Re: [microsound] On the benefits/disadvantages of CDR as a medium for distributingmusic...

[grainofsound@xxxxxxxxxxxx (grain of sound)]

After almost one year running the Grain of Sound cd-r label, i would like to share my experince in the field. I think the "cd-r culture" is very close to the 80´s cassette labels in particular and to the D.I.Y approach in general. And it can be a tiny statment against the established music industry and other forms of "corporativisms".

I´m really sad when i see people judging the cd-r labels for their format and not for their music. Unfortunately, there are many people that don´t get the point and don´t support the cd-r labels for the most incredible mis-conceptions, forgetting that, in the end, it is the music that matters.

Emergent artists could have their great music released and even the "established" ones in this experimental field also choose, from time to time, the cd-r medium. Please mind the cd-r releases from Otomo Yoshihide or Frans deWaard for example...

A cd-r label as the opportunity to do more with less money, controlling the production according the requests and sell the records at a price that major labels should. And we should take the benefits of the cd-r copying that it is not controlled by the big enterprises, making it an excellent sound medium to distribute music. Please note what Sony Corporation is doing with minidisc and their copy-control politics which only allows "one generation digital copying" with full quality. NetMD 32x copying it´s a crap but that´s another story...

The disadvantages that i see are mostly external to the cd-r labels:

* magazines that don´t review this "kind" of cd´s
* distributors that don´t distribute
* people that don´t buy online and dislike mailordering
* the mis-conceptions about the manufactoring quality of cdr-s

There are obvious exceptions and i´m gratefull to them. 
And i still think it´s worth it to be in the "business".

nuno
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http://www.grainofsound.com
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>> Just wondered how everyone felt about the issue of releasing music on CDR
>> and/or the whole issue of CDR only labels.
>
>It is true that there is a lot of music being released on cdr and that not
>all of it is of exceptional quality.  But it is also true that there is a
>lot of music being released on cd, vinyl, or and other format, and not all
>of it is of exceptional quality.  I personally feel that the format is a
>more or less irrelevant criterium for judging content.  The point is to
>discover artists and work that you admire and seek out their available work
>through whatever medium possible.  There are many, many exceptional artists
>releasing on cdr, some who release exclusively on that medium, others who
>may have several 'real' releases as well...  But clearly the idea that cdr
>releases are on cdr because they are not good enough to be on cd is ignorant
>and short-sighted.  I have worked with 4 cdr labels, all of whom have
>exceptional catalogs of exceptional sounds - (here's a little plug for them,
>if we're still allowed to share information like this after that last thread
>; ) Bake Records (run by staalplaat's Frans de Waard), s'agita recordings,
>Absurd and the phonography organisation.  If anyone doubts the potential
>quality of cdr labels, check them out!
>
>One more point - there are also plenty of artists who release their own
>material, not because it's been rejected by Big Labels, but by choice.
>Yannick Dauby has released most of his own work on cdr, as has the Quiet
>American, as do Monos.  Michael Northam always has a few copies of works on
>cdr at gigs.  Someone (was it Sawako?) told me of a series of one of a kind
>cdrs she made to give out at gigs. These small runs can be more personal and
>can end up being quite sought after.
>
>I think it's interesting that in most contexts (food, clothes, etc) being
>handmade or homemade is a sign of high quality and a personal touch, while
>in music.... ?
>
>patrick
>
>
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