Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The Resurgance of Vinyl



The resurgence of vinyl records has had a noticeable impact on the music industry. According to http://www.fastcolabs.com there has been a 33.5% increase in LP sales over the last 6 months of 2013 in comparison to the first half of the year. The article, The Unlikely Return of Vinyl, And How Indie Musicians Are Making Money on Them goes on to state that “Vinyl sales could hit 5.9 million by the end of the year if this pace keeps up, about a 28% increase over 2012.” Could vinyl be the missing link? Could this once archaic medium of music provide an income stream that will support the indie musician in months and years to come? Some believe the answer is an emphatic yes; others are more skeptical. Some indie labels have gone as far as nixing CD production altogether and are focusing exclusively on digital and vinyl production.

One might ask who is purchasing all this vinyl. Believe it or not you can look beyond the cliché scarf and mustache sporting hipster scene to notice the growing popularity of vinyl. You can find baby boomers purchasing Revolver reissues on vinyl as well as teenagers who are fascinated with the aesthetics of vinyl. This movement seems to also transcend the mere sound quality of vinyl, which in itself is enough to warrant its resurgence. The tangibility of the vinyl has fans flocking to indie record stores. The feel, the texture and artwork also seem to play a roll in its popularity.

The indie label Matador which released Queen of the Stone Age latest release Like Clockwork contributes 13% of its overall sales to vinyl Forbes.com. Pressing vinyl seems to be a valid income stream for indie labels and indie artist alike. The market for vinyl is diverse and seems to attract those individuals and fans who’s lifestyle choices are geared to the conscious consumer who eats organic, drinks craft beer, and listens to Radiohead on vinyl while cleaning his bathroom with green disinfectant wipes.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

MMLP2




This week’s release of Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2 arrived with much anticipation and hype. Em’s massive marketing campaign withstanding, the title itself caused commotion amongst fans and critics, although not a sequel the idea that part two could be a revival of classic Eminem had many fans salivating its release. Em’s collaboration with legendary producer Rick Rubin as co-executive producer further cemented the hype leading up to its release. Although Dr. Dre is credited as co-executive producer his production talents are nowhere to be found on MMLP2.

Sonically Rubin’s influence can be felt heavily on MMLP2. The first single “Berzerk” has Rick Rubin’s production written all over it. Sampling Billy Squier’s “The Stroke” along with distorted guitar riffs offers a flashback to the classic rap-rock sound Rubin made famous with acts such as Run DMC and LL Cool J. The whole album is heavily sample based, a nod to the classic hip-hop era Rubin helped build nearly three decades ago. Hard drums and Mathers rapid fire rhymes fuel the album from start to finish.

The dynamics on Eminem’s vocals seem a bit tame and seem to get buried a bit in the mix on several of the cuts on the album, almost causing the listener to strain a bit to hear the lyrical assault that Em is attempting to relay. “Asshole” and “So Much Better” are good examples of this. I am guessing the idea behind this is to pull the listener in to pay more attention to the lyrics. How effective this technique will be is yet to be seen. Kendrick Lamar is the only guest emcee on the album. He is featured on “Love Game” which is more suited for a rehash of Slim Shady circa 1999 than Lamar’s soulful-introspection, instead we hear K-Dot contorting his style to fit into a Shady contortion.

The mood of the album is somewhat reminiscent of The Marshall Mathers LP, but with a tad bit more introspection. More reflection and fewer antics would have reflected more growth both lyrically and musically. The production is a reflection of Em’s lyrical content, with a fair amount of forced rants mixed with misogyny and homophobia, MMLP2 shows that Marshall Mathers is still a kid at heart and the production is a reflection of that.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Welcome all to the new home of my blog Sounds of Wizedom. In this blog I will peek inside the music production process. I will discuss both current and classic albums and productions that inspire and move us. The focus will be on the production side of things, highlighting the techniques, individuals and gear that give the production its unique sound. You can learn more about my background in the "about me" tab. To hear my production work you can click here CPHRDVN.com.
You can also follow me on twitter @wizedom33.