Send in your CDs!!

I have been going to gigs and reviewing the bands and artists performances for inclusion on this site. Then it dawned on me! Why not ask our readers to send their CDs in as well? This begs the question, ‘who the hell am I to pass comment on anything?’

I was born in 1961 and became conscious of music in all its forms from about the age of 6, so I belong to the last generation of ‘baby boomers’ who have evolved not only into ‘Grumpy Old Men’ but have also been privileged to bear witness to what is arguably the greatest period in the history of music.

This is one of the arguments I enjoy most down the pub, but it’s a truism that, for the first time in the vast expanse of human history, a few generations bore witness to the phenomena of original music creation as a global media. This came about because of advances in recording and instrument technology and the growth of radio and TV as a medium of communication and promotion. A phenomenon which is unique in human history!

It is arguable as to exactly when this started but clearly technology was already influencing artists in the 1930s and 40s, though it was not yet good enough and certainly not affordable to the many, so only a few ever actually recorded and even less were actually heard by the public at large.

Then, in the 1950s communication and recording technology advanced and artists (like Elvis) began to become phenomena in their own right. But the technology was still not very good. It was only in the late 60s and early 70s that stereo recording became freely available and the cost of a ‘stereogram’ (a stereo hi-fi that looked like a bookcase!) fell low enough for the majority to be able to afford. Radio and TV became more common and affordable (and Colour! TV that is…)

The time was right and the multitude of musical influences which had come together over the airwaves, or on vinyl singles and older 78s from the USA began to evolve into new musical forms. This is not intended to define the origins of any particular form of music, rather to simply suggest that the cauldron had been stirred and the technology and means of distribution was ready for the strange new brew to find its audience.

And so, for the first time in human history, a few generations witnessed the birth of, for example, Rock music, Electronic Music and Pop in all its forms and guises, as a global phenomena. However trite it may sound, I regard myself as privileged to have witnessed it and more so to have been conscious of the fact as I witnessed it. Whatever form of music one prefers, this period gave you the opportunity to hear it. It was a unique experience and certainly ‘of it’s time’.

Hippy, Folk, Mod, Heavy Rock, Prog Rock, Punk, Goth, Glam, New Romantic, Techno, Brit Pop, Electro-pop… to name only a few! The history of these genres (and every other one) is out there for you to learn for yourself. My point is that it has happened, and now it is gone. Everything else which follows will surely struggle to be entirely original insofar as many of the possible ideas and combinations have already been tried. It is quite valid to argue that none of these genres were actually original as they can all be traced back to other more traditional genres in the times before the commercialisation of music. But the point I am making is that these original genres fell into the cauldron of commercialisation and technology to exert their various influences on those lucky enough to be around at the time.

This is not to say that nobody can ever again be truly original, as that would be a stupid thing to say, but it is now, surely, more difficult to create an original phenomena. (I was recently amused by a TV sketch which said “everything sounds like Coldplay”. In a way it’s true, if only because Coldplay sounds like everything else all rolled up into a homogenous ball of musicality! Oooh! Controversy?)

So, back to the question, ‘who the hell am I to pass comment on anything?’ The answer is, “Nobody!” I make no claims for myself other than the fact that I have always had a ‘knack’ for spotting the bands and artists that are going to be ‘successful’, some time before they ever are. I don’t know why or how, but it is true throughout the 70s, 80s, 90s and now the Noughties! Indeed, it’s one of my great pleasures and a personal challenge.

I used to listen to the Velvet Underground (Lou Reed) and The Stooges (Iggy Pop) when nobody even appreciated them and have watched them become classic and commercial today. I adored a young David Bowie and put up with years of being condemned for liking such a ‘fringe’ and unknown artist, now arguably the single biggest and most highly respected artist in the history of rock music and one of the key progenitors of online technology. (Watch this site for a future interview with the man himself!) It makes me smile when I hear some of their drug, sex and anti-establishment references cropping up on TV adverts for cars and a multitude of other consumables. The music of the ‘anti-establishment’ is now utilised to promote the new establishment. Where money leads, irony is often just a short way behind!

My insight (if that is what it is!?) comes solely from a love of all forms of music (nearly) and a passion for, and understanding of, the technology behind music creation. Combine this with thirty years of being able to indulge that passion by listening, playing, recording, engineering and producing (and generally being a steaming ‘Muso’) and with the studies I have made of global economics, finance, technology and politics…. and the scene is set for a ‘critic’ to emerge.

There is one other ingredient to my ‘recipe’. I have, for 23 years, studied Physics and Mathematics (& Number Theory), among other Natural Sciences, to a fairly high level, without the restriction of syllabus or curriculum, purely in pursuit of knowledge. One of the questions that has always interested me is, “What exactly is Music, and why does it create the emotional and physical response that it does?” Suffice to say that I believe I actually found the answer to that one, but that is a ‘treatise’ for a later date, if ever.

So, if you wish to indulge me in my love of music and all that makes it contemporary, send in your CDs. Whether it’s an album or just a track (or more), send it in! I’d like to see any artwork as well. (After all, Art Work is another aspect of music promotion which struggles with the homogeneity imposed by home computer technology. Every one can print their own, but not everyone has a talent

for art or design. Gone are the days of the ‘Album cover’….or are they? Are we going to see a rebirth of artwork in a different guise in this age of the MP3? I have added the album cover artwork for my own CD to this feature just to start the ball rolling. I wonder if anyone out there knows what they are actually looking at in the front cover picture? The spiral design, that is.)

And what will I do?

That’s easy! I’ll listen, closely and carefully. I’ll try to ‘get where you’re coming from’. I’ll also pass it on to others, some of whom have experience within the industry already and may have acted in an A&R role, and I’ll take their thoughts into account too. I’ll comment on the content and the production and I’ll pass CONSTRUCTIVE criticism if there is anything worth saying in that regard. I’ll also comment on the art work (if any). Above all, I’ll enjoy listening to, and commenting on, what you have spent your energy creating. Not as a ‘critic’, rather as one who enjoys music and will appreciate your efforts. Hopefully I have gained enough insight into the whole ‘music thing’ to make valid comments and draw the attention of others to the best material. I understand the process and the commitment required as I am just like you. I write, play and produce and try to do the best I can, just like everyone else.

This will then be posted on this site, together with any art work, for all to enjoy. I’ll even select my Track of the Month (or maybe Album of the Month, depending on the material you actually send in) and this will be posted for others to appreciate also, perhaps even with an MP3 for others to listen to.

The music ‘industry’ is changing rapidly. Only last week we saw the first song ever to chart at number one purely on the basis of downloads, without a single CD actually being sold. There have been other recent hybrid examples where downloads and CD sales combined to take a song (The JCB Song) to the number one spot. The years of having to get your demo heard by some lazy record company A&R executive, who refused to move his (or her) arse north of Watford Gap, are behind us. Technology allows the musician to display their wares in the shop window of the information highway. Record companies are losing their grip on the industry. But only a few independent musicians will ever have the success they seek utilising the new technology. The other 99.99% will still face the problem of actually being noticed by anyone. Having a website is one thing. Getting anyone to actually give a damn is another! (This is one of the ways in which ne-music.co.uk will help in the future. Our members will have access to some revolutionary marketing power and services as they develop. More on this at a later date!)

There is an opinion in the industry that the record companies, as they lose their grip, will lose importance. I would suggest that this may be a slightly naïve opinion as it overlooks the vast asset base they still have and the outlets they have for marketing and distribution. It won’t be long before we see the first massive re-alignment of their vast financial power to the new market conditions.

Whatever one thinks, it is certain that the market is changing rapidly. Everyone can record a CD or an MP3, but can they actually produce it? Will it be something original or will the web soon be flooded with a ‘billion and one’ artists contributing little to an ever growing homogenous mass of musical blandness? Or will a new phenomenon emerge from it all? One thing is for sure; there will only be two possible answers to this question and that is the subject of ongoing debate. One which I will actively encourage on this site.

We will soon have a discussion forum on this site where we can further discuss readers work and share insights and thoughts on a variety of subjects. This is going to be the site to be seen (and heard) on, so get your CDs sent in now. (I may be able to accept MP3s by email in the future, but would prefer CD for now so I can listen to uncompressed productions, often in my car.) It doesn’t matter if it’s ‘work in progress’ or a finished production; one track or an entire album! Let me know about the gear you used and the production techniques employed. Tell me anything you want to which helps me to get a conceptual grasp on ‘where you’re coming from’. Or, say nothing at all…it’s up to you.

But do it!!

Send your CD to:
Mark Cocking (Music Review)
NE Music
Suite G03
Blyth CEC
Ridley St.
Blyth
Northumberland
NE24 3AG