k-punk said:Downloading makes your computer into the completist; as Zizek says of taped films, if the machine has them, you're relieved of the burden of having to watch them. Same with MP3s...
Umm, right, so it's got nothing to do with the analogue/digital divide then? If "the machine has them", and this is what drives the completist impulse, doesn't the same apply to vinyl as much as tape?
And if money changes hands in the procurement of a digital download, does that make it more symbolic, and therefore more valid in some way?
I'd agree that P2P engenders a kind of completist fervour to begin with; but I could argue that that's merely a hangover from fetishism for the physical product
As for cover artwork, sleevenotes etc - I doubt they will disappear completely. I'm not necessarily suggesting that the physical commodity will die a complete death (tho I will concede that I think it's possible over several generations). But their secondary functions, particularly that of sleevenotes, are in some way replicated by browsing the archives of other P2P users, say, or following links that read sthg like "Customers who liked this also liked..."
A lot of my favourite ever finds online have been made by simply taking a punt on something I've found on the computer of someone who's just uploaded something from me. And sometimes that's led to interesting chat sessions with the original - or maybe previous is a better description - 'owner' (for want of a better word). And I'd say those memories are just as strong as the one where I found a mint copy of "I'm Still In Love With You" by Al Green at the Flohmarkt
I watched "High Fidelity" the other day, and was struck by how dated the setting seemed. And it definitely made me a bit sad. But crate digging is not necessarily superior; just different.