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Re: [microsound] is the problem distributors... or record stores?



> I certainly didnt mean to suggest that Kid 606 was on some kind of schlocky
> self-promotion campaign along the lines of mp3 wunderkids Trance Control or
> Ghost in the Machine (though he might be for all I know).  I think the Wire
> syndrome we discussed may have something to do with names becoming
> ubiquitous over-night.  I would venture to guess that most of the
> complations and remixes he participates in occur in a post-Wire-mention
> environment.

interesting.  actually, kid606 has always collaborated with tons of
people, long before he started his label (tigerbeat6) or got his mille
plateaux deal.  for all i'm concerned, the wire had barely anything to
do in his success.  i've myself felt annoyed at how much exposure he got
himself simply by appearing everywhere at once, often at the expense of
the quality of his output.  now i don't really care all that much
because he's proven (to me) that he's actually talented & not just very
visible.

> I think the most striking point I've gleaned from this
> exchange (and thanks for writing so much!), is that the machinations for
> success in the underground are only slightly less organized than the
> machinations for success in the mainstream and are far more similar than
> they are dissimilar.  

well, what makes a _huge_ difference is the proportion & the intent. 
with mainstream media, there's _no way_ you can even wish to get a foot
in the door without _massive_ schmoozing; hence, the exchange of huge
amounts of green paper & the complete redesign of your music so it fits
the unique mold; _or_ you must wait years & years of working your ass
off & becoming a rock solid "cult" act (à la sonic youth) in which case
they'll leave your music alone (but then this usually means you had to
deal with the indies beforehand...).  in that regard, the mainstream
model is an amplification of extreme heftiness, a monstruously
disproportionate version of the simple (& rather healthy) exchange of
references happening in underground media.

> I suppose its a good thing I'm not in retail.  My
> common sense and desire to take risks in the name of progression are at
> odds.

oh, retail is not for everyone, but as with everything in life, there's
always a possibility for a balance between risk & safety.  in fact,
neither will get you very far unless you balance it with the other. 
good record stores do take risks, & this means that they suffer losses &
surprise gains.  they also don't take _everything_ the wire (or any
specialized zine in any genre) says as face value.  give some & take
some...  :)

~ david