Saturday, July 11, 2009

for fuck's sake people



Ok, let's start off by saying that every single fucker that downloaded Fauna's Rain album, and enjoyed it, to go fucking BUY IT; that's because sales are low for this cd and the label can't release the follow up "Hunt". Since I'm extremely fond of the material of both Fauna and Aurora Borealis and I really want to own “Hunt” I urge people to BUY “Rain”; it’s not even that expensive and the packaging is awesome.

This event of course has showed me that posting new releases on the blog is actually hindering small labels, even though I want to promote their work it seems the ratio of people downloading and buying with people that just download is just too great (for example 1300 downloads for the fauna album and I seriously doubt even half of these bought the cd). If I continue receiving requests from labels to remove links I’ll just stop posting releases from the last two years and focus on slightly older and out of print releases.

24 comments:

rickreaction July 11, 2009 at 9:50 PM  

Agreed. As much as I love checking out music through your posts I definitely follow up and buy the stuff that sticks with me. It would just be scummy not to (in my opinion). Of course, I'm biased as a small record store owner myself (Redscroll Records), but I don't think that makes it less valid. Fight on.

Anonymous July 11, 2009 at 10:09 PM  

Hails!

Mao July 11, 2009 at 10:56 PM  

i definitely know the feeling. i feel the same way on sludgeswamp. i guess that's why my posts are really few and far between these days. especially if i take the time to rip from vinyl, i hardly feel there are that many other paying consumers out there. i say take a stand! there seems to be so much begging here anyway for releases.

cheers,
-M

Simon Magnus July 11, 2009 at 11:36 PM  

that sucks.....I for one cannot say that I am not guilty of this from time to time. My problem is that I refuse to buy CDS. Ill buy the vinyl all day everyday but if there is no vinyl then alot of times I refuse to buy the cd. My point is spending 25 on the vinyl with the great packaging and art is alot better than getting a CD that is 18 and worth nothing once opened. Once I upload it to my comp the cds just sit in a box in my closet. Almost all the music I keep and download is because record companies still dont give me a digital download with my record-which I cannot fathom.

carl July 12, 2009 at 2:03 AM  

There is NO solution to this problem.
It only exists because of an overlap of technological eras.
Of course, folks will just DL and most of them never buy the CD.
I listen to a great deal of new material, especially by bands with which I am ufamiliar, on DL, then buy the CD ( at a show, preferably)only if I like it.
I will almost never ever again spend money on a release by an unknown artist without hearing the DL first.
LISTEN: starting early in 2010 ths DL stuff is going to run into a serious technical problem, for at that time, all MS VISTA OS ( which is going to be about 80% plus of all 'puters) will be able to take control of your system and SHUT IT THE FUCK DOWN if there is copyrighted, illegal DL's found( remotely) on it.
This is, in unbelievable fact, allowed by federal law in the US.
Sorry kidz, the music industry is just about dead.
Best of Fortune.

Unknown July 12, 2009 at 2:59 AM  

As much as I love hearing the new releases before I purchase them, I think this is a fair and just call.

Roger Camden July 12, 2009 at 4:02 AM  

I agree with your reasoning
and support this notion

Krumbled Kookie July 12, 2009 at 5:29 AM  

I, for one, am not a scumbag leecher. I have purchased everything I have downloaded (including "Rain," as well as other stuff the guys in Fauna have done [Fearthainne, Echtra]), and while I would love to see the stuff still available for download, I absolutely understand if it cannot. Do what you have to do, my man.

Liam Liener July 12, 2009 at 10:17 AM  

Maybe the problem is different : we cannot support all bands we're listen to dl their albums here. For my part, I support three or four bands since the beginning (WITTR, Njiqqhada,...) So the difficulties that Fauna met is very ordinary. Many bands know the same problem since ages (before dl exist). I dl Fauna but I don't like their sound. So, do whant you have to do, man. But, if U want to help them, what is the best solution ?

Unknown July 12, 2009 at 3:07 PM  

If you really like the album; buy it! Simple.

Gavin July 13, 2009 at 8:57 PM  

For what it's worth, I hadn't heard of Fauna until you posted _Rain_ here, I bought it shortly after, & have recommended it to a bunch of people since. Also grabbed _The Hunt_ but have held off burning it to CDr in the hope that it would be reissued too, annoyed to hear that it might not happen, 'cos it's a great record too. Not looking for any kudos, just want you to know there are people out there usuing this site to inform their purchases, not just to grab what they can.

matt July 13, 2009 at 11:45 PM  

I also agree. i'm the buyer at at record store and i refer to your blog often to check out new stuff to buy for our store which often leads me to purchasing stuff for myself. Sure, i don't buy everything that i 'sample' but i only download stuff that i'm interested in ordering in the first place.
as a musician that's struggled selling records over the years i have to say that though i wish people would buy my records, i'm happy when i find out that people are at least listening to them no matter how they hear it.

shivering July 14, 2009 at 11:38 AM  

I agree with Matt.

Because of this blog I have bought four cds by Sieghetnar, one by Nortt, one by Enmerkar, along with others by Procer Veneficus, Hyatari, Njiqahdda, When Mine Eyes Blacken and a few others. There are some of us who buy and use this great blog as a way to be exposed to stuff which we would otherwise never hear. I visit this blog practically every day.

But as a previous poster said, the labels need to get with the technology and offer downloads at a high bit rate for sale or for free with their vinyl releases.

Darkest blessings!!

Charles D. Ward July 15, 2009 at 1:08 AM  

There are several reasons why I hardly ever buy cds anymore.

1. I just don't have the money for that kind of thing. I need to feed myself, pay my rent and education, and have an alcohol and cannabis dependence to uphold. I work, if I can, but even when I have a job that doesn't leave me with a lot of money to spend on fun stuff like cds.

2. I greatly dislike using the internet to buy stuff. And they dont sell most of the music I like in any record stores I know, or even most festival stalls.

3. I really need to stand behind a band if I want to buy an album of them. I only buy albums that I have loved for a long time and of which I'm sure I'll love it for a whole time more. Doesn't leave me a whole lot of choice.

4. I never ever play these things EVER. To much hassle changing cds all the time, I'll just play the MP3 version anyway cause it's easier.

So yeah.

Beautiful photography though!

el postino loco July 16, 2009 at 6:36 PM  

stop posting new material...voila...so simple
great blog...greetins

Tracy Hancock July 16, 2009 at 9:11 PM  

I agree completely. Your blog has turned me onto so many bands I would have never have heard of, I feel obligated to buy some of them.
I prefer vinyl, but Fauna is a fantastic band, I'll buy their CD.
Thanks for all that you do.

VOVE July 18, 2009 at 7:00 PM  

total support!!!
thank you Khaos[] !

drrn. July 19, 2009 at 4:40 PM  

The second image is truly haunting.

Wormfood July 24, 2009 at 7:31 AM  

Some blogs simply post two or so songs from a new release. A good way to promote something without giving the whole thing away.

Stephen Grey July 25, 2009 at 4:28 PM  

There's a fallacy here: it's easy to think that downloads = lost sales.

In fact, many of those downloads would never have bought the album at all.

In fact, many of the ACTUAL SALES would very likely have not taken place if not for the album.

The truth is that black metal is dying out-- fewer people are interested in it. Meanwhile it is completely saturated. There are more imitators than ever before, all releasing "kvlt" black metal from their mothers' basements.

The music industry is fucked. Many other industries are fucked as well (publishing) but they just haven't realized it. The money from those industries came from lockdown on the means of distribution. Now that that lockdown is gone, sharing is going to eat more and more of the pie.

Not only that but if draconian DRM ever comes into effect, free content is going to compete brutally with commercial stuff. The fact that it's free means that it doesn't even have to be very good to be a far better value than paid content.

It's grass roots socialism. I'm all for it. If you're doing music, you should be doing it because you like to do it, and make money on live shows.

If you can't do that, go back to flipping burgers and running around the forest in silly costumes posturing.

"Look at me. I'm evil. Raaar."

Doubledimas August 5, 2009 at 1:16 PM  

Seems that 'The Hunt' is now coming out CD at last, according to an Aurora Borealis email.

demogorgo August 6, 2009 at 12:44 PM  

small labels are experiencing their lowest sales ever these days, this post is the best thing you coild do to help this one.

Out of print releases are my favorites, keep taking sales away from greedy ebay sellers.

Grimm October 1, 2009 at 10:18 PM  

Yes i agree if you download an album and you like it then buy it. And i'm proud of my cd collection of 2000 cd's, to have it and to touch the real thing. Neverthless i also enjoy the possibility to listen a whole album before buying it. So a blog like these is very good for many purposes, it also gives promotion to new bands and most of the time that's the thing where labels fail. Because lack of promotion for their bands and lack of good distribution worldwide.... and then it's easy to give a blog the fault that people don't buy their cd's. Well it's their own fault and not the owner of this blog or the people who are downloading the stuff.... and maybe it's also possible that not everyone like's their music... well that's what i wanted to say. Cheers

AVFN March 18, 2010 at 12:02 PM  

Can I ask where you found these photos? They're lovely.

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"As creator of this Blog, I must state that none of the links featured on this site contain albums that i have uploaded myself. All of the uploads shown on this Blog have been found on various sharing sites and networks, all available to the public. I am simply allowing those who do not have the resources the ability to sample and maybe enjoy music that would otherwise go unheard. Support your favorite artists and don't let the record industry die. Thank you."



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