So, my last post on the demise of the album format didn’t exactly garner the reaction or attention I expected, but am I going to give up?

So, my last post on the demise of the album format didn’t exactly garner the reaction or attention I expected, but am I going to give up? Hell no! If you build it, they will come. And what’s eating away at me this week? Well, I’m not gonna stray too far from that initial subject. My master plan for post number one was to mobilise the Bodytonic troops, spark some debate on the new albums currently littering the racks of our friendly independent music retailer, then get everyone down to said retailer to invest in these new titles and lend some much needed support to the stores and artists/labels. But the quiet response got me thinking – Where are all the single men in Manhattan? Only joking, I hope nobody gets that.

My initial fear after the last post was, music retail really is dead. The proof from an Irish perspective - Tag Records, Disque Records, Music City, Mulligan’s, D1, Carbon Records, Selectah, and countless others…RIP. I’m sure it’s no different anywhere else. It’s safe to say, there just isn’t a demand for physical releases any more is there, especially albums. So maybe everyone is just downloading. Where can one now go to buy their music, say on vinyl? Tower and HMV have very basic vinyl sections, so in Dublin we’re just left with Abbey, City Discs and Spindizzy really. Is that where everyone is going? There are still quite a few working DJs and countless bedroom DJs out there, but has everyone converted to mp3s and Serato? Are people buying mp3s or just swiping them? Does anyone really care? Once our iPods are full of random tunes, and there’s plenty of new tracks on display down the local is anyone really losing sleep over this? Well, I am.

10 years in music retail, and now 2 years working with record labels. The future is grim out there, I can tell ya folks. Album sales are plummeting, record stores are closing faster than ever, labels are dropping bands and letting staff go at a serious rate or shutting down completely and venues are not as full as the used to be. Every corner of the industry is in serious trouble. I just don’t know how the shops that are left are going to stay open, how independent labels are going to survive or how artists are going to make a crust. I know touring and djing are still relatively lucrative, but only for a select, fortunate few that have that buffer of label support. New business models – Radiohead, Dogs Die In Hot Cars, NIN – are currently being road-tested, but there’s still no steadfast solution. Nothing can patch over the gaping hole left in the industry by diminished record sales.

I worked on the Matthew Dear album campaign in Ireland and was shocked at the sheer lack of interest from media and retail for what was an exceptional release, at least I thought so anyway. The same could be said of the new Booka Shade album. Though nowhere near as good I still believed it was a relatively high profile release, deserving more attention and better sales. Nae luck! Yet I’d wager both could fill a decent sized venue pretty much anywhere these days. So is it time to call it a day on the album format? Are they merely a promotional tool? Your votes and thoughts please folks.

The most interesting and challenging music out there still comes from the fringes of the industry, but specialist music is currently struggling for space and visibility within our stores. Although we are passionate music fans, we are investing less in music, and even less of that money in our local stores. This will only lead to one thing, more closures. And what happens when your missus wants the new Jape album for her house party that night, or you have to rush out and get the Best of The Rat Pack for your Da’s birthday, what then? Down to Tesco? Hmmm, I’d wager the day our music stores close is the day you see those supermarket prices rise. Beware folks, that impulse buy - no matter what kind of saving you’re making - is gonna cost you much more in the long run. The supermarkets have played a huge role in the process of devaluing music, arguably as much as the download phenomenon has. Just ask any independent retailer out there and they’ll confirm this. It’s time for us to get back out there and give something back.

So, let’s try this again. Any great new albums out there? Ok, where can I buy it?

But it shouldn’t all be doom and gloom. Let’s look on the bright side. While our industry is in turmoil there are still other folk out there with far worse problems. Think of the poor dude who just kissed goodbye to whatever sliver of rock n’ roll cred he had left by marrying Peaches Geldof!

And if we really are trying to create a community here, and spark debate on important topics that we’re all really passionate about, let’s hear what you guys want to talk about. We’re happy to tackle any subject here. Mi casa….

Words The Obscure Remixer