This is yet another artists who gets it – much like NIN/Radiohead/Saul Williams. Major record companies continue to believe the old model of production and marketing are still viable in the current environment. They are not. With the Internet providing near instant gratification for music fans, there is no true reason – aside the “collector” aspect – that purchasing physical media at an elevated price business model that can survive.
It appears, and I say appears because I have an alternative theory that I’ll explorer shortly, that a legal issue between EMI and producer Danger Mouse lead to the shelving of his last effort.
Danger Mouse, who is half of pop group Gnarls Barkley, said he hoped people would still get to hear the record.
A spokesperson for the producer said: “Danger Mouse remains hugely proud of Dark Night of the Soul and hopes that people lucky enough to hear the music, by whatever means, are as excited by it as he is.”
He added that the album, which comes with a limited edition, “100+ page book” of David Lynch photographs inspired by the music “will now come with a blank, recordable CD-R”.
“All copies will be clearly labelled: ‘For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will.’”
So, in response to the shelving, Danger Mouse is providing fans with significant artwork and urging them to download the media and burn it themselves. It is pure genius as now the artist is actually providing something of collector value (the 100+ booklet) and not charging outrageous sums of money for music.
Why did I say “appears” previously?
What if Danger Mouse and EMI are scheming in order to test a new business model?
Pit the all mighty record label against the tiny, yet successful, artist in order to generate sales. The public LOVES this type of David and Goliath situation – and usually goes out and supports the artist. Don’t you think DM and EMI could greatly benefit from such “friendly” competition?
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