>This several-month-lag between the US and Europe surprises me. > >With house and techno, if a track is not just on promo/white anymore and >is out officially, it's *out*. Worldwide. There may be a delay of a few >weeks, but certainly not months. Why this difference?
In Australia it comes down to the majors not having a clue about how to market urban music. The base for urban music is working class and ethnic and the labels are mainly staffed by people of Anglo backgrounds into rock. The urban kids do buy stuff on import and huge sales are lost. Dance releases are often delayed too. By the time Inner City's Good Life came out through Festival last year, they had lost the momentum in the clubs. With local pressings it is sometimes a scheduling and fiscal thing - Donell Jones' LP is about to drop now but that is because it's a quiet time of year release-wise and less likely to get looked over.
