I listen to music all the time. Whilst I am at work, in the gym, in the car, at home, wherever, but I don’t buy music, I don’t own music, and nor do I intend to own music ever again. I do this all legally and contribute to the artists on a regular basis. I, like thousands of others, stream. Spotify and Mixcloud are my preferred mediums
The Official Chart Company today has recognised this shift in behavior of music consumption, due to 2.6bn streams being delivered last year, accounting for 4.5% of all music industry revenues. Now that is a small figure, but the increase year on year will likely mean that streaming will become the preferred choice of consumption in the future. No longer will we need storage space on the wall for CD’s or huge external hard drives for our back catalogue that gets lost or wiped. And no longer will we run out of space for our photos on our phones as we take advantage of mobile 4G and cheaper tariffs. That is sooo millennium.
Books will also disappear, they will. Probably not in my lifetime, but they will eventually. This will leave us all far more wall space where the CD shelves and bookshelves went, to put up more picture frames, - with streamed art flowing into them.
When will you switch to streaming only from antiquated downloads? Or have you been there for some time already?
On Wednesday Anna & I descended into the depths of the East-End to stare on as the ‘Creative Socials‘ (a collection of London’s Creative Directors) discussed the art of NO! When is it ok to accept someone telling you NO!? And when it’s better to react to NO! with a swift punch to the face.
Sam Ball took to the stage first “We talk a lot of shit in this industry”, no-one disagreed. He then went on to categorise the bullshit into two piles, generic bullshit including predications about the future and stating the obvious. In pile two, specific bullshit like “a YouTube clip should be no longer than a minute to go viral”. It’s nonsense. The point is that not enough people within the Ad Industry are doing enough to overthrow the norm.
Do you think the “bullshit merchant” who is currently telling you what will, and won’t work, would’ve stopped Einstein or Newton? No. Exactly. “Any revolutionary in every walk of life has been a young experimenter”. He left the stage to a quote from Greek Philosopher Xenopanes who said: “The gods did not reveal, from the beginning, all things to us, but in the course of time through seeking we may learn and know things better. But as for certain truth, no man has known it, nor shall he know it, neither of the gods nor yet of all the things of which I speak. For even if by chance he were to utter the final truth, he would himself not know it: for all is but a woven web of guesses”
Here’s Laura Jordan-Bambach with a real insight into the state of todays society. On a serious note she talked about not questioning yourself when you’re brave enough to say NO! Just make your decision and do so with integrity. Steve Price then took to the stage with a statement: “If you were to say NO! a little more often, you’d have time to do better shit.” I agree in the most part but on the flipside what about potential opportunities you may miss by not being open enough?
During the most memorable eight minutes of the night Flo Heiss simply said NO! to over sharing. These days we’re all digital to the core and the point he was making was that sometimes we simply don’t have to be.”Put your phones, laptops and iPads in the air. Ok now put them on the floor and do nothing”. What followed was a very uncomfortable five minutes of shuffling and silence as Flo simply stared on. Very weird, very memorable, very refreshing.
Last up was Andy Sandoz, always far-out and scientifically motivated I didn’t really know what to expect from him. And not to disappoint his subject the #NoFilter. “We all need one, importantly it’s not a switch, it’s more of a dial”. When it comes to a decision always set your dial. Obviously your dial can never be 100% YES or 100% NO! – your passion and belief in a project should help you set your dial appropriately. Check out Andy’s thirteen slides for more, including his list of eleven things to say NO! to. Point six is especially hilarious as Andy highlights never witnessing rain in Google Street View. “We should all say NO! to rain and move into Street View instead. Street View or not it always rains in Manchester, or at least gets wet anyway (great spot Palmer).
I like this advert. I know I am not allowed to say I ‘like’ this advert, because it is both appalling and embarrassing, according to Sir Martin Sorrell.
Given that it comes from one of his agencies in New York, I imagine there will be a slightly longer unemployment line there by the end of the week.
So why do I like it? It is certainly controversial. It is certainly cheeky. It has been noticed worldwide, and depending on whom you ask, it has been noticed for all the wrong reasons, or indeed, all the right reasons. And that is why I like it. Because it has been noticed.
The people who commissioned the film knew exactly what they were doing, and they believe passionately in the issue they have raised by making it.
So all in all, job done. Well done to the people who commissioned it, well done for approving an idea, that had ‘shit storm’ written all over it, and then standing by that idea.
If the world did more advertising that got noticed, then the world would be a more interesting place.
Nandos advertising in South Africa has a long history of being brazen. Their work is sometimes banned, often controversial, always talked about. Audiences genuinely want to see the next instalment which is a sadly, a very rare thing in our field. A few weeks back they spoofed an ad for insurance brand Santam that features actor Ben Kinglsey. To everyone’s surprise, not least of all Nando’s, they got spoofed back. The fun part of all this is that the two brands seem to have actually done each other a huge favour through the double spoofing. Santam spurred Nando’s on to donate food to a children’s home, giving them the opportunity to express their generosity and good will. And, the interaction gave Santam a boost in the personality stakes, allowing them to express a more human, humorous and responsive side than anyone would ever have expected from a dull old insurance brand. Win-win. That’s entertainment.
We might be based in Covent Garden (and now in San Francisco as well…hello sun!) but have our Inferno troops spread around the world. Our Captology network has been busy scooping growing trends and all things interesting and in their respective neighbourhoods. Let’s start in Brazil, where the lovely Bruna is reporting about a sonic revolution about to happen – thanks to social media. This is also a perfect example of how trends are born and spread these days: from the streets into mainstream, from shabby to chic.
“Tecnobrega, a regional music style born amongst the poor classes of Pará (a northern Brazilian state) and exclusive strictly inside suburban borders for many years, is now starting to go mainstream across the whole country. Why? Despite the unexpected and exciting mix of electronic beats (Techno) and cheesy melody (Brega), this suburban rhythm is very social.
Easy to produce, hard to let go.
Tecnobrega has reinvented the entertainment industry, for its own survival. Basically, anyone can make Tecnobrega hit music. It is produced in 15-20 minutes with free software containing patterns for electronic beats and characteristic melodies. The lyrics are quite simple, cheesy and hard to get out of your head.
The Social Effect
Hundreds, sometimes thousands of CD’s are recorded and distributed to the public on the streets of Belém (capital of Pará) either for free or costing less than a dollar. The songs that are well liked and accepted are then shared and promoted online, especially on social media networks. Only after this P2P sharing, Tecnobrega reaches the traditional media. Radio stations will then play it, famous Tecnobrega DJ’s at busy and popular parties, will play it too.
Gaby Amarantos, keep this name in mind
Are we talking about the next Michel Teló? Maybe. Tecnobrega’s most famous artist, ‘Beyonce from Pará’, is about to become the next Brazilian superstar. She has been the inspiration for a famous soap opera’s main character. And just for the record, soap operas are quite popular and mainstream in every single part of Brazil.
Thanks, Bruna, for this piece! Stay tuned (literally) for some more quirky happenings from around globe.
As a part-time music journalist and a full-time music snob I cringe everytime I hear artists referred to as brands or their career development as a business plan (the latter is apparently disgustingly common with the major labels). Still, I have to admit that Jack White is an amazing brand.
White, the front man of legendary bands like White Stripes, The Raconteurs and Dead Weather, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, label owner and general Mr Rock’n’roll, threw his first ever solo gig in the UK last night at HMV Forum, and proved that he really can do no wrong.
The ‘product’ is pure genius. White’s attitude and talent are uncompromising; he is substance over style all the way, although his style is impeccable and only topped by the ridiculous substance. He his humble yet knows his worth (which is a lot, about $20 million). He has an aura of mystery around him created by clever little stories (remember the rumours about Jack and drummer Meg White’s relationship, their fascination with the number three, and use of certain colours?) and yet he seems like a man with whom you could drink whisky at a local pub. He is an icon, already a living legend at 36 years, and will be remembered in fifty years’ time. Guaranteed.
Last night’s set was perfectly balanced between his new solo material from Blunderbuss LP, released yesterday, and some old hits and crowd pleasers (e.g. Blue Blood Blues, My Doorbell, We’re Going To be Friends and Seven Nation Army) and it held together tightly, each song gripping the audience a little bit stronger, until the six-song long encore which turned into a mental guitar fiesta and ended pretty much in tears with a slow, melancholic and eerie country ballad Goodbye, Irene – of course with a playful, mischievous grin.
White is touring with an all-male and all-female bands, and last night was the latter’s turn. And never has a pregnant cellist in a satin dress or a fairy-like violinist – with whom White battled a few instrumental sessions – looked or sounded more rock’n’roll. There were times when White’s guitar bashing started to borderline Jimi Hendrix-esque, demonic measures (especially in Blood And Biscuit) and his screeching vocals were bleeding blood on the stage. Add in maracas, tambourines and an angelic, soulful backing vocalist – the mix was rather astounding.
It was two hours of pure rock, with a hint of blues and a touch of Americana. It was hefty, impressive and regained my hope in guitar music, whose death has been declared by useless hip-hop artists and even industry press itself. I’m glad to tell you that rock music is alive and kicking and it looks a bit like a Tim Burton character at the moment.
Jack White’s career would indeed make a kick-ass creative business plan – but never the other way around.
Catch him playing live if you can; the UK gigs are sold out but this man is worth a trek.
(Apologies about missing live images, the gig had a strict photography ban and this was actually actively supervised by the security team. Never mind crowdsurfing or moshpits, camera phones seem to present the biggest threat at gigs these days. Rock music is not dead, but it might be resting its head a bit.)
On a gloriously depressing and wet April afternoon, Manny and I decided to head down to the Hayward gallery to have a look at the David Shrigley and Jeremy Deller exhibitions. Here are my thoughts on the all too subtle and fantastically absurd.
It’s fair to say that Deller is not your conventional artist, and a somewhat unlikely pairing for the all guns blazing, surrealist work of David Shrigley. With subjects ranging from the war in Iraq, wrestling, coal mining and Northern music in the UK – linking seemingly unrelated genres, ‘Acid house’ and ‘Brass Band’, through an examination of civil unrest, his work tackles humanism, in a blunt and literal fashion. He’s a curator and a collector, wanting to share his insight and fascinations with what would otherwise be an uninterested audience. But the problem was, I remained uninterested.
It became clear that his work requires participation and the experience of witnessing it ‘live’, and in a gallery his work fails to translate. Walking around, it felt more like a poorly thought out museum, filled with documentaries and archive material, than a gallery filled with art. Ironically, there was also little Joy at ‘Joy in People’. It felt like it was put together for his fans, those who already knew his performance art, and aside from the contrasting instillation ‘Valerie’s snack bar’ – a replica of a greasy-spoon café in Bury, plonked in the middle of the gallery – there were rare treats to excite the eyes, or satisfy the taste buds, of the average wandering spectator.
We then ventured upstairs to enjoy the mind-fuck that is David Shrigley. Shrigley comes from a class of 90’s surrealists that broke away from the conventions and expectations of art, which may not be seen as all that original anymore, but remain as enjoyable as ever. It’s not often that you walk into a gallery space and openly laugh, but it’s what I found myself unwittingly doing. With a combination of bleak deadpan and black comedy, his themes stand up and take on a whole new meaning. Death, tackled using a taxidermy Jack Russell holding a sign that reads ‘I’m dead’, and a tombstone inscribed with a shopping list, are two memorable show stoppers.
With his varied executions, Shrigley drives you deep into his mind-set allowing you to come away with a real insight and understanding of the man. From rough sketches to taxidermied animals, animations to peepholes in the gallery space, he constantly surprises and keeps you on your toes. The gallery smoothly moves between childlike, incoherent and silly thoughts, executed with minimal, amateurish fashion, to elaborate grandeur, that all seemingly flow straight from his mindgrapes. But with 240 of his pieces in the exhibition, it’s inevitable that sometimes his pieces simply don’t work, and all too often we’re confronted by uncomfortable, crafted prose that feels out of place, trying so hard to be ‘art’, an inspirational quote or clever pun.
The man is funny, profound and surprising, he just needs to cut back a couple of pieces and it’d be a five star show. As with Deller, there are parts which many critics will struggle to label ‘art’ – but you know what, it really doesn’t matter. I liked it, and I think that’s all that matters?
On Tuesday we were lucky enough to be invited down to opening night of the Secret 7″ exhibition at The Idea Generation Gallery in Shoreditch. and rather busy it was too.
The idea: “700 unique seven-inch sleeves inspired by tracks from The Cure, Florence + The Machine, Bombay Bicycle Club, CSS, DJ Shadow, Noah & The Whale and Ben Howard. The exhibition has an added air of mystery as no-one knows who designed each sleeve, or which of our seven tracks is housed inside.”
All are for sale for a minmum donation of £40 (per sleeve) and will be available to buy from the gallery on Saturday 21st April to coincide with Record Store Day.
Get down there and check out the sleeves today or tomorrow before the sale commences on Saturday. You could bag yourself a Shrigley for a mere £40 which of course goes to the Teenage Cancer Trust anyway, win, win, win!
At the end of last week the completely revamped Bertolli.co.uk site went live. Our challenge was to create a clean, simple site that would drive traffic and increase dwell time through engaging content, rather than relying on promotions and competitions.
Built in-house, the new site introduces Nonna Rosa, a matriarchal Italian grandmother who lives in London and “proudly keeps her family in check, nurturing the kind of balanced lifestyle Mediterraneans have become known for.”
As well as finding an array of delicious recipes you can also link through to suppliers like Tesco, Ocado, Waitrose & ASDA and buy any of Bertolli’s spreads.
To keep people engaged over the course of the year, the site will be refreshed periodically and an ECRM programme will drive traffic to the latest content.
Head on over now, but don’t just let us know what you think, share your findings via Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Did someone say Easter!? Oh yeah that’s right, they did. Did someone say long weekend? Oh yeah, they did that too. How egg-citing eh? And on top of that horrendous pun things are about to get a whole lot eggy-er round in the office too. Just look at the haul of eggs currently living in reception. Happy Easter to all of you, have a bloody nice (and relaxing) break. Smashing.
