Wednesday, January 18, 2006



So, since that last blog I have rounded up two more songs, bringing the total number of album-worthy vocal tracks to 8 or 9. I am contemplating track orders, and what sort of cohesive elements I could add to the record in the form of transitions, instrumentals(of which there will probably be 2-5) and the like. I have also been thinking a lot about what I want the cover art to be like, what kind of material and look I want the liner notes to have, etc. What's difficult for me is knowing when a phase has ended. I think I will consider the phase I am in now to be officially over when it comes time for me to move and expand the studio into the bigger place I will be getting in March.
Because I have recieved sponsorship I can depend on, this release will not be a CDR, it will be a CD professionally duplicated and screen printed. Packaging is something still up in the air to me...I rarely explain actual technique or talk about equipment, but I think it would add a very interesting element to the liner notes to explain the studio, because every body of work I make feels like such a picture of life in that location and in that studio. Also because I should get street cred for having made the record I have on a computer with a bad fan bearing, in a room with standing room only to record in, while living on just under $15,000/year.
I am also struggling with promotion and marketting for the record, because my "empage" will die soon, and that had previously been a major contributor to any limited publicity I have had. I am going to try and get a lot of promotional copies mailed out to college stations, and then call and request the songs. I am also considering guerilla marketting an easily rememberable URL with some cheap one color screened stickers.
I need a real website, and I need a good website. I can't do this stuff live almost at all, so I'll need a good way to get the music out. I plan on offering plenty of material from the record online, but keeping the bulk of it available only by purchasing the album or requesting it on the radio.
I need advice on this process, because its all new to me. Anyone got any kind of basic marketting tips for me?

Current listening:
Choubi Choubi! A Collection of Iraqi Pop and Funk
Funkytown Budapest: Hungary 1970s
Ho! Roady Music of Vietnam
Flanger: Spirituals

2 comments:

Marco Raaphorst said...

I love your blog!

erik said...

i second the [heart] for your blog. :-) (catch the em411 ref, eh? eh?) as far as promotion goes - the best promotion ever (second only to internet word-of-mouth, but this will fuel that) is playing live as much as possible. i for one, would pay mad bananas to see you do a live set of your music. :-)