Surely sendmail reeled when thusly spake esa ruoho: > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: [idm] IDM in the US mainstream > Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 15:55:21 -0500 > From: atomly <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > On Mon, Sep 11, 2000 at 03:55:04PM -0500, Kent williams wrote: > > The problem with electronic music is the inherent conservatism of > > the US market, coupled with the mega-monolithic business model of major > > label record companies. You're never going to get 2 million people to buy > > Funkstorung, and the major labels aren't interested in developing artists > > who don't have the potential of being big unit shifters. > > Yea, Kent pretty much hit it on the head here. As recently as the 60's, > "independent" labels were able to get singles into the top 10, but now > only the majors (Universial, EMI, Warner, Sony and BMG) can get decent > distribution much less hits. Well hey, this is where Napster and mp3.com fill a gap. Small bands that want to be heard cannot rely on the majors to do it for them. This gives the majors entirely TOO MUCH negotiating strength. The RIAA is evil. > > Electronic artists also control the means of production. They turn in > > their records on a CDR. A big part of the major label game is suckering > > people into taking big advances and then twisting up the accounting so that > > they never come out ahead. You sell records AND you screw the artist by > > making him pay you back any money you give them. AND you take their > >publishing > > rights so they don't have royalties! > > Once again, Kent is dead on... For a good explanation of this, read > Steve Albini's (member of Shellac, Rapeman and Big Black, producer of > Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Page and Plant, etc) rant on this at > http://www.atomly.com/random/albini.html And of course there's the (probably ghostwritten) speech that Courtney Love gave. fred
