Making changes at Warp Records

  On 11/16/2015 at 5:58 PM, o00o said:

 

  On 11/16/2015 at 3:10 PM, drillkicker said:

Get rid of Battles, Grizzly Bear, Prefuse 73, !!!, TNGHT, Hudson Mohawke, Kwes, and a lot of other people. I really like Battles, but they don't fit well on Warp in my opinion. I'd try to move the label into a more ambient direction and try to get Max Loderbauer and some onkyokei artists like Toshimaru Nakamura on it. Anything that sounds good on electrostatic speakers. My top priority would probably be to make some Osamu Sato reissues happen. Wagon Christ did a mix on Equal, so it might be feasible.

 

Oh, and obviously I would do reissues of SAW vol. II and Tri Repetae, which Warp really should not have to think twice about.

This. A&R got praise for signing these acts but they do not have anything mystical or obscure going on or pushing the boundaries in any way something that was WARP DNA all the time. It's not hard to find well hyped indie artists. It's hard to find timeless game changers like afx, boc, autechre etc. And there's no excuse as other labels are still finding these while successfully maintaining financial income. Sure who am I to judge but its a bit sad given the potential and network they have right in front of them

 

very true.

  On 11/15/2015 at 9:31 PM, o00o said:

I would also put a voting system in charge where aphex, boc and autechre can veto on new acts and have the ability to suggest new acts which are determined by equal votes

lol thats a great idea the problem they wouldnt vote for anyone !

and put forward their own aliases.

  On 11/16/2015 at 5:46 PM, Kavinsky said:

i would recommend them to make sub label for artists like rustie etc and the real deal remains at warp

They tried that before... didn't work out so well.

  On 11/16/2015 at 3:10 PM, drillkicker said:

I'd try to move the label into a more ambient direction.

Ew

Groce

  On 11/16/2015 at 6:00 PM, Bechuga said:

Also for them to keep a tighter lid on those leaks, although one assumes this already high on their list of priorities.

oh man. not so much leaks but more just.. keen a tighter lid on album promotion and hype in general.

if an album is being released i would much (much much much!!!) prefer for it to be announced + week or two of hype and promotion TOPS and then drop it. anything longer than a month is a drag and makes me wanna just download it (leak if possible) or lose interest.

i say this with 0 marketing expertise, of course

  On 11/16/2015 at 6:22 PM, D4M0 said:

 

  On 11/16/2015 at 5:58 PM, o00o said:

 

  On 11/16/2015 at 3:10 PM, drillkicker said:

Get rid of Battles, Grizzly Bear, Prefuse 73, !!!, TNGHT, Hudson Mohawke, Kwes, and a lot of other people. I really like Battles, but they don't fit well on Warp in my opinion. I'd try to move the label into a more ambient direction and try to get Max Loderbauer and some onkyokei artists like Toshimaru Nakamura on it. Anything that sounds good on electrostatic speakers. My top priority would probably be to make some Osamu Sato reissues happen. Wagon Christ did a mix on Equal, so it might be feasible.

 

Oh, and obviously I would do reissues of SAW vol. II and Tri Repetae, which Warp really should not have to think twice about.

This. A&R got praise for signing these acts but they do not have anything mystical or obscure going on or pushing the boundaries in any way something that was WARP DNA all the time. It's not hard to find well hyped indie artists. It's hard to find timeless game changers like afx, boc, autechre etc. And there's no excuse as other labels are still finding these while successfully maintaining financial income. Sure who am I to judge but its a bit sad given the potential and network they have right in front of them

 

very true.

 

Yeah this.

And tbh Warp would of not really been on my radar if they hadn't been for their decision to do the Artificial Intelligence series. Early Warp is mediocre house imho (LFO the exception): sabres of paradise, tricky disco, nightmares on wax, etc. Warp 20 comp is stronger than the Warp 10, or at least aged better. Born Ruffians are about the only signing I really never liked - as for all the other indie bands keep in mind that other labels like 4AD have done this for years. Labels like Planet Mu and Ninja Tune have survived with deliberate moves toward certain genres (they dropped breakcore and jazzy hip-hop for future bass and footwork). Niche labels like Rephlex are either defunct or specifically stuck to 12" over LPs as a focus (R&S is a good example). Iffy stuff like the Future Brown release isn't something Warp should really catch flack for - it could of easily been another label pushing it or another MOR electronic group signed instead.

The legacy of Warp has always been the IDM canon.

  On 11/16/2015 at 8:24 PM, hello spiral said:

 

  On 11/16/2015 at 3:10 PM, drillkicker said:

I'd try to move the label into a more ambient direction.

Ew

 

Groce

Ambient was probably the wrong word there. A better word would have been beatless, because conventional rhythm and tempo is overrated.

^ lol

the world has enough boring samey ambient music. very few ambient musicians really stand out as having an exceptional, engaging sound.

  On 11/16/2015 at 7:35 PM, Joyrex said:

 

  On 11/16/2015 at 5:46 PM, Kavinsky said:

i would recommend them to make sub label for artists like rustie etc and the real deal remains at warp

They tried that before... didn't work out so well.

 

what ? When ?

I would probably tell all the artist to make their music sound similar to what they did 15 years ago because I'm scared of change.

  On 11/17/2015 at 1:45 PM, Friendly Foil said:

I would probably tell all the artist to make their music sound similar to what they did 15 years ago because I'm scared of change

if the change is good there is need to be scared

  On 11/17/2015 at 1:40 PM, Kavinsky said:

 

  On 11/16/2015 at 7:35 PM, Joyrex said:

 

  On 11/16/2015 at 5:46 PM, Kavinsky said:

i would recommend them to make sub label for artists like rustie etc and the real deal remains at warp

They tried that before... didn't work out so well.

 

what ? When ?

 

Gift Records (an indie sublabel) - http://www.discogs.com/label/4496-Gift-Records

Arcola (a dancey/progressive sublabel) - http://www.discogs.com/label/16874-Arcola

Lex Records (a hip-hop sublabel) - http://www.discogs.com/label/4227-Lex-Records

Can't remember if there was any more ...

  On 11/16/2015 at 6:22 PM, D4M0 said:

 

  On 11/16/2015 at 5:58 PM, o00o said:

 

  On 11/16/2015 at 3:10 PM, drillkicker said:

Get rid of Battles, Grizzly Bear, Prefuse 73, !!!, TNGHT, Hudson Mohawke, Kwes, and a lot of other people. I really like Battles, but they don't fit well on Warp in my opinion. I'd try to move the label into a more ambient direction and try to get Max Loderbauer and some onkyokei artists like Toshimaru Nakamura on it. Anything that sounds good on electrostatic speakers. My top priority would probably be to make some Osamu Sato reissues happen. Wagon Christ did a mix on Equal, so it might be feasible.

 

Oh, and obviously I would do reissues of SAW vol. II and Tri Repetae, which Warp really should not have to think twice about.

This. A&R got praise for signing these acts but they do not have anything mystical or obscure going on or pushing the boundaries in any way something that was WARP DNA all the time. It's not hard to find well hyped indie artists. It's hard to find timeless game changers like afx, boc, autechre etc. And there's no excuse as other labels are still finding these while successfully maintaining financial income. Sure who am I to judge but its a bit sad given the potential and network they have right in front of them

very true.

Why is prefuse being lumped in with that lot?? Coincidentally I listened to one word extinguisher for the first time in a few years last week and it's still so good. If anything he was the last truly great warp signing. Sad that he got the boot

Hip hop doesn't fit very well with Warp.

  On 11/17/2015 at 4:27 PM, drillkicker said:

Hip hop doesn't fit very well with Warp.

Which is why Lex Records existed.

i would kick Aphex and Eno off the label for being anti-West terrorist/jihadi sympathizers and make !!! my top priority, giving them as much goddam thigh high shorts as possible to ruin all brit teenagers sexuality in a devastating irreparable way

additionally I would hire Vincent Gallo to psychicly assault Rustie on camera

I would sign this deer, stat!

  On 11/17/2015 at 9:06 PM, John Ehrlichman said:

i would kick Aphex and Eno off the label for being anti-West terrorist/jihadi sympathizers and make !!! my top priority, giving them as much goddam thigh high shorts as possible to ruin all brit teenagers sexuality in a devastating irreparable way

 

additionally I would hire Vincent Gallo to psychicly assault Rustie on camera

Topic solved

I would sign Death Grips and probably VHS Head. Then I'd sign BADBADNOTGOOD. I dunno.

daily pancakes

lol JE,,

i would sign Dalhous, typical warp act

  On 11/18/2015 at 3:33 AM, Candiru said:

I would sign Death Grips and probably VHS Head. Then I'd sign BADBADNOTGOOD. I dunno.

Thank god you aren't in charge of Warp, then.