Quote from: Thermophile on October 31, 2020, 02:04:48 PM
People who still hold such delusions (either those who act as gatekeepers or those who think someone holds the key that will make them famous or sell records)
are clueless to what have happened to the world the last 20 years or so and how old ways of conduct have changed or barely matter anymore.
I think the basic principles of underground culture are as valid as they always were. Like I mentioned before, I do not think there are "gatekeepers" per se. Calling people who write, publish, distributors, are most of all enables. Most of noise guys do it on financial loss. They see something they like, and want to tell people about it or push it to other peoples hands. That is how underground traditionally functions. They are not "key to success". It is just part of the process how word gets around.
In short: Someone did so great stuff, that others can't shut up about it. And more people get interested.
People learn quickly who does good recommendations. Who tells everything is awesome. Who is biased to certain group of people or aesthetic. As it was expressed before, I recall by you, was the insane flood of material that leads most people into problem of abundance. While in past, you may have trusted great review to be why you placed order of item.
Now you may have option to pre-view (or just listen) release from artists own bandcamp for example. But what did take you there? I can not believe people would just randomly click links like mindless consumers, hoarding everything and anything. Still now, pretty much everybody I know, check out thing based on
becoming interested in it. How you become interested in something, first of all you'd need to find or hear about it. Often can be just random discoveries, but a lot of it is, someone saying, somewhere, "did you hear this? fucking brilliant!". On level of noise underground, every "journalist", every "distro", every "gig organizer" is basically just that guy who is enthusiastic about it, to communicate and "promote" it to others. You only hear word "gatekeeper" when shitty band needs excuse why nobody listens or buys their stuff, and thinks there exists some magical character who can change that by writing few lines in Wire magazine or such...
I personally feel, enthusiastic people/"enablers" are crucial, and purpose of even forum such is SI - is to advocate such behavior. People picking up best things they heard and were impressed and recommend others to check out. Or put out release of such artist. Or grab some copies of their stuff to distro. Without such behavior, you simply do not discover it by yourself from such a vast mass of things, that happens globally.
One can check out Playlist topic for example. Tell what you hear, and why it ruled. That release may get few buyers or people checking out if there is link to listen it. It may get labels to send invitations to make next tape on their label, etc.
