul and ears.
CDs are dead you say? What the hell lets
bring back vinyl… and disco while we are at it!!
http://myspace.com/biztec
http://myspace.com/losllamarada |
