Classic mistakes made by artists when they go to make an album?

[blunt]

how does this square with the enormous thread gushing about burials new lp?

Well, I guess one of the main mistakes that artists make when making an album is that they forget that a really great album is typically more than the some of its parts.

I'm talking about the kinds of albums where the running order has been fully considered, which have a such a sense of pace and timing that you can't imagine the tracks being arranged in any other way.

If Burial's album is garnering praise for any reason outside of the fact that the tunes themselves are, for the most part, totally inspired, it's because it makes for a more rewarding experience to immerse yourself in it for the full 50-odd minutes than just nip off for a quick 5 minute trip down the corner shop.

So I suppose what I mean is that the long play format is irrelevant if there's no reason for it other than a purely commercial one. Certainly, I think nominal albums that contain nothing more than a collection of otherwise arbitrary collection of tunes are on the way out.

 

[SIZZLE]

From the artists side, here are a few of the problems that lead people to make albums at all, and often bad ones.

1) Vinyl releases, while considered an event to DJs and people on Dissensus, basically do not hit the media radar. I get emails from people saying they want to do a magazine feature but 'need a project to tie it to'. If you don't get an album out (mixCDs are usually not enough) Journalists don't feel the need to interview you, talk about you in their mag for more than a sentence. Do we as artists need this? Who knows, I think if you want to make a living you need all the help you can get.

2) Vinyl releases are EXTREMELY limited by the nature of format in the number of people they can be sold to, usually about 1000 DJs and Dissensian 'serious music fans'. This limits the number of people your music can reach by selling recordings AND combined with the fact that there is basically zero profit margin to be made selling 1000 12"s means that any kind of money one could conceivably live on will likely not be forthcoming.

3) CDs on the other hand have a far better mark up, people are willing to pay more, they cost less to press, AND there's a whole world of less-committed music enthusiasts who can now enjoy your music.

I am also of the mind that the album is possibly an outdated format, much prefer mixCDs, radio shows etc. but for the time being financial necessity as well as the more important goal of reaching the widest possible group of listeners means that the album is something that many will be forced to engage with, whether their style, genre, personal inclination etc makes that a promising option. Me and my partner have our own first proper full length coming out next fall so I can give you an update on how things look once it comes out.