Re: why i hate ninja (Re: ninjas & 2001 hip hop redux)

From: t bird (djt_bird@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Nov 30 2001 - 05:43:32 CET

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    --- David Bassin <bassyd@pacbell.net> wrote:
    > >i'm really bummed that ninja's taken the
    > "everything's
    > >ok" route of releases. i understand that they want
    > to
    > >release music they think is cool and don't want to
    > >hamstring their artists--that's great--but from a
    > >*buyer's* point of view i'd like to know if the
    > >artist-formerly-known-for-block-rockin' beats is
    > >taking a left turn and discovering their inner
    > debussy
    > >*before* i spend anywhere from 10-30 (or more) u.s.
    > >dollars on a future frisbee... i thought that was
    > the
    > >idea of having sublabels & aliases, so you could
    > have
    > >a reasonable idea what to expect when you bought a
    > >record (e.g., monkey mafia [big beat] & junior
    > cartier
    > >[house])...
    >
    >
    > I think that you're being unreasonable here.
    > NinjaTune or any other
    > label (4AD comes to mind) may start out initially
    > with a particular
    > style, image or format, but there's no reason that
    > they should remain
    > locked within those confines, just to make it easier
    > for you to
    > decide on a purchase.

    well,

    considering that the purpose is to get me to buy *and
    continue to buy* their product (excuse me for using
    such a crude term in reference to art) maybe they
    *should* make it easier. ninja tune created n-tone
    for their abstract sound stuff, and big dada is their
    hiphop label, so really, i *don't* think i'm being
    unreasonable.

    i'm not saying they need to rehash "recipe for
    disaster" until the end of time, but let me at least
    know if the album is dance music or not. i bought the
    10" they put out for "kaleidoscope" (dubplate
    2)--which sounded like old dj food (i.e., when it was
    coldcut +) and then when the album came out i bought
    it excitedly only to discover that it sounded like
    lalo schifrin before he discovered the funk...

    > The same goes for the artist:
    > if he or she
    > decides to expand their musical horizons, are you
    > suggesting that the
    > label should move them to some kind of sub-genre
    > imprint to alert the
    > public to their change in direction?

    or maybe the artist should use an alias or some other
    indicator (maybe mention the change in interviews, or
    press releases--something!!)

    come on, it's not like i'm suggesting something
    completely unheard of--didn't we have a thread with
    different aliases and who uses them?

    i don't know about you, but when one of my mainstays
    starts getting all abstract (especially at import
    prices) i get really "wait & see" (at best) or stop
    buying their stuff entirely.

    i'm not suggesting that artists shouldn't experiment,
    just let me know what i'm in for--i'm the audience,
    remember??

    -t

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