Quote Originally Posted by Sunil View Post
Ok, so Neuton - as an example - might dictate some stuff from Germany or whatever, but that said, they (bigger companies) are necessary too. They are useful to smaller 'middle-men' companies, and when a big one goes down, sometimes lots of great labels go down, and smaller distributors suffer. EFA anyone?

As a matter of interest, who is/are the big bad wolf 'monopoly' distributor(s) in your opinion?

Personally I can think of quite a few small independent companies that are doing a good job and who I want to see continue selling records. Veto, Electronik, Possible, Base Level are quick examples. None of them have embraced Mp3 yet, and seem to be still managing, albeit probably not making bucketloads of money.

Also, there are many rock, and A-Z style distributors that are doing more electronic vinyl now, which I think is good. I've seen records pop up on lists I wouldn't have expected to have previously seen - sure, it might be a sign of labels having to spread their wings to shift units, but personally I think it's good to see a wider chain emerging for electronic/techno vinyl.

Ok, monopolies are not good, especially as mediocre music will prosper more as a result. That's why it's good to have faith in the existing companies that are keeping it real, putting out good records, and keeping independent spirit alive.

Relying on or putting all your faith into mp3 only and you're subscribing to an invisible and potentially *far* weaker scene in my opinion. The proof is already in the pudding, if you analyse the 'history' of digital labels, and vinyl labels converting to digital only.... I mean, where are the success stories?

More adventurous releases from some distributors would be a big advantage alright, but bland music seems to be more visible for a number of reasons now, including:

- Less new music being released, full stop.
- DJs (Big name) playing too many new records that don't cut the mustard.
- A disintigration of innovation

This said, I have lots of hope for the future, and hope many people can claw their way back, and that the appetite for edgier music in general... returns a little bit more.

I understand what you're saying about digital bringing control back to the independent artist, but that option is already there and has been for some time. The 'good' days of successful distributors are what brought us the great records we all own. There's a lot to be said for the single minded vision of distributors, past and present, which can't be scoffed at. If I were a label under the wing of a happening distributor, I know I'd be far happier than being a dot in the ocean of the digital label internet highway...
think you misunderstood me a bit, though. i wasn't talking about big bad wolf distributors or labels at all. i'm really sympathetic to the need for labels and distributors to make ends meet, and i think techno is only healthy when they can :)

the mp3 idea really is dirtybass'. i think it could help in some ways, but if you read my post again, you can see i'm also saying it's not the real problem with techno, as i see it.

i'm also not advocating big labels so much as higher quality standards. ever since the flood of decent-production techno that came with the prime/swedish invasion days (starting around 1996), there seems to be less versatility among (most) producers and less variety within labels.

but, of course, the thing about the swedish guys in that period is that, for a while at least, most everything they put out was new and good.

to me, in recent years techno has been plagued by an absolutel glut of cookie-cutter loops on a seemingly exponent number of more and more specialized labels. some are responding to demand for more minimal, more schranz, etc. and some are just there because it's so easy to start a label (but so hard to keep one afloat).

what i'm asking for is for labels to look for producers who can do MORE, maybe even on a single record. and instead of putting out quantity, put out quality. instead of getting one quasi-song and 3 dj tool loops, how about 3 songs and 1 loop? how about instead of label A putting out 4 records by so-and-so in a year, putting out one where all the tracks are really, really good?

sure this would limit some sales but it would also limit overhead. and my thought about label collectives might mean that labels could be more selective. sure this is not a money making idea, but maybe it's also not a money hemhoraging idea. :)

see where i'm going with this?