Hey AJlist / Steve,
>Likewise, William Orbit, Les Rhythms Digitales, Jay Dee, BT, etc. are all
>guys who had serious "street cred" as innovative producers, but they've all
>taken the big paychecks and worked with various monster artists.
>
>Do they cease to be artists when they start getting paid?
I think it's a matter of artistic maturity.
If you are a forward-looking, creative individual, there's a point in
your artistic work (I don't care what field you're in, music or
otherwise) when you become established enough that the money people
will come knocking.
What it looks like to a maverick artist is usually a trade-off. Work
for the man, loose some of your control, and maybe actually get some
of your underground product on MTV intact. So what can happen is the
artist keeps on pushing envelopes, working on new sounds, and in the
end, the man doesn't like it.
What many artists don't realize is that the corporates generally
*want* you to regurgitate your most popular sound. Creativity isn't
an issue. If you have an artistic agenda when working with
corporates, it can really mess with your head - they don't want
thought provoking material.
I think the above-mentioned producers have kept it together because
they have an outlet for their "real" work - an audience that is
interested in their artistic, forward looking output. And that's
where the integrity makes a difference.
Take this example: You put all your energy into an "Major Label
Group" remix. You have magically transformed a piece of pop trash
into decent music. Unfortunately, the label boss gets you to whiddle
it down to it's most whining pathetic shell of what you had intended
to do with it. It takes ten revisions and two months. You're burned
out, they've shattered your confidence, and a track you hate is on
the radio with your name on it.
So, if you're Jay Dee, why not take the remix money and just lay down
your trademark beat and a new bassline, kill the backing vocals, and
get it done in a day. Then go spend all your time working on an album
for BBE which maybe 2000 people will hear.
Maybe it's not even a matter of maturity - more a sense of when you
must dish out a watered down, "safe" version of your sound. And of
course when to unleash the real deal.
sorry for the rant!
cheers,
.aaron shinn
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Aug 03 2001 - 05:11:58 CEST