This is some exciting stuff for me. Koen Holtkamp, one half of WWALT favorite band Mountains (Thrill Jockey) has a pre-Mountains debut album called “Field Rituals”. It is totally Mountains-esque with acoustic guitar, loops, samples, plus field recordings in background. Apparently there is another solo joint out there, “Haste”, but the good Captain didn’t come through on that one.
Listening now and so far this is great.
Might as well use this space to talk about some more thoughts on the ongoing illegal download tip: I got hip to this release while perusing the Mimaroglu Music Site, deeeeeeep shit… if you think you know a lot of esoteric bands, check the “artists” page on this site and if you know 5% of them then you got me beat. This site is run by musician Keith Fullerton Whitman, whose “Lisbon” CD is fucking amazing if you haven’t checked it out.
Anywhosers, my understanding of retail is that Keith paid the artist or a label wholesale to get the product, then he’s selling it to me. So I’m not really screwing the artist, per se, but rather Keith for not buying from his site and downloading instead. I don’t feel bad in this case as 1) this is only for sale as a CD, and CD’s are pretty much worthless to me now. I would just rip to iTunes and then throw it away; and 2) I found this while digging through his best of 2009 list, and ended up dropping about $150 on LPs, Cassettes and 7-Inchers (ouch).
I feel like no one I discuss this issue with really mentions the affects on record stores in the debate and mostly focuses on the artist. I guess that’s because the profits go straight to the artist/label in iTunes or other legal download situation, and its kind of a given CD's are dead? I guess brick and mortar record stores are getting cut out of the equation either way when it comes to downloads, legal or illegal…
In any event, fans of Mountains should check out Koen Holtkamp stat, good stuff.
And I'm out.
DC aka “Double Rainbow”
2 comments:
That's the guy that didn't return my email, boohooo. Nah, I of course want to hear that album ASAP. I would say yousendit to me but I'm planning to hit up you and E with a PSS DVD on the 17th, so maybe do that? Record stores are just part of the inevitable part of creative destruction that is changing our lives..........
It's all but pears in a willow tree, my bug.
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