TommyT (of DSBP) Breaks it Down

So not getting signed on DSBP can at first feel like a bit of a set back for aspiring noise/industrial artists. On the brighter note, unlike some other labels who keep their email response rather short should they even bother to send them at all, or (heaven forbid) the owners of the Corporate labels who never even talk to their artists, TOMMYT is a man with a passion for music, musicians, and who in these dark times for the independent Record Industry, will take the time out of his day he needs to not only tell you that although he's not signing your "new band", but he's quite willing to share an "insiders' perspective" from a label's point of view with all who are willing to listen.

Here below, are the recent utterances of TOMMYT upon these subjects, sent to myself via email and reprinted here with his permission. Incidentally, if you like the way this is starting to get your mind working about these questions, you should definitely pop over to the label's site to check out the Rants section.




Thanks for your info and stuff....we get bombarded by bands/solo artists, electronic artists all day and night here, and I don't mind, but the problem is... the fans...!!!

People don't care about buying music these days, and they definately could give a fuck about new bands as time has shown me... They only want the bands they know and that are big and that are doing the same old trendy stuff...

I like to hear new bands and to spin them on Cyberage Radio (http://www.cyberage.cx), and its always cool to check them out and hope that people will like them, if they are good, and we spin em, but I don't get people wanting to buy or support new bands anymore...

The "download society" fucked everything up, as did Itunes and Napster and everyone else...now, all music is to people is a "happy meal" download ora free download, and thats it...They don't care about new albums or labels or anything...

So, for us to even bother putting out new bands, spending tons of cash to do so, just to get dissed, and not sell anything, and just to be blamed for the music scene by these spoiled little miserable kids is too much of a headache and a loss all the time..plus...my experiences with new bands are not good... If they dont sell alot and get big they kinda blame the label and then don't even do shows, which are way important these days, and they just sit around thinking they will be stars... its all bullshit..

The whole scene has been damaged by the "new ways" and has disenchanted myself and so many other labels from even bothering anymore with signing and releasing new bands...

So, blame the youth, blame the downloads,and blame the trends...

The labels are just here to try to help bands and to keep our heads above water and that doesn't seem to be working much anymore..

* * *

We'll be here in a year still..... We been doing it for 13 years... All underground and all independent...We will only be releasing a few bands though. The ones that done good for us already... I signed on so many "new bands" that just disappointed me... Its not nearly as easy as "everyone thinks" to sell, and to be successful... Now, everyone with a computer makes music and "has a band" and it just makes it all the more cluttered and sad...

I'm not trying to be elitest...I am doing what 99.9% of the other labels won't do...

1) Answer mail from bands not on their label or that they don't know of...

2) Telling it like it is, because someone has to... So many lies from lame bands
and other sheeple always blaming the labels what should be blamed on all of them
and the "so called fans" who don't buy music anymore, or just do everything
download, just like the TV, and corporates tell them too...obedient little
slaves....slaves to APPLE!!!

Artists/bands who just think that if they get signed on a label they don't have to do anything but sit back and collect cash... NO!! Thats not the way it is.. bands gotta play LIVE, promote their bands, and be all over it, and all over the place... There's millions of electronic bands/projects now... The competition has never even been close to this fierce, and now with the economic disaster cause of this stupid war in Iraq, and because of downloads, no one supports or buys music anymore...

As a distributor of over 800 titles I can seriously say this with confidence... it's not that all 800 titles suck... it's that the fans don't care about music anymore, or good music, at least...

We'll keep on truckin like we always do, mowin down the posers and sheep that get in our way...


-TOMMYT

DSBP
Cyberrage Radio
DSBP MS