Leyland Kirby - Eager To Tear Apart The Stars

i was only justifying my case.

and how did you infer that i never buy music ? this year i bought 2 releases, radiohead in wav format and grouper in mp3 through boomkat, although i wouldn't even call it buying rather than just paying artists that meant or still mean a lot to me, it would be easier to just download that stuff from what.cd, my (slightly utopian) belief is the motivation for paying an artist should be based on something more personal that just paying for a physical product that holds music.

sure it does help, if i like him enough i'll mention or recommend him, put up some youtube link or an interview, it's hard to quantify this kind of help but it definitely exists.

IMO the personal should be the fact that you like the music. My rule is if I like the tracks and listen to them more than a few times, I'll buy it. Doesn't really have to be more complicated than that. I DO think the piracy 'venues' are a great way to get a really organized view of everything that comes out though. Right now the digital sites really lack older recordings and there isn't any unification like on trackers. Maybe that would be a good idea for a legit website - very organized lists and search of all digital distros. Either way I think it's a good rule of thumb to buy what you listen to a lot. That way you pay for the experience you enjoy (the personal) and you give a thumbs up in monetary ways to the artist, just like it's been for a long time in art.

  On 8/30/2011 at 8:39 PM, Jamesqdot said:

  On 8/30/2011 at 7:49 PM, kirm said:

really looking forward to this, Loving all the stuff he has put out this year. The bonus subscription tracks he sent out last week were a nice extra as well. some lovely stuff on there espicaly Medati which is proper gorgeous.

 

Yeah. The Intrigue & Stuff series really lives up to it's name. And hands up who was expecting a Pet Shop Boys cover?

What track is a Pet Shop Boys Cover?

If you do buy music, try and get it directly from the artist if at all possible. All the cash goes directly to them, cutting out distributor/record store cuts (which as I mentioned before, are substantial)

1st track

this is the petshop boys version, hadnt actualy heard it before but looked it up after hearing his cover

  On 9/3/2011 at 3:48 PM, eugene said:

and how did you infer that i never buy music ? this year i bought 2 releases, radiohead in wav format and grouper in mp3 through boomkat,

thats next to nothin!, guesing if you hang about on here you well into your music so only giving that much money back is piss poor, my mum spends more on music than that! and I know i shouldnt judge because i dont know your financial situation but am guessing your have downloaded a shit load more than them 2 releases for free? So how can your say that is not hurting the artist? If there was no internet would you still only buy 2 releases a year? I doubt it somehow

  On 9/3/2011 at 3:22 PM, eugene said:

 

  Quote

If only one of those people stop buying the album because they got it for free, then it hurts the artist. And I guarantee it won't be just one person who thinks like that.

well i still believe that in his case there are very few people like that, while the benefits of file sharing are very significant for an artist like him.

Really? Heh. I probably know more people who get all of their music from what.cd/filestube than buy music these days.

On a semi-related note, buying MP3s is still baffling to me, it makes absolutely no economic sense to buy something with the refund/resell value of 0.

  On 9/3/2011 at 4:42 PM, purlieu said:

On a semi-related note, buying MP3s is still baffling to me, it makes absolutely no economic sense to buy something with the refund/resell value of 0.

Why would you buy music with the resell value in mind?

  On 9/3/2011 at 4:23 PM, kirm said:

  On 9/3/2011 at 3:48 PM, eugene said:

and how did you infer that i never buy music ? this year i bought 2 releases, radiohead in wav format and grouper in mp3 through boomkat,

 

thats next to nothin!, guesing if you hang about on here you well into your music so only giving that much money back is piss poor, my mum spends more on music than that! and I know i shouldnt judge because i dont know your financial situation but am guessing your have downloaded a shit load more than them 2 releases for free? So how can your say that is not hurting the artist? If there was no internet would you still only buy 2 releases a year? I doubt it somehow

of course i download a lot, but when i have some free cash music is the first priority. believe me when i say it that without internet i wouldn't buy any music, just like i did in late 90's, i'd just find some way to get it fro free...but then before internet i wasn't really that into music, so that's all hypothetical.

regarding buying digital, i don't even consider it buying, it's just paying the artist you like and respect, i'd be totally ok to just donate some cash directly and download the files from what.cd or the like.

  On 9/3/2011 at 3:48 PM, eugene said:

this year i bought 2 releases

  On 9/3/2011 at 6:05 PM, eugene said:

when i have some free cash music is the first priority

lol

well im not going to turn this thread into a whine about my financial hardships with detailed information on my spending, but yes, the only other entertainment related purchase i made beside those two albums was battlefield bad company 2 from steam.

Some direct feedback for you here. I don't think anyone is right or anyone is wrong anymore when it comes to the sale and support of music. It's far too complicated to even work out what will happen and always people are very passionate when this subject crops up.

The comment I made to people who subscribed in not leaking the work I think they understand that and a leak can come from anywhere, it's hard like some have said to guage that impact and we will never know if it is good or bad it just is how it is so i never have any complaints about that and am certainly not naive about how things will play out.

Support comes in many ways really these days and the aim for us all is survival without compromise and only this. I'm not surprised by a leak therefore as I expected it. I could have sat on the links until the C.D. comes out but that's not really fair on those who supported me by buying a digital subscription, as they would probably see a leak of the vinyl ripped online badly within a few days and then maybe they feel a little cheated on the deal they were given.

The reason behind still making physical releases is because many people still like a tangible object and a lot of work goes into these releases right now in terms of getting them mastered properly and asking my friend Ivan for the artwork which he kindly lets me use without charge. The aim always is not to lose cash and it can be the only aim, but always we are prepared to lose out and take some risks and to make some objects which we hope will stand the test of the passing of time.

Sacrifices are made probably by almost all people who release things, we don't expect everyone to universally like everything we do, I don't think more or less any people whose releases you discuss on here make things to make a ton of cash or to get rich. It's unlikely really as sales are not monumental. Interestingly what the internet has done is probably decrease overall sales but has seen interest in music at an all time high. If my inbox is anything to go by then I am busier than ever with people in direct contact with me.

As people who are all passionate about music the key is to just enjoy music, be it paid downloads, illegal downloads, records, cd's and other formats whilst working out who exactly you want to support and help out by buying something from them or supporting them directly if you can and feel moved too.

The challenge is always just that, a challenge. It was just as hard when I put the first 12" out in 1996 when there were no downloads and a skeletal internet. It's just different challenges now.

It's good just to keep motivated into taking on that challenge and doing the best I can in the hope there will be another day when I am still able to create more.

The subscription Idea worked very well this year because people could see it's a direct support and it made it easier for me to update some old equipment here without going into more debt and then reinvest peoples direct support into the work directly. It also made sense because there are a lot of releases this year and I don't expect everyone must buy everything. Next year there won't be many releases so it was nice to offer some good value I feel for people where there is no bitter taste to the transaction. We all know buying digital just isn't sexy, but in many ways it's as essential in the survival of many people in the same way a physical album is as it all helps.

Always support who you want to support and for sure I think all musicians should think it's fine to illegally download things to see if that is something you do want to support. I think we all realise that because of the amount of music out there that really it's essential to listen to as much as you can and then make an informed choice of whether the particular group or musician is worthy your support.

Anyway hope all's good and some more music is still on the way this year. Just finishing things up. Thanks for the kind words.

James/

  On 9/3/2011 at 6:01 PM, chenGOD said:

  On 9/3/2011 at 4:42 PM, purlieu said:

On a semi-related note, buying MP3s is still baffling to me, it makes absolutely no economic sense to buy something with the refund/resell value of 0.

Why would you buy music with the resell value in mind?

Generally if I'm dissatisfied with something, I like the option of getting a refund. If I find myself fucked for cash, I can always sell on my least favourite records - those which I rarely listen to/haven't grown on me over the years. I had to sell half of my CD collection and a couple of guitars a couple of years ago because I was fucked for rent. If I'd bought all that as MP3s I would have been in a considerably worse position.

Don't get me wrong, I don't buy music under the assumption it will pay for my rent one day, I just disagree with the concept of something becoming economically worthless as soon as I've bought it.

  On 9/3/2011 at 6:55 PM, purlieu said:

  On 9/3/2011 at 6:01 PM, chenGOD said:

  On 9/3/2011 at 4:42 PM, purlieu said:

On a semi-related note, buying MP3s is still baffling to me, it makes absolutely no economic sense to buy something with the refund/resell value of 0.

Why would you buy music with the resell value in mind?

Generally if I'm dissatisfied with something, I like the option of getting a refund. If I find myself fucked for cash, I can always sell on my least favourite records - those which I rarely listen to/haven't grown on me over the years. I had to sell half of my CD collection and a couple of guitars a couple of years ago because I was fucked for rent. If I'd bought all that as MP3s I would have been in a considerably worse position.

Don't get me wrong, I don't buy music under the assumption it will pay for my rent one day, I just disagree with the concept of something becoming economically worthless as soon as I've bought it.

this is very close to my view on digital formats of music.

but there is an additional reason to why i don't like it: it has 0 physical value. there is no matter, which is related to value but more important, at least for me, to the feeling to having something.

even with a cd or vinyl, all you really have (in a physical sense) is the package and artwork, but if we consider digital, well then there is nothing, really. and i know the music is the most important, and i see it that way really, but my point stands.

and that is why i never did, don't do and will never pay for mp3s or flacs.

Building off of what purlieu said, I've never seen the point in buying digital over a hard copy. It's much more fun to actually have a tangible copy in my opinion. I am subscribed to Kirby's mailing list though, because the money goes to him, and I get more music for less money. If I was rich I'd buy the records, but I'm not.

  On 9/3/2011 at 6:49 PM, Broxburn said:

As people who are all passionate about music the key is to just enjoy music, be it paid downloads, illegal downloads, records, cd's and other formats whilst working out who exactly you want to support and help out by buying something from them or supporting them directly if you can and feel moved too.

I strongly agree with this point. I generally pirate albums if I am not sure I will like them. I don't have the money to be giving random artists a chance. If I hadn't pirated their albums though, I may have never liked them. The Fiery Furnaces are my favorite band, and the first thing I ever heard from them I pirated. Now they've made probably 100 dollars off of me.

And lol, V/vm reads WATMM.

Yes, the physical side of it is important to me too. My first couple of albums I put in big artwork booklets with writing and photos and all-sorts (couldn't afford it after that, heh).

I agree with buying from the artist. I don't believe physical media for music will ever die out, but I don't think were' that far away from the day where releases will be sold as digital/streamed through some better successor to Spotify, but the 'real fans' will be able to buy a limited run of physical copies direct from the artist in special packaging - bands know this - thinking of Underworld's Barking and the last couple of Radiohead releases - and they know that the can make the most money off selling it direct from their website. Even when the average high street listener has given up on buying CDs all together, there'll still be a market for the core fanbase who want the double disc special edition in a signed hand-made box, or whatever. That or they'll just go the direction of FSOL and sell straight from home through their own site.

And that's fine with me.

  On 9/3/2011 at 7:14 PM, ruiagnelo said:

  On 9/3/2011 at 6:55 PM, purlieu said:

  On 9/3/2011 at 6:01 PM, chenGOD said:

  On 9/3/2011 at 4:42 PM, purlieu said:

On a semi-related note, buying MP3s is still baffling to me, it makes absolutely no economic sense to buy something with the refund/resell value of 0.

Why would you buy music with the resell value in mind?

Generally if I'm dissatisfied with something, I like the option of getting a refund. If I find myself fucked for cash, I can always sell on my least favourite records - those which I rarely listen to/haven't grown on me over the years. I had to sell half of my CD collection and a couple of guitars a couple of years ago because I was fucked for rent. If I'd bought all that as MP3s I would have been in a considerably worse position.

Don't get me wrong, I don't buy music under the assumption it will pay for my rent one day, I just disagree with the concept of something becoming economically worthless as soon as I've bought it.

 

this is very close to my view on digital formats of music.

but there is an additional reason to why i don't like it: it has 0 physical value. there is no matter, which is related to value but more important, at least for me, to the feeling to having something.

even with a cd or vinyl, all you really have (in a physical sense) is the package and artwork, but if we consider digital, well then there is nothing, really. and i know the music is the most important, and i see it that way really, but my point stands.

and that is why i never did, don't do and will never pay for mp3s or flacs.

Yes fetishism is hard to overcome. I disagree that the vinyl/CD has any more physical value than the MP3/flacs/wavs - they are all just representations in our mind. I like paying for digital downloads - I think that it has a beneficial effect on the environment, and additionally as more people pay for digital downloads, they should become cheaper.

As regards to paying for music - well the thing is, the more people have of something, the less they are willing to pay for more of a similar good. It's called the law of diminishing marginal utility.

I think the digital release could, potentially, lend to a certain laziness in terms of appearance and packaging of music. Some might argue that the musical content is all that matters, and fair enough if that's all that they care about, but many artists have taken advantage of the physical means to make the most of it. FSOL's 192 page Dead Cities book, the delicate transparent pages of Sigur Rós' ( ), countless DIY releases in original hand-made packaging. Can anyone think of examples in the digital age? The only one that springs to mind as being particularly effective is the huge stash of photos that came with Underworld's Riverrun series, and to be honest I didn't think too much of them. Either way, I think this matters. It elevates the music beyond just background noise, into a true art form where appearance and theme are important too. I think it would be sad if that were to go. Coupled with the fact that I don't like sitting at the computer too much really, it gives me a headache and makes me feel a bit detached from the world. It's nice to sit somewhere else and browse through a booklet or admire some CD art that hasn't been printed from my Epson printer. These things, these are the physical value.

There are two types of music listener: those with ears open and those with an open mind.

I can perfectly understand the idea of the music is all that matters that is hidden behind the protection of the digital, but i want more than that.

Also, Purlieu just read my mind.

  On 9/4/2011 at 1:50 AM, purlieu said:

I think the digital release could, potentially, lend to a certain laziness in terms of appearance and packaging of music. Some might argue that the musical content is all that matters, and fair enough if that's all that they care about, but many artists have taken advantage of the physical means to make the most of it. FSOL's 192 page Dead Cities book, the delicate transparent pages of Sigur Rós' ( ), countless DIY releases in original hand-made packaging. Can anyone think of examples in the digital age? The only one that springs to mind as being particularly effective is the huge stash of photos that came with Underworld's Riverrun series, and to be honest I didn't think too much of them. Either way, I think this matters. It elevates the music beyond just background noise, into a true art form where appearance and theme are important too. I think it would be sad if that were to go. Coupled with the fact that I don't like sitting at the computer too much really, it gives me a headache and makes me feel a bit detached from the world. It's nice to sit somewhere else and browse through a booklet or admire some CD art that hasn't been printed from my Epson printer. These things, these are the physical value.

Download pricing is still fucked a lot of the time. The FLAC of the new Balam Acab is a quid more than the cd version on both Bleep and Boomkat ffs.

I still prefer holding stuff in my hands but an across-the-board price of £4.99 for a FLAC album could go some way to tempering my relentless hoarding of physical media.

Hello mr Kirby, you have a lot of fans out here in Oakland and San Francisco, Ca come out and perform some time. you can come and headline a gig anytime at our venue, Zool in jack london square

  On 9/4/2011 at 5:07 AM, Lucy Faringold said:

Download pricing is still fucked a lot of the time. The FLAC of the new Balam Acab is a quid more than the cd version on both Bleep and Boomkat ffs.

 

I still prefer holding stuff in my hands but an across-the-board price of £4.99 for a FLAC album could go some way to tempering my relentless hoarding of physical media.

Yes pricing is important, and artists have to understand that, especially if they're using bandcamp or similar sites.

Back to the album. One of this year's best for sure.

IMO it's an improvement on 'sadly, the future' and that was a REALLY good album.

The evocative song titles are great too: "No longer distance than death"

What I particularly like about this album is that it's far more approachable and melodic than 'Sadly, the future...'. There's almost too much material on that 3CD set - it's intimidating. :)

  On 9/16/2011 at 9:00 PM, Jamesqdot said:

What I particularly like about this album is that it's far more approachable and melodic than 'Sadly, the future...'. There's almost too much material on that 3CD set - it's intimidating. :)

ditto