Since the emergence of MP3's, has music become more 'throwaway'?

[dlove]

Or to put it another way; when artists strove for a vinyl pressing, were more future classics produced?

It's early days on the digital front, and already we're seeing an explosion of 'new' genres, millions of new producers and DJ's and an almost complete invasion/acceptance (however you want to look at it) of the general public into what was a subculture. Where's this all going to go, I wonder?

Being a bit of a pessimist, I tend to look on the down-side; loads of rubbish music, kids who've never heard of Lonnie Liston Smith producing 'house music' ect, but on the bright side, I can't help noticing some really fantastic music shuttling about as digital files, too. I can only hope this music will be loved and cared for into the future, just as my generation, and the generations before me, cared for the music we call classics today.

[Sublim&All]

The good thing about about the past when vinyl was the only medium, was that actually distributing your music wasn't something everyone could afford. That meant: before you could let it press, at least someone actually had to like it. Nowadays, anyone can put his work online in an eye blink; including the shit nobody's looking for.

I do think the nostalgia of the older "classics" is overrated as well. Back in those days, that music got hyped by the media as well (up to this day, we are told that we are supposed to like it). It just wasn't that obvious and shameless as it's done now (and back in the day, the tracks that got hyped actually also had SOME quality).

[dlove]

@Sublim&All, yeah, do you think because certain tracks got pushed so much by the few DJ's and underground clubs/radio, they got ingrained in our minds as 'future classics'? Then it'd be a case of now there's so much, how much will stick?

[dlove]

still thinking of the subculture thing...it's ironic; underground movements are concerned with change, yet when the masses embrace it, the movement is changed, while the masses stay the same. Yikes! I did say I was a pessimist.

[Synergy]

I think production quality has gone down, while there are more tracks coming out, there is less mastering going on. I get some tracks that just sound like SHIT and i never play them out. With vinyl, at least there was some overhead to get those test presses out then getting the actual presses/cuts done. Now it seems that anyone can release a track and it should be "good to go".

i miss the exclusivity of vinyl.

[dlove]

I think production quality has gone down, while there are more tracks coming out, there is less mastering going on. I get some tracks that just sound like SHIT and i never play them out. With vinyl, at least there was some overhead to get those test presses out then getting the actual presses/cuts done. Now it seems that anyone can release a track and it should be "good to go".

i miss the exclusivity of vinyl.

I totally agree. Yet, I play only vinyl, and while it remains 'exclusive', in my opinion it's gone too exclusive, with many '200 Limited Edition Pressing' 10"s and 12"s being produced instead of 5000 or whatever. While that's great if you can get 'em, it's made the hunt that bit harder, especially for young people starting out.

[Synergy]

especially with loads of edm labels going to strictly digital.....

finding new stuff on vinyl for me is near impossible.

[dlove]

especially with loads of edm labels going to strictly digital.....

finding new stuff on vinyl for me is near impossible.

definitely; I mourn quite a few fantastic tracks that are strictly digital release...and I'm not the sort to play cd burnoffs out.

[dlove]

making me think...perish the thought that vinyl DJ's are assumed to be playing vintage music!

There are a few amazing labels putting out brand new music on vinyl first, digital second, but the general public don't know that; only us (perhaps more 'backroom beats') geeks I'd venture, nowadays, most people assume vinyl DJ's play old stuff.

[BuddyUK]

making me think...perish the thought that vinyl DJ's are assumed to be playing vintage music!

There are a few amazing labels putting out brand new music on vinyl first, digital second, but the general public don't know that; only us (perhaps more 'backroom beats') geeks I'd venture, nowadays, most people assume vinyl DJ's play old stuff.

As member, label owner, producer and DJ propertrax has said before, "real labels release records", a statement I heartliy agree with.

I've ranted and raved about the dangers of this digital thing for many years here, and lo, so many of my predictions came to pass, Paris Hilton's fist pumping performance just being the latest comic interlude. I'm too tired to be angry about it all anymore, I'm just trying to imagine a happy place right now.


I'll just leave this question with you, if the EDM 'scene' is so big (in the US especially) these days, where is all the money going?

Vinyl will never die and the underground will always find a way to endure so to that hope I cling.