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Celeb News: David Bowie's producer: Scared for music industry's future
Member Since: 1/6/2014
Posts: 2,937
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David Bowie's producer: Scared for music industry's future
Legendary music producer Tony Visconti described a vision of the music industry's dystopian future at his SXSW keynote speech this morning, calling himself "The Ghost of Christmas Future" and reading an earnest, self-penned short story to make his point. After walking a roomful of attendees through his musical education and early work as a producer, Visconti made it clear that he believes the industry's in jeopardy.
Important part:
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"I think we're living in a time when formulas are being repeated more than they ever were in the past... I didn't want to come out here saying this stuff, swinging two fists in the air," said Visconti. "If this was really working, record sales would be going through the roof." It was an impassioned, frustrated plea for change from someone who's spent half a century navigating the business of music.
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The bulk of Visconti's warning was delivered through a short piece of fiction, one he spent about 20 minutes reading before wrapping up his speech. Taking place 10 years in the future, the story revolves around a senior A&R expert at the planet's only remaining major record label. (It's called The Universe.) Businesspeople around the world sync their schedules by taking drugs that block their circadian rhythms, letting them control their sleep schedules; the label releases just one single a week, recorded by the winner of a lottery and crafted by the label's employees. The A&R employee spends entire days listening to Jimi Hendrix records and dreaming of the good ol' days. When he begs his boss to sign a talented street musician, he's told signing artists based on talent is too risky. Distraught, the employee commits suicide by leaping from the balcony of his Sydney condo. Visconti started getting choked up as he read the story's final lines.
Read the rest at the source.
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 2,405
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He's talking about K-pop, in particular
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 11,585
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Well, do something about it.
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Member Since: 8/18/2013
Posts: 8,832
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I am too. Kesha needs to be able to release 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 11,585
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Quote:
Originally posted by Siggy
He's talking about K-pop, in particular
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Wooo, the impact.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 3,017
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I'm scared too 
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Member Since: 1/6/2014
Posts: 2,937
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There's more...
His take on mainstream pop:
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In a rambling speech, Visconti said that today’s record labels were simply repeating the formulae of the past, with diminishing returns. He described mainstream pop, aimed at a teenage audience, as “a computer and a vocal that was doctored to goodness knows how much”. On the other hand, he said, there are songwriters like Sun Kil Moon, “who just wrenches you and will tear your heart out – that’s an album I can’t listen to without tears falling and my dear friend David Bowie turned me on to that album.”
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On Spotify + artists self-releasing music:
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Streams on Spotify, he added, don’t pay artists a living wage but rather the price of “a nice steak dinner”.
Visconti was sceptical about artists self-releasing their music, saying that the vast amount of music being uploaded on to YouTube, for instance, was “clogging the arteries” of the music business as it was unmediated and unfocused.
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A bit more on record sales:
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He said that the decline of record sales, while the world population climbs, was due to the poor quality of modern pop music. “Back in the 70s Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours sold between 14 and 16m. Since then the world’s population has nearly doubled to close to 8bn and last year Taylor Swift sold 12m. With the population doubling how come we can’t sell records? The record labels now are not giving you quality, that’s why you’re disenchanted, that’s why you don’t buy records.”
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Labels not signing adventurous artists:
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Visconti concluded that the music industry needed to be more adventurous when looking for new artists. “Look at those freaks out there, the really weird ones, because that’s what the public wants to hear,” he said. He added that labels need to spend time nurturing talent, citing the example of Kate Bush, who was developed over several years by EMI before she released her first single.
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http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...music-industry
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Member Since: 3/15/2013
Posts: 25,228
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
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eh.. these oldies need to come out of their own "cool" world where they think only the music from 70s or 80s was good
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 1/6/2010
Posts: 4,761
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I agree! So many of the top songs are so repetitive and formulated! 
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Member Since: 10/14/2008
Posts: 9,686
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On the other hand, he said, there are songwriters like Sun Kil Moon, “who just wrenches you and will tear your heart out – that’s an album I can’t listen to without tears falling and my dear friend David Bowie turned me on to that album.
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Member Since: 1/6/2014
Posts: 2,937
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Quote:
Originally posted by avi
eh.. these oldies need to come out of their own "cool" world where they think only the music from 70s or 80s was good
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You obviously didn't read. He didn't say that.
And he's a fan of modern artists, e.g. Sun Kill Moon; but doesn't think they're getting a shot with labels, and instead a lot of music is samey and etc,.
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Member Since: 8/27/2012
Posts: 5,009
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kiii not these out of touch old farts complaining about mainstream music again
Yawn... Who cares.
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Member Since: 1/6/2014
Posts: 4,682
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Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked
You obviously didn't read. He didn't say that.
And he's a fan of modern artists, e.g. Sun Kill Moon; but doesn't think they're getting a shot with labels, and instead a lot of music is samey and etc,.
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Isn't Sun Kill Moon a folk act?  Of course he's gonna enjoy that ****.
Anyway, mainstream pop has been what he described for the past two decades. People will buy and listen to what they want to buy and listen to. It's not too hard to figure out that most 15 - 30 year olds aren't really interested in listening to someone "who just wrenches you and will tear your heart out". Get over it. If the public wants to hear "those freaks" then they would've hit it big already, but they haven't. The majority of music consumers these days are those who enjoy vapid, fun pop music, no?
I do agree with his comments about labels spending more time with their artists, though.
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Member Since: 3/15/2013
Posts: 25,228
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Quote:
Originally posted by avi
eh.. these oldies need to come out of their own "cool" world where they think only the music from 70s or 80s was good
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That is not what he's saying.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 27,547
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Since then the world’s population has nearly doubled to close to 8bn and last year Taylor Swift sold 12m. With the population doubling how come we can’t sell records?
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What kind of logic 
Does he not know that there's a thing called piracy and ******* sites which wasn't really around during the 70s 
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 4,054
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Quote:
Originally posted by Goddess of Love.
What kind of logic
Does he not know that there's a thing called piracy and ******* sites which wasn't really around during the 70s |
Ikr. Streaming is taking off because it's much more convenient, not because people don't care to buy music anymore.
And people like "mainstream pop" because it's accessible, catchy and palatable. Labels can invest as much as they want in Sun Kill Moon but that doesn't mean people want to hear that music on the radio. If the general public thinks a song sounds formulaic or contrived, then they won't buy it and it all works itself out.
The beauty about today's world is that people can discover indie acts and indie acts can establish a bigger name for themselves through the internet.
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Member Since: 1/1/2013
Posts: 15,264
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Quote:
Originally posted by Goddess of Love.
What kind of logic
Does he not know that there's a thing called piracy and ******* sites which wasn't really around during the 70s |
That + most of the time digital/illegal downloads are of better quality than the physical record 
He's basically praising Gaga to the high heavens though
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 5,624
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Shut up 
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Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 28,420
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Quote:
Originally posted by avi
eh.. these oldies need to come out of their own "cool" world where they think only the music from 70s or 80s was good
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This. There's nothing wrong with today's music.
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