I remember liking DJ Luna when I came across her page, but I haven’t heard her since. The Mudbloods, OTOH, have several spots in my iTunes heavy rotation playlist. Guess which band I check back on to see if there’s anything new?

For instance, Beefy has explained in at least one interview that the reason that Tube Technology is freely available on the web is because some of the songs use beats that he pulled off the web and so he is not legally allowed to sell the album. In fact, if you check his site, you can’t buy his album. What you can buy is a sticker which comes with a free copy of the album. According the the interview, this is deliberate. He has also expressed enthusiasm over the fact that he’ll be able to sell his next album in a more traditional manner. It will be interesting to see what distribution models are chosen with regard to that second album.

Beyond that, I’d wager that many, if not most, nerdcore artists give away their albums because they are either unable to handle selling CDs or because they do not feel that anyone would be willing to buy their albums. It will also be interesting to see how many CDs continue to be offered for free as folks get a better handle on the business side of things.

I think this plays into our previous discussions about how few people in the nerdcore scene have any real connection to mature DIY scenes. And how this is affecting how they feel things need to be done.

That’s not to say that there aren’t folks in the nerdcore scene (beyond Ultraklystron I mean) who haven’t done exactly what I’m talking about above. Or that the scene won’t move in that direction eventually. I just feel its a little early to be holding them up as a victory. There’s a difference between giving away music that you don’t think anyone will pay for. And giving away music that you know people will pay for and risk having them not pay for it because it is free.

I am very interested in seeing where this goes in the future though. The nerdcore scene has the potential to be a very interesting scene if it can keep its momentum.

Also, I’m curious, do you know of any artists, besides Beefy and Ultraklystron, who are “selling” CDs and also giving the CDs away for free? (and no YT offering his CD for free for a limited time to a select group of people doesn’t count. Especially since I need to send another email to Nerdy South in an attempt to get the CD that I actually paid for)

A great deal of this has to do with accessibility. If, for example, one wants to speak to YTCracker, one only has to hit him up through Gmail. Another contributing element – and this, too, is a biggie – is the fact that most active nerdcore artists freely share the bulk of their catalogue. Both Beefy and Ultraklystron offered two versions of their latest release: a freely downloadable version and a legitimate print version for sale. Despite that fact, I know that both have managed to sell a respectable number of the “premium” copies.

In the end, both conventional and nontraditional means of distribution were employed, thereby broadening the appeal of what can be viewed as a narrow genre. The same goes for the aforementioned YTCracker, whom, legend has it, made a torrent of his most recent album available simply for fans who wanted to ensure their interest pre-purchase, and so those of limited means wouldn’t have to go without.

While these are fairly drastic examples, I do feel that other genres could learn a bit of a lesson from this, one of nerdcore hip hop’s genuine strong points. I feel that this helps to strengthen the bonds within an artistic community, and, in essence, helps to legitimize what it sometimes viewed as a gimmicky musical manifestation.

I think it’s so hard to balance the desire to be the best musician possible in every way, including being good to your fans, and still being able to make the music in the first place. Your post was a really good discussion of that.

Roonil