Bjakk said:
Ha ha ha. Don’t be silly. They bands on your label are grownups and talk to whoever they want, and if you let them have any copies of their own records, like you promised, you have no control over what they do with them.
All the band members of All the Madmen do have the All the Madmen record. They can talk to whoever they want. If they want to sell their copies to people that they don’t know that are trying to cheat them then that is their choice. It is basically very disheartening after I spent so much time and money to make the record available to collectors and to the band. A collector can buy it honestly on ebay which supports the release, or they can go the opposite direction and not support the release and try to cheat the band at the same time by trying to get a copy from the band member.
Maybe you should have told all the bands on your label that they may not contact anyone directly. The bands and the fans are in the same boat here; the bands want their music heard, the fans want to hear it. You want the opposite, you want to create instant collectibles. Normal labels actively encourage the bands to do promotional work. The bands would be far better off signing to a normal label, rather than let you hold their music hostage, hoarding it like the dragon sleeping on the gold. The dragon has no need for gold, the important thing is that it’s his gold, his and his alone, and no one else will get any!
You seriously have no clue what I want, or what I am doing. If I wanted no one to hear the All the Madmen music the last thing I would do is spend $2000 + to release a record by them. I have had the All the Madmen music for over 5 years, and I released an All the Madmen record last year and a Red Fetish LP, and All the Madmen LP this year which are all easily available to all collectors, and many collectors own the records. To say I don’t want the fans to hear All the Madmen and that I am holding the music hostage is totally ludicrous. In the past 5 years I didn’t see any All the Madmen fans contacting the band and asking for their music. In the past 30 years I also didn’t see any labels contacting the band to release their music. Any person that is a fan of the band All the Madmen will not think twice about buying their LPs for $39.99 on ebay. Any person that is not a fan of the band will complain about the price, and say it is to much, and so on. Saying the price of these records is to much is total bullshit. I know minimal synth, and I know what music is most valued, and I would put the All the Madmen recordings up at the top of the list of value. I also know how much collectors spend on records, and $39.99 is not an expensive minimal synth record by any means. Especially considering these are all original releases(not reissues). For the quality of the music, the packaging, and the rarity it is very cheap, and it is also completely accessible, because every copy is available to every collector.
The only “victims” here are the bands; had they signed to a sane label, they might have got a bit of needletime from minimal synth club DJ’s and radio shows, some interviews, gig offers, DJing, party invitation - a normal, nice little existence as a cult band.
Well, I have heard All the Madmen at the club, and on the radio, and I know for a fact that they have had several gig offers, and they are reforming the band to record new material and play gigs. The reason any of that has been happening at all is because I released a record by them. I guess I am the only label with enough appreciation and vision to do so. Your purported “sane” labels had 30 years to do that and did not. That is what I consider insane.
But you won’t even let them communicate with the fans. It’s a little sad. Poor bands who have signed to the Lindworm!
I would not consider anybody that tries to cheat a band member, and use them to get a record for free a fan of the band. The band members can communicate with whoever they want. However, they should be aware of who is taking and who is giving who are their fans and who just wants to use them to get their music for free without supporting their release.
Basically the basis of every post you make bjakk regarding obscure identities, and the All the Madmen release is that you want the All the Madmen record, but you don’t want to pay for it. You are trying to change my record label, and manipulate the band in order to get it by talking trash. If you want the record then buy it and enjoy it. Otherwise, don’t say anything. It is as simple as that.
Stephen
obscure identities
