One of the crappiest feelings in the world humans can have is that of disappointment. We generally tend to be optimistic, bright-eyed organisms who expect things to go our way. When they don't, and reality sets in, it's just another chunk of our youth and innocence chiseled off our very souls. Of all the disappointments we can have, loss of trust in another person in the worse.
This isn't a story about betrayal. But it does speak to the depressingly short-sightedness some people can have, and how when those people feel the taste of power, it can ruin a common human experience for A LOT of other people. I'm talking about the sorry state of the recorded music business....
I've been EXTREMELY fortunate to be a working composer for the past 15 years. My job is writing music, music that comes out of the fabric of my very being. And people who are authorized to spend part of their advertising budgets for movies have been throwing some of that towards me for quite a while now. My actual interaction with these people is fairly minimal, which means that most of the time I'm thankfully left alone to tickle the ivories, twist some knobs and do a whole lot of pointing and clicking and fader pushing - writing and producing music. Being in this fairly isolated world has largely sheltered me from the intense machinations of the film and advertising worlds, with all that money, and many careers, constantly on the line.
But now with Globus stepping out from behind the curtain and coming out into the commercial music world, I am forced to confront some demons I always knew existed, but never thought I'd actually have to interact with! People working behing the scenes in the music business do not tend to be artist-driven. They rather come from anything but musical or artistic backgrounds. I suspect many are in it because they harbor some childhood fantasy of rock stardom, or dating the prom queen that was a foot taller and had perfect skin. Not that there's anything wrong with having fantasies and acting on them, but what happens is that these folks become purveyors of cultural moralism - they ultimately become the levers which decide what is 'popular' music, and what is 'fringe' or 'eclectic'. I can point to very similar tendencies in the world of modern art. A guy can paint a canvas black, or draw several squiggly lines, and this can easily get established as high art by the 'experts' in the field. I see much of the music industry saddled with this kind of mentality (has been for decades), where the good stuff is hard to find amid a jungle of incessant and repetitive drum loops, quirky analog synth sound effects, and those same three guitar chords we've been hearing since the day we were born. I just had the pleasure of spending a few minutes (and a few dollars) on some great, accessible music on Cdbaby.com that only a relative handful of people have heard. Why can't we elevate the common musical vernacular a bit? Because most people follow, and are fearful of stepping out on a limb and exhibiting something that perhaps does not conform to the average. I'm not saying Globus is radically non-conformist - there are certainly elements of pop in our music that taps into some existing sensibilities. But could you ever imagine a Globus song being regularly played on a commercial radio station? Or MTV for that matter?
So what is this rant about anyway? Well, we're onto a new promotional campaign for a new single from EPICON. As you can imagine, this involves conforming to a certain set of rules on how to generate interest with a few powerful people in the music industry. There are certain things a label needs to spend good amounts of money on (Globus has it's own indie label, Imperativa Records), and while it's a brave new digital world out there, traditional promotional tools still rule. So you hire a plugger, PR, press agent, make a video. Right now we're mastering the single version of Orchard of Mines, and guess what the most important attribute of the single needs to be - - - how loud it bloody well is so that when they play it on the radio it will sound the same as the tune before it and after!!!!
I actually love getting my music out to a whole lot of people, because I know it has a powerful effect on some. But the road getting there is littered with catches and caveats, which I will specifically address in the next blog on this subject.
If none of the above made any sense, you're not alone. I just reread it and made a note to myself - don't embark on grand philophical treatises in the wee hours of the morning with an 18 hour workday ahead...
Part two soon....
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13 comments:
"Wow," you might be thinking, "someone is posting a comment weeks after I made a bleary-eyed rant?"
Um, well yes. I'm making a tired-eye-but-still-at-work-designing-stuff-for morons-who-think-"irregardless"-is-a-word comment.
I can certainly understand having to step into "the biz" and dealing with, well frankly...a bunch of know-it-all fakes, and knowingly have to marginalize (and I use the word lightly, for lack of a better one) your artisic integrity to meet your goals.
My point in all of this is that you'll get through it. It'll be worth it. I'm just one of what I believe to be a growing fan base of your music (as well as others in your field who are also starting to "step out from behind the curtain"). You've observed that your music has a profound effect on some people, more than I think you know and in more ways than you can fathom, I believe. Just chin up and lose yourself in that sanctum sanctorum to produce more of that music.
We'll be waiting right here for you when it's ready.
Yoav, I don't think you really need to worry about promoting your music - it seems to have already generated so much interest, that a lot of people are watching news every day, hoping for the new things to come from you :)
I think that you hit the perfect balance between orchestra, choir and modern age music. Dann is awesome in his vocals, you're awesome in your music, people know and love you - what else there is to want?
Well, there are some things that your fans want: more live shows, but seeing the grandeur of the show, orchestra, choir and things, I would imagine it costs a lot to go on a tour.
In any event, great talent will always find its way to people, who appreciate it. Don't worry much about the showbiz stuff, just look at the bigger picture and keep the good stuff coming! :)
Regards - Dmitry.
Hi Yoav
I only came across your music last year by chance. I was flicking through the TV channels and came across the "Box interview". I did a search on the internet and contacted someone at Globus, (can't remember who right now), asking if there was going to be any other performances other than at Wembley.
I was surprised when I had a reply offering me 2 tickets to the Wembley concert as I was the 1st to make contact after the interview was aired.
That night at Wembley will remain with me always and not for the 3 hour drive there and 3 hour drive back hahaha. It was a great night and my partner and myself still feel the shivers up our spines when we remember it and listen to the CD.
I play the CD often at work, maybe a little too loud though but I have had no complaints from my colleagues. I also email them links to any new videos on you tube that has anything to do with your music.
Keep plugging away and don’t give up there are those out here who are on your side and push your music.
Oh, are there any plans for another concert?
I listen to Europa every day, i love it, Epicon is a great album, i wish that i had been at Wembley Conferenace centre to see it live, are there any plans for a future concert? i check all time time for info, as i dont want to miss it again!
Wow Just Got Your CD Today (Tuesday) Curently Am Listing To Diem Ex dei, just wow, i mean this will appeal to fans of just good music like josh groban, i mean you need to promote the crap out of it.
Yoav,
You may be way ahead of me on this one, but I'm just not convinced the the old record making machinery is the sole answer to getting heard these days. If I begin with "how do people get exposed to new music today?" -- the analog model, radio in particular, falls apart immediately. You are trying to appeal to an industry that never had its act together in the first place, is notorious for rejecting the best-of-the-best, time-after-time, and is now in full-stage entropy.
The answer may lie in the thing that has propelled you to success in the first place, if you'll mind the tired cliche, which is 'thinking outside the box.' The box is radio. The box is record labels. The box is the old way of doing things.
If you are already making noise (good noise, naturally) in the virtual world, maybe that needs to be explored more. Maybe viral is the answer. Maybe some of the newer paths being carved, whether on MySpace or YouTube, provide more options.
And maybe not...like I said in the beginning, perhaps you've already explored those options and found that the suits are still necessary.
But for heaven's sake, never interpret anything they say to have any artistic or creative merit.
That territory belongs to you.
-Bob
First off, big fan of your music, for a long time I've been searching for a 'epic rock' group that combines my love of epic orchestral music and choir with my love modern rock. I can't wait for more.
So, what I really came here to write about is a semi-response or continuation if you will of what 'Bob' previously posted.
I would be great to see you pursue as many outside of the box methods of music distribution as possible. Viral videos were mentioned by 'Bob' and I myself was first introduced to your group from the newgrounds.com flash video "Everything by Everyone" (link: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/487854 ). With over 100,000 views it's clearly introduced a large number of people to your music.
Other methods you could look at are submitting your music to online radio stations such as Pandora.com, they introduce a lot of people these days to new music they would never have normally heard on the radio.
Anyway, I'm sure you know much of this already so the only last thing I would like to mention, and I'm not sure how much control you have over this, is it would behoove you to promote fan made music videos and the like.
For example, YouTube has many of your songs used in fan made music videos of video games and the like. Please don't have YouTube take these down, I'm very saddened to see that most music labels these days are having YouTube shut down the audio tracks of fan made videos just because they used the copyrighted works of the artist. Sure, it's their right and I support that but these people are not trying to steal anything they just want to show their support by introducing more people to your music.
However, by all means shut down the people on YouTube who have posted your entire album, that's just not right (though honestly, I don't understand how anyone could be happy with the poor quality of YouTube sound with the orchestral music you produce).
In any case, amazing works, hope to see more soon.
Yoav. Keep the faith. IM is great production company and I believe IM & Yoav is the best.
Life is a thinking journey. and We donnot know the next steps what will happened, maybe the God knows.
I know you love more people know and love your music. I also know you love sharing music to the people.
Life is going on, so keep walking, with ours supports.
Yoav, I'm an American that lives in Texas, and also one of the few American people who are brought to tears from such beautiful music. Don't ever give up! I went to work and showed your music to many people and also emailed it to all of my friends, who also say it is some of the most beautiful things they have ever heard in their lives.
I must admit that Globus is indeed my favorite band in the world and I eagerly wait to hear more of your works. I hope you make a new album soon, and I promise you I will purchase it, even if I have to spend $100(US), it'll be worth every penny.
you are the best... Marvellous your song...
Come on to Brazil pleasee come on to Brazil!!
congratulations...
Your music, to quote a semi-famous actor, is before its time. Meaning, it has taken the net by storm. Personally, I love your work. And I hope it is seriously not before its time. With all the epic films out there now, and more coming, your music should be prevailed into the main stream portions, rather than just a trailer and some music videos.
For example, take the Sarabrande Suite and toss it into a movie like one of the Lord Of the Rings films. I can visualize exactly where that song would fit perfectly. Your work takes much work to do. But the quality of the music itself shows not only your dedication, but it also shows that music isn't just Pop, Rock, Rap and so on. Another Album in the making?
Also, lastly -- what is your opinion of the people on youtube.com that mix the works you've produced into something entirely different, but is awesome in it's own right. I am not referring to the copyright thing and things of that sort. But the music for what it is. A fan's interpretation of a favorite song. I myself have mixed many similar clips/songs and so on.
Keep up the work man. I love this stuff.
Aerylon.
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