We can’t pay a label manager, and we can’t pay the artists…. always putting our hope in ‘just ONE more release’.... “We’ll be ok if the DVD sells”....“Surely the Shpongle CD will sell, right?”
This sucks, for Twisted, for myself and Raj who have spent 3 years working on the album….
I downloaded the leaked version too. I went from sounds that remember me of a movie soundtrack to the floating chillout vibe of “Nothing is something worth doing” to a big grin on my face during the final three minutes of “I am you” that made me get up, turn up the volume (a lot ) and dedicate the following dance to the music gods for creating Simon Posford, Raja Ram and whoever else was involved in the production of this album. It is absolutely terrific.
I had preordered 2 CDs (one to give away as a gift at some point, or I’ll simply keep it, who knows) as soon as the album was available in the shop and it would be the biggest injustice in the history of music if Twisted went down because of… yeah, because of what? Internet leaks? Simply no interest in people in this style of music?
I think what really gets to you, and what makes you sound so upset (rightfully so) in your post is that you spent all this time on creating your music, all the critics saying that Shpongle is one of the best bands in this sector, all the fans who praise you as their personal god, attesting your albums the magic “Posford touch” and yet it seems like you can’t really make enough money (which is just another way of saying that your work gets appreciated) with it to support your label and your bands (is it actually your label? I’m not sure).
You’re currently having the “I’ve done the best I can, yet it seems like it’s not enough”-feeling, and that really, really sucks. But hey, there will be better times. The DVD is coming out, Ineffable Mysteries is coming out… OK, now I sound just like you in your original post. And me (and a couple more guys on this forum) ordering one or more copies of the album will probably make you go “That’s all great guys, but…”, but like I said, there will be better times.
I don’t know of any other artist in this genre that keeps putting out this kind of quality for roughly 15 years now (the start of Hallucinogen). Laying it all to rest because of such shallow things as money would be terrible.
Hallucinogen - 19 October 2009 06:25 PM
Just as i started looking around and posting on this forum again, i remembered why i shouldn’t bother….
Try to keep posting here, please . It’s not us you have to avoid, we do buy your stuff. And your posts sometimes provide insight in your music that we would otherwise have no access to.
Thanks for your kind words Tapioka… tho’ i don’t know if “there will be better times” so much as “there were better times”.... Fuck, Led Zeppelin had their own jumbo jet! I’ll be happy with a CD that sells enough to pay for the electricity and equipment it took to make it…. I’ll throw in my time for free
Simon: don’t give up making music ever, please.
I’d like to listen to your music until I die. It has changed my whole life, my comprehension too.
Its absolutely brilliant what you’ve done so far. Its not just music, its a way of living. Shpongle, Younger Brother….just two among many names that we need in this world….to live, to survive, to be happy.
Well, you could still whore out your soul and create disco and club compatible trance like some of the bigger names in the business. Your music would suck hard but your bank account would explode, yay! But I don’t think you could do that, you just don’t have it in you to make “simple” music I believe, and that’s a good thing from my perspective. The downside is that you will probably not own that jumbo jet anytime soon…
I am happy and sad all at the same time that Simon is posting. I am glad he is directly communicating with the fans on a common level but sad on the subject matter.
I have been a fan of Shpongle since the first track I heard and now own all the cds and the twisted dvd that is out. I even made it out to London for the show last year and Bisco this year. Both times I was blown away more then any other artist I have seen live. They are amazing alone in your room with headphones on or under a tent stomping in the mud live. It is never a let down. It saddens me that some asshole actually leaked out the full album in SHIT quality(from what I heard). I mean the release is only a few weeks away and Twisted was even kind enough to give us preview tracks- what more do you people want for free?! A record label has to make money to survive. If I wasn’t a poor recent graduate I would donate much more then just buying the cd/dvd and I hope others have the same love for their music as I do to keep supporting them.
I would keep ranting on but I think everyone gets it already and it’s sad to the people who don’t know this scene and just run around trying to fill up their ipods. It’s quality over quantity and Twisted never lets us down!
I hope this upcoming Roundhouse show, cd, and dvd can keep this company alive so that more music can be made for the REAL fans.
on a side note I would just like to tell you that one of the best moments of my life was when the REMIX cd came up on my ipod last summer laying in a hammock watching the sunset in my backyard and hearing that for the first time(not so sober ) it was pure magic. I hope you can survive this dip in the world economy and carry on this legend!
I’m not against the idea of “filesharing” per se, what really bothers me is the parasitic nature of it, in that 90% of people who download will not spend money getting a legal copy.. I’m strongly against this, I have purchased multiple copies of all Shpongle albums, Ott, YB, and i’m proud to have them in my collection. I’ve also purchased the DVD, and personally I get a warm fuzzy feeling from knowing I’m supporting the artists I love financially. Sadly that seems to be lacking in the “get something for nothing” culture that filesharing has spawned.
I’ll continue buying all Twisted releases and hope dearly you can make enough money to survive.. I also love the new album, especially those mad Halfwit samples!
simon..this is absolutely disheartening…didn’t quite comprehend that the financial state of twisted is in such a dire state…where is the loyal fanbase? are they all only here??
twisted records is probably the most loved and at the same time the poorest record label in the cosmos…surely there must be reasons for this beyond the file-sharing plague that has cursed the internet…
the day twisted closes its doors for the last time, the world will lose a whole genre of music…a whole generation of followers who occupied the warm and loving tent that was twisted records will find themselves homeless…out in the cold…
perhaps its us…the loyal fans of twisted that have failed the record label by not spreading the word far and wide enough for the fan base to expand as it deservedly should have…
i must say that i am lost in a sea of uncertainty…even though i am a somewhat new member here on the forum…i have followed the works of shpongle/yb/hallucinogen/ott for longer then i can remember…
one question remains…what can be done to reverse this injustice, and somehow re-energize twisted records with the much needed funds it lacks to thrive again???
Btw yes I downloaded the leak with an incredible amount of guilt involved, but im preordering as we speak and also buying all merchandise. I will happily buy any new merch that comes later and plan on buying all of the Prometheus, Ott, Younger Brother available on twisted downloads. It may not matter because im only one person, but simon’s post really got to me. Damn you simon! (not really, i love you). Know that if i won the lottery id give you millions just for shpongle 5 :D
I wish we could do more.
Us loyal fans aint good enough.
I always thought you were INVINCEBLE.
I always thought raj was an ascended god in physical form, and simon was an elf or a leprachaun from another dimension.
It all comes down to money.
Epic fail on modern society’s part.
If these terrible things do happen, never forget about us!!!
-A Loyal Fan. Mitchell Calvert
Btw yes I downloaded the leak with an incredible amount of guilt involved, but im preordering as we speak and also buying all merchandise. I will happily buy any new merch that comes later and plan on buying all of the Prometheus, Ott, Younger Brother available on twisted downloads. It may not matter because im only one person, but simon’s post really got to me. Damn you simon! (not really, i love you). Know that if i won the lottery id give you millions just for shpongle 5 :D
I wish we could do more.
Same here!
I downloaded the albums when I was a student and had just enoguh money for rent.
I always thought it didn’t really matter because twisted had lots of money. Well now that I know twisted isn’t rich and I am not poor anymore its time to give something back. So I just ordered all the shpongle albums .
I think when the new Younger Brother album comes out, I will buy all the YB albums too.
by the way, why is an album in the twisted store about 10 euros and the same album at a (dutch) music store almost 20 euros?
ps. without filesharing I don’t think I would know Shpongle (and twisted)...
twisted records is probably the most loved and at the same time the poorest record label in the cosmos…surely there must be reasons for this beyond the file-sharing plague that has cursed the internet…
Well, it’s not really “easy” music. The tracks are mostly exceptionally long, so no radio play. The music itself is highly complex with multiple “layers” of instruments and effects all playing at the same time which makes the songs very uncatchy, which means death in todays radio world of catchy pop songs with the most simple of the simple beats.
Whenever I introduce others to Shpongle (or any Twisted artist really) I notice that most older people, like my own parents or parents of friends or just generally 40+ folk I know (I am 25) have a lot more appreciation for this music than the younger 20+ generation. Maybe because they experienced music in the 70s and are used to all the prog rock bands with those long, uncatchy songs, as I mentioned above.
You just need a very open mind for music like Shpongle, and most people don’t have it…
Just thought I would post to say I am buying the Cd!
I have bought every Shpongle, Younger Brother, Hallucinogen album and single and pretty much anything related to Twisted.
I am going to buy the DVD at the show.
It is nice to see Simon replying to this thread and read everyones opinions.
I bought Hallucinogen - Twisted in a hippy shop in Glastonbury before the days of the internet. There used to be loads of good hippy shops where you could go in and listen to the latest psy trance cds and get recommendations. It is a shame they seem to have disappeared now, that was a much better way of finding new music, rather than Google!
I own all 3 Shpongle Albums and OTT - HiD (every single album a diamond!), i would purchase every album twisted ever released if i had the money…
I also downloaded the album and from what i’ve heard so far i can tell i am absolutely falling in love with it! Great work Simon! i absolutely love your music !
And i will definitely purchase the album to support you and Twisted.
Here in germany Shpongle seems to be very unknown ... but when i showed your music to a few friends of mine, many many of them fell in love with Shpongle too (especially when i showed it to them while under strange substances )
Keep up the great work ! I would be so sad if Twisted wouldn’t exist any longer!!
) and dedicate the following dance to the music gods for creating Simon Posford, Raja Ram and whoever else was involved in the production of this album. It is absolutely terrific.
. It’s not us you have to avoid, we do buy your stuff. And your posts sometimes provide insight in your music that we would otherwise have no access to.
) it was pure magic. I hope you can survive this dip in the world economy and carry on this legend!
