5 ms·

The electronic music scene has always had lots of very unusual and interesting business models going on, right back to the late 80s. People in the early rave sc

The electronic music scene has always had lots of very unusual and interesting business models going on, right back to the late 80s. People in the early rave scene in london were doing stuff in the early 90s that looks modern today. Consider the idea that there have always been some records out there that DJs consider too good to even play, except at very particular and infrequent times and places. There are artists who keep their identities and even their music and their entire existence secret at the behest of their label manager. This is not just artistic preciousness, it is a key part of a very well-tested business model. There is lots of music out there that is too good to be released, if every guy on the street had a copy it would devalue it and hasten its passing into unfashionability. It's more than just controlling supply (although thats a lot of it,) its about making the people that have managed/been allowed to hear the mythical secret tunes feel special, part of a lucky few. They are in a sense indebted to the DJ, even though they paid to go and see them perform. They will tell all their friends, "and then halfway through Blackdown's set he drew for these unlabelled CDRs, it was too much. I've never heard anything like it. I asked him who it was and he wouldn't tell me." They will then post the same thing on message boards, asking if anyone else knew who the tunes were by. Many times, I have paid to go and see a person play just because I know they have access to tunes that nobody else does. That could be the only time I ever get a chance to hear those tunes. That could be the only time those tunes are ever played. I plan to write some blog posts about this stuff at some point.

seanedevine 16y ago
I know Aphex Twin was notorious for this and he even got to a point where anything released was run of the mill, middle of the road, remix stuff and was even entitled "26 mixes for cash".
- leviathant 16y ago
  I'd argue that some of Aphex Twin's best tracks were remixes he did for other artists, which later appeared on that career-spanning compilation. While it's arguable whether or not some of those remixes contained original source material from the tracks they are supposed to be remixes of, I think it's disingenuous to refer to that stuff as run of the mill. I specifically pre-ordered that album not because it contained to chocolate Aphex Twin coins, but because it was way better than tracking down the dozens of singles that contained those remixes.
bittersweet 16y ago
I've experienced this a lot while going to Dubstep parties, there are a lot of DJs that indeed have those special ocassion records laying around. First party I went to a DJ called Skream played a track, later I found out it's one that he would never release and has a bit of a legendary status on the boards etc surrounding Dubstep. It was indeed amazing to experience it.
- JonnieCache 16y ago
  It should be noted that some of the time this is because the tracks in question have a massive, unclearable sample from a major label artist. Eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RJy2-F2irA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RJy2-F2irA It pains me that I will likely never get to own this record. However I have already paid to go and see someone who played it, and this was certainly part of my decision to do so. They've probably made more money off me from that than they would have if I bought the flac. EDIT: research shows that this track is now in fact coming out. Rave music has two solutions to the problem of unclearable samples: the classic, unlabelled vinyl sold direct to shops out the back of a car, and the more modern free download leaked to twitter. The former is dying out unfortunately.
  - bittersweet 16y ago
    Yes of course some of it is because of clearance issues but this track is not coming out on purpose. You can find it here if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbSUhryvC3Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbSUhryvC3Q I agree, whitelabels are the best! I have a couple of great tracks on whitelabels.
  - Dornkirk 16y ago
    "However I have already paid to go and see someone who played it, and this was certainly part of my decision to do so. They've probably made more money off me from that than they would have if I bought the flac." Who's the "they" there? The DJ who played the track or the artist who produced it? Sometimes it seems that in electronic music DJs get more attention/credit/$ than the artists who made the tracks being played. (although I know some DJs are also producers as well, I think they're the exception to the rule)
froydnj 16y ago
Sounds very similar to some of the themes William Gibson's recent novels have been riffing on (particularly _Zero History_).
measure2xcut1x 16y ago
I was lucky enough to have a few house records published in the 80's and 90's. An initial run of a record would always include a few hand-labeled "test pressings" that we would take around to radio and club dj's to see how they would fare in the mix - and also to build the buzz. It was always a rush, going to a full club or hot radio station and handing "fresh wax" to the dj - no it was not really wax - and getting immediate feedback. Very similar to launching a new app or feature these days!
sandGorgon 16y ago
Please do - I have been following electronic music for a few years now (DI.fm subscriber, head-fi) and never knew about this stuff.
- JonnieCache 16y ago
  You are getting a one sided view from DI.fm, it's very centered around the continental europe based trance scene. Try listening to some http://rinse.fm http://rinse.fm shows, particularly the Dusk and Blackdown show. Rinse is the top dog of london pirate radio. Blackdown's blog is here: http://blackdownsoundboy.blogspot.com/ http://blackdownsoundboy.blogspot.com/ For more about the UK scene, see the writings of Simon Reynolds: http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/2009/ http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/2009/
- MrMan 16y ago
  oh how I miss groovetech.com! I would pay lots of $$ for their archives.
- karlzt 16y ago
  http://headphonecommute.com/ http://headphonecommute.com/
leoc 16y ago
Similar to the story about how DJ Kool Herc* discovered "Apache" (in the Michael Viner cover version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_6UEtFuDHY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_6UEtFuDHY ) and adopted it as his secret weapon, managing to hide its identity for quite a while. * Or was it Grandmaster Flash? I wish I could find the TV documentary I remember this from.
- jamesbritt 16y ago
  Or was it Grandmaster Flash? I wish I could find the TV documentary I remember this from. Was this in the movie Scratch? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0143861/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0143861/ Only other source I can think of is NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1080761/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1080761/ (Both of these are well worth watching. NY77 describes the amazing cultural events in NYC, 1997.)
  - jamesbritt 16y ago
    Sorry; 1977, not 97

seanedevine 16y ago

I know Aphex Twin was notorious for this and he even got to a point where anything released was run of the mill, middle of the road, remix stuff and was even entitled "26 mixes for cash".

leviathant 16y ago
I'd argue that some of Aphex Twin's best tracks were remixes he did for other artists, which later appeared on that career-spanning compilation. While it's arguable whether or not some of those remixes contained original source material from the tracks they are supposed to be remixes of, I think it's disingenuous to refer to that stuff as run of the mill. I specifically pre-ordered that album not because it contained to chocolate Aphex Twin coins, but because it was way better than tracking down the dozens of singles that contained those remixes.

bittersweet 16y ago

I've experienced this a lot while going to Dubstep parties, there are a lot of DJs that indeed have those special ocassion records laying around. First party I went to a DJ called Skream played a track, later I found out it's one that he would never release and has a bit of a legendary status on the boards etc surrounding Dubstep. It was indeed amazing to experience it.

JonnieCache 16y ago
It should be noted that some of the time this is because the tracks in question have a massive, unclearable sample from a major label artist. Eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RJy2-F2irA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RJy2-F2irA It pains me that I will likely never get to own this record. However I have already paid to go and see someone who played it, and this was certainly part of my decision to do so. They've probably made more money off me from that than they would have if I bought the flac. EDIT: research shows that this track is now in fact coming out. Rave music has two solutions to the problem of unclearable samples: the classic, unlabelled vinyl sold direct to shops out the back of a car, and the more modern free download leaked to twitter. The former is dying out unfortunately.
- bittersweet 16y ago
  Yes of course some of it is because of clearance issues but this track is not coming out on purpose. You can find it here if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbSUhryvC3Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbSUhryvC3Q I agree, whitelabels are the best! I have a couple of great tracks on whitelabels.
- Dornkirk 16y ago
  "However I have already paid to go and see someone who played it, and this was certainly part of my decision to do so. They've probably made more money off me from that than they would have if I bought the flac." Who's the "they" there? The DJ who played the track or the artist who produced it? Sometimes it seems that in electronic music DJs get more attention/credit/$ than the artists who made the tracks being played. (although I know some DJs are also producers as well, I think they're the exception to the rule)

froydnj 16y ago

Sounds very similar to some of the themes William Gibson's recent novels have been riffing on (particularly _Zero History_).

measure2xcut1x 16y ago

I was lucky enough to have a few house records published in the 80's and 90's. An initial run of a record would always include a few hand-labeled "test pressings" that we would take around to radio and club dj's to see how they would fare in the mix - and also to build the buzz. It was always a rush, going to a full club or hot radio station and handing "fresh wax" to the dj - no it was not really wax - and getting immediate feedback. Very similar to launching a new app or feature these days!

sandGorgon 16y ago

Please do - I have been following electronic music for a few years now (DI.fm subscriber, head-fi) and never knew about this stuff.

JonnieCache 16y ago
You are getting a one sided view from DI.fm, it's very centered around the continental europe based trance scene. Try listening to some http://rinse.fm http://rinse.fm shows, particularly the Dusk and Blackdown show. Rinse is the top dog of london pirate radio. Blackdown's blog is here: http://blackdownsoundboy.blogspot.com/ http://blackdownsoundboy.blogspot.com/ For more about the UK scene, see the writings of Simon Reynolds: http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/2009/ http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/2009/
MrMan 16y ago
oh how I miss groovetech.com! I would pay lots of $$ for their archives.
karlzt 16y ago
http://headphonecommute.com/ http://headphonecommute.com/

leoc 16y ago

Similar to the story about how DJ Kool Herc* discovered "Apache" (in the Michael Viner cover version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_6UEtFuDHY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_6UEtFuDHY ) and adopted it as his secret weapon, managing to hide its identity for quite a while. * Or was it Grandmaster Flash? I wish I could find the TV documentary I remember this from.

jamesbritt 16y ago
Or was it Grandmaster Flash? I wish I could find the TV documentary I remember this from. Was this in the movie Scratch? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0143861/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0143861/ Only other source I can think of is NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1080761/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1080761/ (Both of these are well worth watching. NY77 describes the amazing cultural events in NYC, 1997.)
- jamesbritt 16y ago
  Sorry; 1977, not 97