Noise format survey!!!

[Cementimental]

ps. DIY lathe cut weird art objects by lathe cutting practitioners (Heresee, Wolf Eyes folks etc) very much > overpriced lathes some band paid Peter King to make for them (which i still kind of like too tho)

[xdementia]

LAST DAY! VOTE TODAY TO GET YOUR VOTE IN.

[Zeno Marx]

Someone asks band does he want to do release, band says "ok". Release happens, and not always in most satisfactory ways.

Exactly. Sometimes I embroil myself in embarrassing situation because I begin with an offer to issue something but after listening arrived music I am not satisfy and I resign from this release.

This should happen a lot more often than it probably does.

I regret not being more rigid about quality.  I did turn down a couple releases after a certain artist was coming off their finest work yet, but they changed their style and focus after that benchmark.  It isn't a choice I regret.  If handled well, the label doesn't suffer, nor does the ego of the artist.

A good remedy for this is, when making an offer, being as specific as possible.  Format, length, speed of record if it applies, theme/focus/content, pressing numbers, royalties, etc.  My first offer letters were something like "I love your band.  Interested in doing a record?"  After a couple of those, I realized how sloppy I was being, and the releases suffered from that.  From then on, the letters were highly detailed and sometimes a couple pages long.  I found the artists appreciated the amount of thought and planning from my end, and they also appreciated ideas and parameters.  Not once did I get feedback of "This sounds like you want to control what we're doing."  The ambiguous creates a clusterfuck.  People react well to details and forethought.

[xdementia]

Results are in - check them out here!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

So any conclusions based on this?

People like and buy different things?
Like:
people prefer handmade covers (51 votes as opposed of 39 for professional)
but they buy professional as opposed to handmade (63 vs 28)
So conclusion could be: there is shortage of style of packaging people would appreciate. They only buy what is made and have no alternative?


Statistical errors/inaccuracy based on questions?

Like:
32 prefer vinyl
23 + 20 = 43 prefer tape
12 = cd
But is it accurate to have two choices of tape instead of one? Not sure.

when asked in combination
17+14 prefer tapes = 31 (handmade/pro packaging)
15+16 prefer vinyl = 31 (handmade/pro packaging)
9+4+1 = 14 prefer cd (all different variations)
suddenly tapes and vinyl are just as demanded? There is no favor towards tape.

But then if looking what combinations people prefer... still making some conclusion would clarify:
tape = 42
vinyl = 31
cd = 14
cdr = 3
(which is very accurately same as previous preferation of format alone)

If looking what you purchase the most:
45 goes for tape
23 vinyl
20 cd


Maybe relevant question would be do you make choice by economic factors or due personal preference? It would appear like economic preference?
Which, I, of course can associate myself into. Of course I would like to put out everything on LP, yet reality often hits in. Be it length of material, sonic qualities of material, economic reality, logistics, etc etc.

[Black_Angkar]

Sometimes I embroil myself in embarrassing situation because I begin with an offer to issue something but after listening arrived music I am not satisfy and I resign from this release.

This is very good and should be practiced more often. When one records it is nigh impossible to have an "objective" view of quality. Everytime I have recordedsomething to be released I have been initially happy about results and then intensily unhappy with it. Luckily I have very few official releases, quite a few "semiofficial" tapes and cd-r:s handed out mostly to friends and allies in Sweden as compared to boxes filled with recording sesions, unused materials and tapes, hours and hours . For some of those I have now complete feelings of disgust, but which all seemed perfectly fine at the time of recording. The noisemarket is flooded and I think that harsh yet constructive criticism is the best way to handle it. I need it and many others certainly do so too.

Now, I didn't make the deadline, but from the results there seems to be a quite predictable hierarchy. The "obsolete" concrete formats of tape and vinyl are the most popular. These are mine as well. Especially tapes. Perhaps tape wins on feeling more exclusive than cd now that tape of different lengths than c-60 or c-90 are impossible or hard to find (at least in sweden). I.e. the hassle and physicality of those two formats make them more valuable to customers as opposed to the boring and easily accessible cd? 

[FreakAnimalFinland]

My assumption is that instead of format, most people simply look for good deal for good music.
I don't think digipak CD sold at 20$ is "great deal". But same can be said for 20$ tape in lazy "handmade" cover. These can be acceptable when artists & release is ones liking.

Tape maybe be for someone more special or personal. This argument leads to more interesting discussion: Why. Even if you like home dubbed tape as best format, is it because it's format in plain and simple concept, or perhaps economic reality connected to it: cheaper price, cheaper shipping, etc.
And if you choose CD, do you value those same things compactness (as opposed to LP's), but also digital carriers accuracy in storaging data, and as opposed to cheap bulk tape, possibly remain 100% the same for rest of your life no matter how much you listen?

I think format alone is hardly a deciding factor to vast majority. If you got 15usd tape from who cares HNW newbie as opposed to 5usd CD of Troniks. I'm quite sure latter would lure more? If you have same album released by lets say Galakt Horro and CD is 15 and LP 17..  Vinyl appears to sell much much quicker.  But what if it's something like Genocide Organ CD being 15 and vinyl version 27. I'm guessing the lure of vinyl over cd suddenly is re-thought by many?

[Zeno Marx]

I find it difficult to relate to those who only buy one format.  I've seen many times over on the noise boards that someone will only buy vinyl.  I do understand that there is so much quantity music to be heard that one does need to employ some strategy to edit their buying.  Only buying vinyl is one way to edit purchasing habits.  And maybe there is more quality music on vinyl than any one person could hope to absorb and appreciate; so again, such purchase editing could work.  Nevertheless, I cannot imagine not hearing the great number of artists who don't release any vinyl or only have one or two releases on vinyl.  I cannot understand not hearing JGrzinich - Intimations or Seth Nehil - Uva just because it wasn't on vinyl.  Such a maxim wouldn't serve my interest in music well, and I'm in it for the music.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

perhaps there can be element of slight self betrayal type of thing. Like saying I prefer LP's and I buy LP's, but in the end, due various circumstances, end up actually listening files. But since it's not consciously buying or obtaining, it hardly registers to your brain that vast majority of music is just files.
Whole LP with download card thing. You buy LP, but more often listen the file due circumstances.

I do think a lot of people don't miss the "clumsy" big stereo equipment. Their choice to focus on formats listenable with compact small system may be dominating factor? Maybe it is not so visible thing in noise, but among other music styles I know plenty of people who don't really bother with technical & space issues related to turntables and such. They rather just push the play button.

I'm now listening to CD, of material what suits best the CD format. This wouldn't work too well on tape or LP.

[impulse manslaughter]

i like 7"s (kbd punk, 80's hardcore, wave, noise, pe, exp, ambient)