RUN THE SHOW
If you don't control your music then you don't control your life. The recording industry as it currently stands in the big picture is not in the business of presenting music to the public. They are in the business of selling the artists to whom ever will buy them. The artist becomes a product, a commodity, like cattle or sheep to be bought and sold at will. When I think about how many artists in all forms of music find themselves looking for work to pay off the debt they inherit from the "record deal" or a bad distribution contract, I cringe. When I hear a band has been named the number one hit in America I know they are either robots created by the product machine, or desperate untrained inexperienced people who have sold out
their lives and are at the mercy of the scraps dolled by the masters they serve. And, when I hear an artist say "I'm looking for the deal" I feel great sadness that the cycle of abuse continues generation after generation. However, this is not a one way street. In order for the
recording industry to take control there has to be an artist who is willing to be lead. Fortunately there have been musicians through history (Milford Graves et al.) that take a stand and tell it like it is while actually taking action. Even in the exhaustive corrupt pop music world there are artists like Courtney Love and Prince who have figured out there is something wrong! Although recording labels that cater to fringe genres like jazz, experimental, new sonic, and any other non pop music may not necessarily operate by the same draconian policies, it is imperative for the artists to be business educated, patient, and willing to take things slower in order to get what they want. The resources are limitless especially with the advent of the web. My all artist no-slave company is dedicated to pointing out some of those resources and view points of artists and companies that wish to work together on an equal level.
-Rent Romus, Edgetone Records