Quote:
Originally Posted by Effigy  MusicNonStop have announced on their website that they have ceased trading. 
As an on-line store that has helped build and sustain the alternatvie industrial scene for many years in this country, this has to go down as a pretty sad day.
A lot of the stuff I've got into as a dj over the last 5 years has been through them, and while my bank manager might be glad they're now gone, I'm personally gutted, especially as they were a sound bunch who always took time for a chat when I met them down at Infest.
Just goes to show the power of illegal music downloading on what is a relatively small music scene (yeah, thats a pointed comment, feel free to hurl abuse at me).
Oh yeah, anyone have any recommendations for other good on-line industrial/electro stores? |
Apologies for coming to this thread as late.
First, I think it's important not to attribute the demise of MNS to "illegal" downloading. Downloading is a symptom of the cartel rip off that music buyers have been subjected too for years. The reason that MNS stopped making money was simple - the scene is tiny. And greedy.
Labels and Stores have combined to impoverish artists and rip off "fans" or listeners for years. Bands get a pittance (if anything!), and you, the loyal customer gets ripped off for your troubles.
If industrial had the same ethos as punk it would be far stronger. And MNS would probably still be in business.
"Pay no more than X for this disk", control distribution, and more importantly, nurture the scene rather than bleeding it dry.
To an extent, MNS were victims, in so much as the "scene" has mirrored the general mainstream record labels - if something sells? Clone it. Don't foster innovation, foster "sameyness". VNV are popular? Get sound-a-likes! If Hocico are good, get 17 other bands going the same thing, and release 46 different "deluxe" versions in "luxury" packaging but with the same tracks (more or less). Look at the labels releasing "industrial", "ebm" or whatever you call it...it's a morass. Faceless rip offs of other bands, countless sound-a-likes and look-a-likes.
Where MNS were not blameless was in not using their position as the 800lb gorilla in a tiny wee scene and forcing change or innovating. IE offering listeners/customers/consumers a better, or even different way of accessing music. MNS became (passively or actively) part of the problem. As soon as they did, they were dead. DRM free downloads at cut price? There are labels who will allow this and MNS could have used them to leverage the bigger labels. Cutting the price of CD's? Widening the scope of the business/distro channel? Pushing merch sales much harder? Tour tie-ins?
I feel sorry for the guys who ran MNS losing their jobs, and it's a shame that a source of music has gone, but I can't be too upset when another of the old guard withers on the vine.
We need a new outlook. New ideas. Not simply the "I want to be the HMV of industrial"
As for the Hocico box set? One day a band won't try selling old rope in shiny bok for extra cash, they'll offer a CD in a recycled cardboard sleeve/minimal packaging for a fair/cheaper price, or DRM free downloads at full quality for less again. A deluxe version might included extra tracks/remix kits. ie much more for your money.
As for downloading? It's the saviour of music. A move (hopefully) away from the monetisation of art. A "marketplace" where the cartels can't and don't control. And remember, downloading was borne from the record companies old world view. The one where they wanted the video recorder banned. Where it's *still* illegal to make a backup copy of a CD in this country (UK). People want to share things they like. Downloading can *drive* the sale of music. It used to be you had to buy a record on faith, with no idea if it was good or trash. I download music, and if i like it, I buy it. 100% of the time. repeated listening means buying product - but I'd rather buy direct from the artist then from EMI etc. Downloaders are a lost sale, but a sales opportunity.
