Private Recordings

[Slamjacob]

the majority of stuff i do i suppose could fall into this category, and the reason for that is whenever i jam by myself i always have it recording into tape (either on the 4 track or right into the tape deck). I find that this spontaneity sometimes makes me come up with stuff that bolder and more interesting that if i was going into it knowing that it would be put into a release. theres a lot less pressure that way.

sometimes ill recycle bits of these jam sessions into live the very few live performances ive done.

[Feber]

I record all the time, but since I release very little most of it is for fun/practice and my own enjoyment. I mostly do single take recordings without overdubs.The good side of constant recording is always being prepared for live performances as well as slowly refining your sound. Unfortunately there is also danger in this, as it is very easy to lose track on "quality". As for live recordings, I mostly recorded all my live preparations/rehearals too for reference and sometimes they actually sound better than the proper recordings, since the longer format allows for a different approach to structure and composition.

[Major Carew]

Been pondering this subject a lot lately.I take great pleasure in not releasing material, or making it just for my own pleasure.In many ways, when you remove the desire to do business,make money & gain recognition from creating music, it's more fulfilling in my opinion.It's just for you and your own ends.It serves it's purpose completely.To think that years ago (before the music 'industry',a word that can even be applied to the very smallest labels these days unfortunately) music served a real & genuine purpose (to appease gods, to accompany ritual sacrifice, to get tribes mentally ready to go to war,etc), and that back then people wouldn't have said to each other "How many copies is that limited to?" "What label are they on?" "is this the original pressing" "Why are they doing a split with them?" Ugh! CDR ???" "HE said, SHE said" "They owe me"etc, and other boring shit which only ,for me, distorts & perverts the importance and significance of making music, makes one wonder about the importance of business & businessmen and their desire for praise & recognition in music, and ultimately releasing things in the first place.Sure, technology has changed things (whether for better or worse is a matter of opinion), but why let that affect what you're happy with? Is it ultimately a desire for recognition? Something to do with the modern problem of perpetual documentation? Narcissism? Who knows.... One thing I do know is that it's nice to know other people on the other side of the world like similar things to you....

[TS]

Thought-provoking reflections, Major. I suppose things can start to feel somewhat hollow, when for example you are running a label and, in spite of yourself, start caring about likes and whatnot. However, at the same time, I feel that when you are doing label-stuff, you're allowed to be a bit more cynical, and put on your business-hat. This way I think record labels can facilitate a healthy separation of roles. The bands themselves can be uncompromising, and ideally not worry about promotion and as you say remove the desire to do business, as this is the labels job. Maybe this is slightly utopian though. After all it seems most bands/projects now do their own promotion through facebook/soundcloud/bandcamp, etc.

[gasskammer]

As doing label and being artist it is good to know difference between what is worth releasing and not. We did lots of recordings in time of about 10? years ago, and waited some time to release it, and it seemed like a good choise now. Some music stays,some will be released soon, but a majority of that will be classics in a group of ten people. I do not think anyone else would like it so much as the involved parts, because it is also/a lot about the context of the specific time, and it would be pointless to release.

Also some recording sessions is what one could call spiritual even, if it is possible to talk about that aspect. These recordings may sound like shit to some, but then have significant purpose to the involved. It makes sense to keep that private i think. Other pieces of sound can be made for personal enjoyment, but never released.