"The uselessness of record labels (new MIA controversey)" Sun Jul-07-13 10:20 PM by BigReg
Pardon me as a I get my David Bammer on.
A year ago an M.I.A. documentary was announced, the documentarian was going to be Steve Loveridge. He pasted together a teaser of the current footage he had, got Roc Nation to help agree to fund the shit, and then...nothing.
So homie put up the youtube teaser her had today in hopes to get the ball rolling again and Roc Nation immediately had it taken down. They then sent him one of those corporate ass kissing emails "I know how frustrated you are with the whole subject, but I promise we've been having ongoing conversations internally" etc.
To which dude told them to go fuck himself and that he's quitting the doc. All this played out on social media, more detail is available here:
While Jiggaman and Kanye both recently successfully pulled gorilla marketing tactics, isn't this something that can only work with people at the superstar level? Teasing tactics only work when you've got a sizable audience happily waiting for any new nugget, and M.I.A. isn't on that level at all. Isn't ANY press, even outside of the album cycle, good press? Particularly since she dropped a new single a week or two ago.
Furthermore, LOLZ at an album cycle itself in 2013. We still planning these things out when pretty much all it is nowadays is fucking banner ads and leaked soundcloud singles? Outside of kissing the blogosphere's ass is there really a marketing team working that hard and planning that far ahead in 2013?
Im laughing at this imaginary team frustrated some dude put up a minute or two of documentary footage of an artist they are supposed to be promoting because it ruins their 'plans'.
4. "Probably because they took the video down so quickly" In response to Reply # 3
I mean, look at it from his perspective.
He's probably kicked mad cash out of pocket out of their promise to fund the project.
Eventually he gets frustrated and figures he will put up an old ass teaser in hopes would get off their asses. His Hail Mary pass fails completely: They don't even let it ride long enough for anyone to even notice before they take it down, on top of that they send one of those..."trust us, the check is in the mail buddy!" letters.
5. "Nah that should have been a calculated risk" In response to Reply # 4
He had to know there was a X% chance they'd take it down.
We can't speculate on money coming out of his pocket. We can only speculate on the budget not all being there years into the project.
Him posting the vid was a powerless move. LIke what'd he hope that the youtube views would motivate them? They've already got two music videos out with which to gauge interest in the subject, which is a rational reason for them to not want it out there.
But there's obviously an internal conflict happening between some folk which has stalled him out and the question is if its a stall because of the subject or the person behind the doc. The label pulling in a new producer doesn't sit well either, because that's likely a funding arm which should have already been secure...
6. "Okay now that I've investigated further" In response to Reply # 3 Mon Jul-08-13 07:19 AM by imcvspl
They are trying to fuck him and her. I get it now.
Still not music related. I kinda want to make a music related one, you know how she's actually the most revolutionary artist of the past decade, but these mofo's'll lynch me.
7. "I stlll think her first album blew dognuts." In response to Reply # 6
But from Kala on she's been on a tear.
MAYA was also heavily underrated. Not to get all hipster backlash (c) O_E, but in hindsight it looks dumb as hell considering the praise Yeezus is getting now.
11. "Man don't get me started..." In response to Reply # 7
>MAYA was also heavily underrated. Not to get all hipster >backlash (c) O_E, but in hindsight it looks dumb as hell >considering the praise Yeezus is getting now.
bavid dammer Member since Oct 23rd 2012 1369 posts
Mon Jul-08-13 10:51 AM
8. "i wouldn't post anything like this." In response to Reply # 0 Mon Jul-08-13 10:54 AM by bavid dammer
i've made it very clear over the past few years that record labels, media conglomerates, corporations in general have more power in shaping tastes and accepted norms in music than probably ever before.
there is actually LESS options of where you get your music from that any sort of authority and a million and one DIY operations detracting from anyone having the time/patience to wad through it all. and most of it is so amateur and flawed, why would you even bother if you have a life?
exactly what you people point to as an exercise in freedom of choice/expression (the internet) is just another monopolized and controlled avenue by media corporations.
real world exposure is still THE most important thing in relation to success of musical material (i.e. "spins", "rotation" video/radio/otherwise) but now rather than controlling the TRL countdown, corporations can just control youtube's main page. in-coincidentally, everything that goes on there hits #1.
meanwhile, any good to great material being made by acts without a corporate endorsement of some varying kind toil away, posting their music online with little to no fanfare, ever-diminishing as countless new DIY "tastemakers" detract ever-waning attention with their lackluster finds and posts.
it all sucks and creates conditions where the same shitty 3 (used to be a lot even 5-6 years ago) songs get played on the radio/tv/commercials, the same shitty 3 videos get all the clicks on the internet because they are positioned through corporations to succeed online, and everybody else is fighting for an over-saturated marketshare who is constantly being pulled in a million directions and getting burned with awful material being pumped up as being on par with whoever they actually think is good. most bands/acts nowadays aren't even making music for any other reason except the social/financial reward. hence my post on if music could even consider a form of expression any more.
tl;dr: more corporate control, less released music by labels, less viable options and a total over-saturation without a solid filter to detract any unsatisfied listeners from deviating from the corporate controlled avenues.
--- “Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.” – Tony Robbins
bavid dammer Member since Oct 23rd 2012 1369 posts
Mon Jul-08-13 11:08 AM
9. "part 2: the solution..." In response to Reply # 8 Mon Jul-08-13 11:11 AM by bavid dammer
the solution is very simple, if you can't beat em join em.
acts who are toiling away trying to make a living on their own with these fringe cult followings (at best) join the masses of major labels.
...and they don't change anything, they just get the level of exposure that corporations afford. that level of exposure alone is what causes success, not altering style or the sophistication of the output.
in order for this to happen, major labels once again realize that practically ANYTHING they release will succeed just on the strength of their reach and they don't need to cater to the lowest common denominator to try to minimize risk. they realize they are actually losing capital by trying to control risk.
and then they start releasing MAINSTREAM rotated music (again) that isn't bordering on insulting the intelligence of the populous as a surefire means to minimize risk and maximize yields (as sales have been trending DOWNWARD since the early 00's and not just due to e-bootlegging...)
for example, something like THIS is so vapid and hollow conceptually and in execution that it could not have even been conceived before the mid-00's:
this song is geared for the taste/intelligence of a 6 year old girl, no a 18 year old, not a 13 year old... a 6 year old.
think of how many people are being alienated by discriminating intelligence that narrowly. think of all the money they DIDN'T capture by making something this "disney channel". i don't care how many views it has, the song means nothing and is a step above that girl who made "friday" a few years ago and time will treat it just as cruelly.
anyway, without getting lost in the sauce. the music that you like needs to have a mainstream presence without you finding reasons why you think it could never be "mainstream".
newsflash: everything could be mainstream if it's rotated in mainstream quantities and on mainstream avenues of content distribution.
--- “Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.” – Tony Robbins
18. "RE: part 2: the solution..." In response to Reply # 9
all wrong...
do you know HOW many artists fail every year on a major label?
Katy Perry has a FANBASE a huge one. Yea the record wasn't a smash smash but she put on for her state and since LA radio has millions on millions of listeners it helps dictate a lot of what you see on billboard.
There are people at labels who still think they know better. so you can't just roll in and change nothing.
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
15. "ehhhh possibly but not necessarily" In response to Reply # 12
that was my initial thought per above, but digging more, seems like he's been with maya for a long time as a part of her creative team. it's possible they bought into it, but it seems like it was at least his to begin with.
16. "This would have been done and out by now if crowdfunded" In response to Reply # 0
she must have said some shit to piss someone off though. The blackballin by labels is getting tired and considering the options...this should be easy to avoid in the future.
17. "RE: The uselessness of record labels (new MIA controversey)" In response to Reply # 0
Well,
I don't know if kanye paid to have all of those projections everywhere.. IDJ probably foot the bill. Or all the studio time, producer upfronts, sample clearances etc.. etc...
The labels are 1 part big bank and one part radio path. These are the only two things that they can do relatively well. They can't get you hot, they can't break you..
There are some people at the labels who are genuinely good at their job. But that's far and few between. I think Iovine can still break acts..
as for MIA isn't Roc Nation her management company not her label.. so that's a diff discussion all togetjer
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
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