[rumori] music journalism sucks

Steev [rumori] music journalism sucks
Tue, 27 Oct 1998 15:28:25 -0800 (PST) (00909530905, Pine.LNX.4.05.9810271513450.11342-100000atflotsam.detritus.net)

On Sat, 26 Sep 1998, Jon Leidecker wrote:


>Billboard magazine, August 15, 1998, "Dance Artists & Music" column,
>closing paragraphs:
>
>TSK, TSK: We never, ever applaud bootleg remixes, but we feel compelled to
>point out that one of the hottest records in the U.K. underground at the
>moment is a drum'n'bass version of "Forgive Me", the hidden a cappella
>track on Alanis Morissette's 1996 breakthrough "Jagged Little Pill".
> Handled by the mysterious Hybrid, the track is supposedly slammin'. While
>we confess that we'd love to hear it, we do wonder why clubland's gifted
>young renegades continue to fritter away their talent on illegal records
>when their good ideas could be applied to original recordings. Clearly,
>they just can't see the big picture. Or maybe they're seeing unwarranted
>romance in blatantly pilfering from others.
> Also, what does it say about a musical community when the record
>most people are excited about is a bootleg remix of a rock record?
>There must be something better to exert our energy and passion on.

okay, yow, a month later i'm finally replying to this. nice find, jon -
it's sadly typical music industry blather. what's amazing is how
supposedly underground publications easily suck themselves into this kind
of rhetoric as well.

As a borderline/fuzzy case of this, did anyone see the new issue
of XLR8R? (i hate the rag but sometimes i pick up stupid rave publications
just for a quick laugh.) There's an interesting article about mix tapes,
mix CDs, and the RIAA (again). It's a funny little peptalk - remember,
DJs, you're hurting small cool underground labels if you use their tracks
without licensing them, cuz they depend on that income to stay afloat.

Hmm. I guess i don't know too much about dance label economics, but that
doesnt seem like a real viable business plan. Does anyone have the time
to actually do the math or spout some real numbers? I don't, but it just
doenst seem plausible to me - if you're making more money than your record
sales from other labels licensing a track, esecially if they're just other
tiny labels, then... something's strange. I mean, it would be one thing
if a major label wanted to license a track for a big release, but if it's
just some smalltime dj who wants to put a song of yours on his mixtape...
who cares! you're going to pay rent with that? cmon!

oh and the last line in the billboard story above about a musical
community. ironically astute. the book "Will Pop Eat Itself?" brings up the very same point. Even if you're into pop music, you have to admit
that it goes through phase after phase of stagnation, where the only
interesting stuff is the remixes and the plunderings. They can't
destroy us completely, or they'll be only dreck left..... heh.....

over,

smh

Steev Hise, Head Chump
steevathise.org http://www.cyborganic.com/people/steev recycled art site: http://www.detritus.net -----------------------------------------------------------------
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