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Unsung Forum » Steve Albini on the surprisingly sturdy state of the music industry |
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anthonyqkiernan 7087 posts |
Edited Nov 20, 2014, 12:05
Nov 20, 2014, 12:05
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Grauniad wrote: The music producer, Shellac frontman and author of seminal 1993 essay, The Problem with Music, spoke in Melbourne about the advantages of the internet, the death of the major label system, copyright law and that ‘purple dwarf in assless chaps’ This is fantastic. |
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PMM 3155 posts |
Nov 21, 2014, 01:17
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good read. thank you.
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Markoid 1621 posts |
Edited Nov 22, 2014, 09:50
Nov 21, 2014, 23:39
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Thank's for that. I have always had total respect for Steve Albini. He respects musicians and listeners both, but not as much on the corporate side. He proves it in his actions.
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Nov 22, 2014, 11:35
Nov 22, 2014, 07:41
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A lot of what he says rings true but musicians and audiences should polish their critical antennae before taking economic and cultural direction from a millionaire* producer at face value. (* EDIT - the millionaire thing is apparently bollocks on my part. I think the rest stands up though because he is still coming at it from a position of gatekeeper privilege.) Maybe as an American he doesn't realise that the musical eco-system here has been hit twice. Initially by the savage reduction in the number of artists being signed to labels and offered the kinds of advances that allowed the musicians to house and feed themselves while they developed their stuff full time. Then again by the changes in how unemployment benefits work. Or don't. Anyone who is not independently wealthy or being supported by a loved one is going to find it tough because getting really really good at something is rarely a part time thing. The major labels spent decades doing stupid things but a lot of money trickled down to people who made hay with corporate budgets while the sun shined and made amazing use of the facilities on offer. Our record collections are full of the products of them. A lot of that music would not have been made or at least not developed to the same degree without that money and the time and opportunities it buys. A lot of so-called indie labels were effectively bank rolled by major label money - if not from the UK then from income earned via American major label licensees. Twenty to twenty five years added up to a golden age of inadvertent corporate patronage of outsider art music. It isn't coming back but not because it can't but because of a culture wide abdication of responsibility. I do agree that it is fantastic that more people are making records on a home-studio level and getting them out into the world and finding audiences but you will never get a mainstream music with any kind of social or political impact if the only people getting signed and benefiting from marketing budgets and sharp elbows are the privately educated and the products of stage schools. New artist showcases and pay to play gigs in London seem to have the highest concentration of the privately educated in attendance outside the House of Commons. They literally have nothing to say beyond the tropes of love and romance. Limply lovelorn singer songwriters, a few Jamie T's and posh boy upgrades of Supergrass's shtick. I think we need a meaningful pop and rock mainstream more than ever. We're not getting one and it seems the enemy now has all the tunes. Anyway. It must be incredibly tempting and dead easy to rubbish the old music business model when you are nearer the end of your career than the beginning. Easier still when you have already made your money and have an established rep that brings you work. To me it just comes off for the most part as wishful score settling. Good writer though.
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Robot Emperor 762 posts |
Nov 22, 2014, 08:28
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A brief quibble about his financial status as a "millionaire record producer". From that Sonic Highways program I understood that he insisted on a wage for his production jobs rather than the traditional percentage of sales. A large part of the Chicago program was given over to his resulting financial woes, supposedly playing poker to pay bills. If so this would change his perception point of the business from one of height looking down to one of someone still in the thick of it trying to get by. |
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Nov 22, 2014, 08:39
Nov 22, 2014, 08:35
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Robot Emperor wrote: A brief quibble about his financial status as a "millionaire record producer". From that Sonic Highways program I understood that he insisted on a wage for his production jobs rather than the traditional percentage of sales. A large part of the Chicago program was given over to his resulting financial woes, supposedly playing poker to pay bills. If so this would change his perception point of the business from one of height looking down to one of someone still in the thick of it trying to get by. Fair comment. He may be on hard times now and whatever he made in the 80s and 90s he may well have spent it. I don't think In Utero was a fee-only gig though. A couple of points on a record selling 10m copies or whatever it ended up doing will buy quite a lot of out board. I still think his perspective comes off as a akin to the champagne socialist but hey ho. Maybe my wanting my grandkids (when they come along) to have a socially relevant mainstream is tilting at windmills.
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spencer 3070 posts |
Edited Nov 22, 2014, 10:08
Nov 22, 2014, 10:04
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'I think we need a meaningful pop and rock mainstream more than ever'. Absobloodylutely, Ian. Just look at what gets the 'Later' nod these days - if you can bear to watch. Case proven.
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Hunter T Wolfe 1707 posts |
Nov 22, 2014, 10:55
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IanB wrote: I don't think In Utero was a fee-only gig though. A couple of points on a record selling 10m copies or whatever it ended up doing will buy quite a lot of out board. I still think his perspective comes off as a akin to the champagne socialist but hey ho. Maybe my wanting my grandkids (when they come along) to have a socially relevant mainstream is tilting at windmills. It's on record that Albini took a flat fee of $100,000 for In Utero. Not peanuts, but I dare say it's all gone by now. I agree with your main point about wanting a socially relevant mainstream but that doesn't necessarily run counter to what Albini was saying. His main point, which I agree with, seems to be that back in the day most bands, signed or not, never made any money anyway, and it's the middlemen that are now whinging about the death of the industry. Most bands never even got to make records. Now everyone can make pretty pro-standard recordings at home and everyone has a chance to get heard. The bands still aren't getting paid, mind. |
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Markoid 1621 posts |
Edited Nov 22, 2014, 11:05
Nov 22, 2014, 10:59
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I think Steve Albini accentuates the positive for the 'so called' stuggling artist. He could have made millions upon millions if he wanted to, but he chose to put his energy into different dimensions and to hone others ideas. I think that is very laudable. His own bands, namely Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac didn't exactly sell millions, as they may be a niche product, but if he has created a platform for anyone who wants to get their product out, then they can actually do it. A really good digital multi-track recording machine can be bought for less than £1000 these days. Albini comes in when bands need some recording advice, and he is an expert in his field.
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Nov 22, 2014, 11:53
Nov 22, 2014, 11:33
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I hear you. Bad factual error on my part. I just get infuriated when old geezers look at the old record business and go "it's burning, it's burning" with a Hammer Horror cackle yet no recognition of the places where it had a real value or suggestions as to how its financier role might be replaced. Not all records worth making can be made in a home studio or without some additional facilities and personnel that need paying for. Artists need sounding boards and guidance. Even the great ones. So even if an artist works with one of the "name" producers who will rent them their room and include their own time and expertise for say £250 a day that mounts up quickly unless you are looking to make "Where Were You?" or something. I am not asking for the old record business to come back or for fortunes to flood the coffers of the copyright rentier class but no one really seems to be agitating for some of the money and facilities we have lost to be replaced from somewhere - Spotify, ISPs, telecoms, PayPal, Apple, Amazon and who the fuck else could be filling some of the funding. The strength of the music business from a creative point of view was that the working class and lower middle class musician faced the same barriers to entry as anyone with a stronger safety net. Giving up a regular working or studential life to make music was possible. That's gone and with it has gone a source of cultural criticism with a huge public platform. It's maybe a naive view on my part but the companies who are making their fortunes out of the loss of the old industry power base would actual benefit if music regained some of its social relevance.
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