commercialism

[reptilian]

yo reptillian, how long u been envolved in the "scene"?

well i've djing garage/grime/dubstep since like 2003 but only for fun, promoting and djing nights where i live and working in a record shop

guess my only involvement in the "scene" is from reading the forum and listening to radio shows and buying records.

look, i know this thread might come across like im digging at you for doing the nike thing but i'm not. its more of a general observation about things seemingly getting more mainstream and commercial. that was just a recent example. personally i wouldn't do ads but i respect your decision to do the nike thing.

if you want to make nike look good then fair play to you

[reptilian]

double post

[reptilian]

triple post

[reptilian]

quadruple post

[spencertron]

Dubstep isn't exactly 'unconventional' or 'challenging' music really though, is it? (some of it is a little challenging) The conventional nature of the sound has lots of potential for it to be used in other things...music shouldn't lose any credibility because of it. it's a good thing imo. It's not a fashion accessory.

[spiderman]

lol...

i think some people are taking this way to much to heart....

i dont think it matters much if people are doing commercial tracks/remixes that reach the mainstream AS LONG AS it doesnt compromise the quality of the music or its integrity...

and the other issue here i think is the "messages" that can be sent with promotional tracks for ads or companies, etc...

i suppose thats quite subjective as to what impression is left on people, but as long as it aint promoting something that goes against what the music is about it should be fine.

[skream]

yo reptillian, how long u been envolved in the "scene"?

well i've djing garage/grime/dubstep since like 2003 but only for fun, promoting and djing nights up north where i live and working in a record shop

guess my only involvement in the "scene" is from reading the forum and listening to radio shows and buying records.

look, i know this thread might come across like im digging at you for doing the nike thing but i'm not. its more of a general observation about things seemingly getting more mainstream and commercial. that was just a recent example. im a guitarist and personally i wouldn't do ads but i respect your decision to do the nike thing.

if you want to make nike look good then fair play to you

fair play, i shouldnt even get envolved in this shit....but i cant help it so....

At the end of the day i make music for a living....
Things like the nike project are a big thing for me.....
I make music for "underground" heads...actually i make music end of....
dubstep may not be around forever so i need to think about my future...

I shouldnt even get envolved in all this shit cause i will get mocked...
but fuck it...

[diston]

can you get me some cheap kicks?

[little boh peep]

I'm doing the score for a designer's runway show at the next New York Fashion Week (Ernte, if anyone's curious; more pictures from past collections here), who sought me out because he loved my work, and I suspect that's how the other artists named in this thread came to do their respective commissions.

I can't speak for anyone else who's had a commission, but working with Ernte is a pleasure because it's truly allowed me to focus on the music, rather than making something "dancefloor", or "DJ friendly", or worrying about how many units it'll sell. It's very freeing not to have to compromise my vision to fit a formula.

I don't see Rusko, Skream, or Benga compromising their vision or their art for a paycheck - what they do still sounds like them. Unless you know the particulars of their deals with MTV, or Nike, or what have you, you can't say with any certainty that they have compromised. I say good for them for getting mainstream recognition!

[bright maroon]

At the end of the day i make music for a living....
Things like the nike project are a big thing for me.....

...see this..there is nothing wrong with this...It's like Skream writing all over a Nike ad right...awesome..we might watch for a minute..


I think what everyone is afraid of, is an influx of asshats. People who wear the asshat because someone told them it was cool, and then the real heads get confused as to why everyone is wearing asshats...and then they eventually leave out of fear of the unknown...

..then all the asshats, being such that they are, may find themselves easily infuenced to like, say - Uffie - then all of a sudden Skream is being put off - and Uffie is taking charge....that's an asshat fuckery job right there...

[spiderman]

i dnt think with any dubstep producer its about the money...

its music for the passion of it first, which is 1 of the reasons why it sounds so good.

but if your gonna get offered a more than "normal" amount of money for making music which you like making at would make the same kind of music anyways regardless of money involved...

then i dont see any harm in taking the money as a bonus. its not an incentive as such, but its a reward. there is a line as to how far money can become a reason for making music without it being considered as "selling out" and doing things mainly for the money....

i cant see many producers in dubstep selling out because that goes against the very nature of the music itself.

at the end of the day everybody needs money, and if music is your life then you would wanna get some reward for your graft, and if you can get that without having the music u make lose credibility (by being creatively free) and stay at the same quality then why not take it. it would be stupid to turn down the attention and the money for making music in the same way as u always do, if the possibility of it is there.

[spiderman]

I don't see Rusko, Skream, or Benga compromising their vision or their art for a paycheck - what they do still sounds like them. Unless you know the particulars of their deals with MTV, or Nike, or what have you, you can't say with any certainty that they have compromised. I say good for them for getting mainstream recognition!

exactly.

out to skream for replying, this topic has basically put him on the spot for what he has done with nike. but it was the right thing to do, he is a big dj/producer at the moment with a lot of buzz around his name and around the genre he is associated with, it would be silly to not capatalize on it if you can do it in the right way. how many chances do you get to be that succesful?

i havent herd it properly myself to comment on, but i cant see it being sum major turning point that causes sum massive influx of commercial sheepy stnuc to all of a sudden rush into the scene and crap all over it.

[surface_tension]

if it was just adverts & nike & mtv, standard industry things etc, it doesnt bother me.

what bothers me is red bull, scion, sparks etc...

cause they dont just use music to promote they shit, or score their whatever...

they fucking infiltrate and exploit culture in a very different way. and alot of people take their money. its nearly impossible to find a underground Hiphop or edm event that they do not have their hands on... its pretty fucking disgusting tbh


when you use the music to push your brand, its one thing, branding the music and culture is another beast entirely

Can I ask what it is about these particular companies having their name attached that makes it bad?

I've seen a lot of dope DJ's I wouldn't have seen if they didn't sponsor the show, and that's just the truth there. Sometimes they are necessary because DJ's don't play for free. Until they do and flights don't cost money, sponsors will exist. Even then they will exist, because motherfuckers are cheap and lazy and can get the free help. All you have to do is peddle a drink, which people are free to buy. I don't see people selling Scion's at shows though, just having mixes put out and names on flyers... which hurts what?

[bright maroon]

.. they arent just USING my culture to push they shit, they are using their $$ to get up IN my culture, yet if i was to bring my culture to THEIR $$, id end up in jail...

I hear you ..they wouldn't hire you, but they will gladly take your money...and mush you in the face on the way out...

..you work for years trying to make something happen, and they breeze in with their money from shitty drinks and get their name all over it..like bukkake...

[human?]

Can I ask what it is about these particular companies having their name attached that makes it bad?

red bull is most likely terribly unhealthy. they sell a product 1/3 the size, for double the price, and its fucking crap. they are a drug dealer, end of. to each their own, but if you wanna know the bad..

scion is toyota, and the automobile industry and the oil industry it supports are filthy and ruthless..

i honestly dont want either in my life, or my music, but i understand capitalism.

I've seen a lot of dope DJ's I wouldn't have seen if they didn't sponsor the show, and that's just the truth there. Sometimes they are necessary because DJ's don't play for free. Until they do and flights don't cost money, sponsors will exist.

thanks for promoter 101, and no you are wrong they are never NECESSARY and i absolutely refuse to give them any credit for any good times ive had, they are simply brandswith money to burn, all respect is due to the ARTISTS and party people, who do this shit with or without logos.

Even then they will exist, because motherfuckers are cheap and lazy and can get the free help. All you have to do is peddle a drink, which people are free to buy. I don't see people selling Scion's at shows though, just having mixes put out and names on flyers... which hurts what?

because motherfuckers are cheap & lazy is a good thing how?

and thats the point with them NOT selling scions at shows, and why this type of marketing concerns me...

with a song used in a advert or something like that, its clear they are usingsomething to sell something, which is fine and dandy as long as the artist get paid....

with the red bull scion model theyve positioned themselves to not just sell you stuff, but sell you YOUR OWN CULTURE with a brand attatched, and to them, it purely marketing when it comes down to it, and it shows..

[jolly wailer]

for the record I'm still bumping Glamma on the regs..


human? you gotta real sound head feeling your sentiments 100%



having companies names attached to shit makes it wack plain and simple.


fair play to being commissioned to do tracks, thats one thing.. logos and all that other shit, I've seen scions parked outside events, etc.. shit is just super tacky and offensive.

[surface_tension]

yo reptillian, how long u been envolved in the "scene"?

well i've djing garage/grime/dubstep since like 2003 but only for fun, promoting and djing nights up north where i live and working in a record shop

guess my only involvement in the "scene" is from reading the forum and listening to radio shows and buying records.

look, i know this thread might come across like im digging at you for doing the nike thing but i'm not. its more of a general observation about things seemingly getting more mainstream and commercial. that was just a recent example. im a guitarist and personally i wouldn't do ads but i respect your decision to do the nike thing.

if you want to make nike look good then fair play to you

fair play, i shouldnt even get envolved in this shit....but i cant help it so....

At the end of the day i make music for a living....
Things like the nike project are a big thing for me.....
I make music for "underground" heads...actually i make music end of....
dubstep may not be around forever so i need to think about my future...

I shouldnt even get envolved in all this shit cause i will get mocked...
but fuck it...

Bro I will never knock the hustle. You get your stacks man. Nike has questionable practices in my eyes, but at the end of the day I have more to think about than myself nowadays and putting away money for the future is a fuckin good look man. I'd be doing the same thing, questionable or not. It's your life, I seriously doubt you are going to lose many sales over working with Nike. Half the fucking scene are collectors of shoes and fitted caps. How the fuck could that hurt sales?

Get those stacks and fuck the haters. At the end of the day you put out hits, and it's nobody's business but your own what you make. If they wanna know what you make to rock crowds, they can make an offer and gauge by whether you are laughing or not whether you make what they offered.

[_boring]

"The Music Business"