Oooh I know... You might well say: Just back from holidays and already on the forefront!!! Don’t ever believe that I haven’t tried though. No Internet access, no cell, no papers, no tely... My mates had made me the promise to take a break from everything in connection with the current affairs in order to get the best from my break and get back in full effect. Well this happened to be without counting with one of’em, obviously unaware of this previous deal who’s ended up tellin’ me about the statement made by Universal Music to allow the free downloading of its repertoire starting from 01/01/2007 (*). No need to specify that this had the effect of a bomb as far as many of us are concerned...
‘‘In those troubled times, tellin’ the truth becomes a revolutionary act... ’’ (George Orwell)
Is it to say that the thing has to be definitely taken for granted? That we have to see in this the consecration of what we’ve progressively noticed along those last years, I mean the reduction of music to the rank of a simple product like anything else? No doubt that the decision of this US giant, in total opposition to the measures taken over the last months to fight against free downloading, would have been taken for absolute serious reasons. But how not to question ourselves facing the mutliple threats that this is to add on the disorders of an already fragilized economy since the arrival of the digital? Beginning with the transformation of music into a good, the consumption of which, being made possible for free – something which you couldn’t see anywhere else! – would see its usual finances compensated by some advertising process on the dedicated websites. But to which extend and, more than that, on which conditions? The insertion of some advertising jingle on the downloaded file sounding like: This track is being offered to you by the washing powder Y or the toothpaste Z such as – this is the announced reason – what’s currently happening on the radio stations??? And this is far from being everything... How then, following such a state of mind, not to be doubtful in regards to the nature itself of the music to come ; in other words, makin’ them correspond not anymore to the expectations of the crowd the way it was til now but those of the advertisers... The latest being put in the position of doin’ A&Ring as opposed to the record companies!!! Following this idea, how then not to wonder a bit more about the future of this famous alternative embodied by both artists and independant labels which then would be excluded, unless being absorbed either by Universal or by another other major if ever such a process was to become the new rule? Better say on such a case that each creation out of this schema would be definitely condamned and, to a wider extend the diversity so necessary to our daily environment.
It is true, as said by famous French writer La Fontaine at his time that the reason of the strongest is unvariabily – the best, as it’s as evident that what we use to call the progress with aberrations of all kinds...
No doubt how History will appreciate. As to Art, it has probably made itself a reason for already quite a long time... MFSB
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