Ground-breaking Record-making
Written By: Matthew Hendershot

Recently I read an article in BusinessWeek about the record industry’s new "Internet problem". The premise of the article was that streaming Internet radio sites like Pandora and Spotify are hurting the music industry because people are opting to listen to sites instead of buy CDs.

Two thoughts cropped up as I read: first, that BusinessWeek is as misinformed about the problem as the major labels; and, more importantly, that the record industry's largest problems have nothing to do with the internet.

It is true that the sale of CDs has crawled into the crapper and is currently circling the drain, but if fingers are getting pointed, the last place the blame should land is on the Internet. If anything, the Internet has been opening up new territory. It has created a number of ways to distribute music that stand strong even as Towers fall and Virgins stop selling records. The industry has recognized this and has been talking for some time about changing. What I don’t think they were prepared for was the idea that the world might just change without them.

The obvious answer to the future of music would seem to be iTunes. Apple’s all-digital retail store hit the scene with force and never looked back, and is now the number one music retailer in the United States. The scope of the digital retail field grows once you consider sites like Rhapsody and Myspace, which both allow pay-for-download services, making digital retail the seeming front-runner in the race to profit.

I would argue that moving major label and distribution control from brick and mortar to computers and cables is not going to save them. Digital sharing isn’t going away, and simply selling albums in the newest “packaging” available is like betting that VHS would top sixteen-millimeter film and rule home movie viewing forever. So what does “The Aspiring” have to do to turn an honest profit these days? My vote: get creative.

Last year we saw Nine Inch Nails and Madonna leave major labels they had been on for decades. NIN opted for a creative sliding scale release of four albums and made a mint while Madonna put her eggs in the live performance basket and did the same. This led to higher profile moves like Radiohead’s pay what you like plan and a myriad of pseudo-work-together projects like Remix Coldplay, a massive failure to get fans to interact. The one thing each had in common was they took a risk on something new.

This year, the envelope of creativity has already been pushed in new directions. Independent releases from artists like former NIN drummer Josh Freese and Dutch techno producer Jochem Paap- better known as Speedy J- have taken creative distribution and fan interaction to new heights.

Freese, who is currently drumming for A Perfect Circle, The Vandals and Devo, found time to release “Since 1972”, with a brilliant “menu” of special editions of his album to let his customers interact with him personally. And by that I mean literally hanging out- $7 gets you a digital download, and a $75,000 limited edition lets Josh Freese join your band for a month.

The idea that works so well here is that there is something for everyone. If you just like the songs, seven dollars is pretty fair. If you are a super-fan, then bust your trust fund and go for the high prize! On top of it all, the costs, evened out, are next to nothing. Most of the included items are events like mini-golf, walking tours, and foot rubs, with the inclusion of a used Volvo to mix things up.

Finding genius in a completely different area is Jochem Paap. Having made a name for himself collaborating with various techno producers, Jochem decided to widen his circle. His Open Collabs is open to the public for contributions.

“We sent out an open invitation to everyone. Fans, but also pro musicians and producers,” he shared with me recently. “This is also reflected in the submitted material. I received over 15gb of sounds by people ranging from sound designers, instrumentalists, bedroom dj's, fans and more.”

By involving such a diverse array of people, Jochem Paap has built a free advertising campaign for the upcoming release. Everyone who is involved in the final release is not only artistically invested- they also receive a portion of the payment. His project also involves new technology and embraces a unique creative change.

“It was a natural progression for me, and it combines ideas from several projects I have done before. Open Collabs is an extension of these concepts, and it also creates an opportunity for me to raise a debate about intellectual property, and how we deal with that. Technology and the internet are often blamed for killing the music industry, but I think it's wonderful that technology allows projects like this.”

So you can go to iTunes and buy songs at $ .99 a pop, or you can go to Pandora and hear what they decided to play for you instead of what you were really hoping they would play, or you could go mini-golf with rock stars, or you could be a part of rock stardom. Major labels need to take note that not everyone is the same, so why try and force-feed us the same things? Make it worth the value. Get creative. Make me want to buy it.

Oh and as for “The Aspiring,” keep in mind, you can win at blackjack with two big cards, but you can also win with 5 or 6 small ones.

Matthew Hendershot is an audio engineer, producer and DIY musician living in New York City and currently creating original content for Zoom In Online. (link Matthew Hendershot and ZIO)

Josh Freese is an American songwriter and drummer for A Perfect Circle, The Vandals and Devo. His second solo album "Since 1972" will be released on March 24th on his website.

Speedy J (Jochem Paap) is a Dutch techno producer and DJ. His latest project "Open Collabs" will be released in May of 2009. (link Speedy J and Open Collabs)