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Posts Tagged ‘trent-reznor’

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NIN Remix – UGC Strain Mutates Towards Music

Posted on 28 November, 2007 at 11:55am with 5 comments

NIN Remix

We all know what video UGC has done to change the face of modern media. Video is beginning to show signs of a strong bottom-up structure forming. In turn, mainstream media has had to adapt by both slowly integrating UGC into their model and putting their content onto UGC networks. While video UGC has taken off, music has not followed suit due, almost assuredly, to the music industry’s absolute resistance to evolve. Until now, the stonewalling of progress by the RIAA and other music industry leaders has been relatively successful in terms of the big picture. There are no YouTube scale sites offering independent, community created music. In my opinion, there is plenty of talent out there, but these sorts of movements usually need a jumpstart in order to pull in the combination of a large community and ample traffic to become self-sustaining. For YouTube, the early inclusion of unwarranted copyrighted video (whether intentional or unintentional) was that jumpstart – now TV content is a much smaller piece of the puzzle as a large content creating community has been fostered. The recent launch of NIN Remix may just be the jumpstart for UGC music. UGC music will become mainstream. The only question is if NIN Remix will be what gets the snowball rolling.
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Niggy Tardust is Everything We Wanted In Rainbows To Be

Posted on 1 November, 2007 at 11:46am with 24 comments

Niggy Tardust

If you are on the internet more than 20 minutes a day, you know about Radiohead’s In Rainbows album and how it struck such a chord (yes, pun is intended) with the online community and the millennium generation. Being able to purchase an album for any price of your choosing (including free) flew right in the face of the wretchedly backwards model the RIAA has artificially propped. I myself purchased the album for well over the usual market price – there were even instances where people paid $1000 to support such a bold move.

Well, it wasn’t as bold as we all had thought…

It turns out that In Rainbows was always planned to be sold the old (and backwards) fashioned way. This does not diminish what Radiohead did, but it resembles someone dipping their toe into the water to quickly go back to safety. Well, Saul Williams and Trent Reznor have jumped in head first with no flotation device. Williams worked with Reznor on his new album The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust and have made it completely free or $5. From what I have read, this is it – no CD release, no running back to the record label, just a pure relationship with the fans to directly support the artist.

In my opinion this makes Radiohead’s effort pale in comparison. There is real risk here if people decide not to support the album/artist. We have all cried for fairly priced music where the vast majority goes to middlemen – Niggy Tardust seems to be the most genuine step towards just that. All that aside, the album blew me away after the first listen – this is a great collaboration between Saul Williams and Reznor as you can hear strong influences Reznor while not losing Williams’ style. It is well worth the equivalent of an overpriced cup of coffee to support not just the artist, but what the artist is attempting to do. So let’s see if we as a community are willing to follow through and pay artists when they treat us fairly. This time, $5 goes a long way.

Download Niggy Tardust (and PLEASE support the artist)

Nine Inch Nails ‘Year Zero’ Album Available for Listening – Trent Reznor Gets What the RIAA Does Not

Posted on 4 April, 2007 at 10:05pm with no comments

Trent is at it again. Just like what was done for With_Teeth, Nine Inch Nails released Year Zero for listening before the April 17th release date. Listen away.

As if the RIAA did not look bad enough as it is, when you have high profile musical artists that does something this progressive, the organization looks even worse. With a very forward-thinking marketing campaign, allowing the public to freely listen to the album before its release, not to mention absolutely amazing music, Trent Reznor is basically showing the rest of the music industry how things should be done. Year Zero has easily been the biggest music-related event on the internet this year – for good reason. I myself have already listened to the album and have pre-ordered the album and I suggest you do too.

Daily Delicious – Nine Inch Nails New Album Spawns Abstract Web Sites

Posted on 14 February, 2007 at 1:21pm with 8 comments

Here I was, just about to write about microformats, when this came along…

A new Nine Inch Nails album is coming out in April. Thanks to our good friend Kellie, and her great link comment, I learned about a series of abstract websites pertaining to the theme and (from the rumors) storyline of the new album. To say the new album is political is like saying the sun is warm – just a warning to those of you that do not enjoy politics. Yes, I know, this has been done before. Yes, I know, this is a form of marketing. Still, the tone and the way it comes off just seems different than other viral marketing campaigns.

A lot of people are not big fans of viral marketing. I, however, see a great beauty to it. Most viral marketing I have been exposed to is quite creative and engages the user’s imagination. On top of it, it is much less money-driven than traditional advertising methods. With viral marketing, success is dependent on the individual to appreciate it enough to want to share it. Traffic and buzz can be artificially generated, but I have noticed that method tends to fizzle out very quickly if there is not a genuine interest from the public. I rather like the idea of marketing that is depends on the public’s interest rather than cash. I see how this project can turn people off. Still, for myself, I find it absolutely fascinating.

UPDATE – New Nine Inch Nails song found on a usb drive in a bathroom in portugal. This is getting cooler and cooler by the minute. In case the URLs hosting the MP3 die, you can download it from Some Random Dude (sorry, this is absolutely killing my bandwidth).

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