SCRAPP! FIGHT MAGAZINE
February - 2016
55
and think about all the execs
and artists you hear crying
about this and you’ll see a
connection: they’re all well
established and wealthy. It
is rare to hear a smaller art-
ist complaining about all
this newfangled technology
keeping them from mak-
ing a check. I honestly think
that a major reason for the
lack of complaint from lesser
known acts is that they’re
just too busy. These guys
are out working their asses
off learning, mastering, and
using the great big evil in-
ternet to grow with as little
interference as they can get
away with. They’re too busy
trying to get their music into
as many ears as possible to
worry much about preten-
tious hipsters who demand
that their music only be on
cassette or vinyl because
high quality music is just too
mainstream.
Think about how much
has changed and is chang-
ing daily and ask yourself
why this one thing is sacred
and must stay the same at
all costs. Less than a decade
ago being a fan of a great
local act was a struggle. Un-
less they were lucky enough
to have access to (usually
crap quality) recording gear
or had funds to afford studio
time, the only time you were
going to hear them was at a
show and turning people on
to them was even harder es-
pecially if your friends were
broke or couldn’t get into
bars. Now you can just pull
your phone out and within
seconds BAM you’re listen-
ing to that kickass post-black
thrash polka band from a
small town halfway across
the country that Bob from
work told you about. Yet
people still piss and moan
about things changing in-
stead of learning to benefit
from it.
Another example of
this huge change is how
much a “do it yourself” out-
fit can achieve. Sure okay,
there were always lucky
breaks and other flukes in
the past but now musicians
are learning that you don’t
need the old system to suc-
ceed. For instance a regional
Texas band called Shattered
Sun opened up for Exodus
and Testament on their 2015
tour (if you don’t understand
go ask an older metal head
they’ll explain); relatively un-
known bands playing the
Mayhem Festival and shortly
thereafter having a boom in
popularity; and my favorite,
a band called Drenalin from
northeast Ohio who have
just over 2,500 Facebook
likes, multiple recordings,
and an Emmy. Not only have
these dudes won an Emmy
for their track on the Chi-
cago Blackhawks TV spot in
2015 but they’ve also been
featured on NBCSN’s World
Series of Fighting multiple
times, and were nominated
for an Emmy in 2014 as well.
This is a completely DIY band
that has neither time nor in-
clination to whine about the
current state of affairs.
It isn’t just artists that
have adapted to and are
thriving in this growing new
system. Rocktagon World-
wide, headed by industry
vet James Jeda, is making
the best of current events to
say the least, and they’re far
from being the only ones to
win with what they’re do-
ing. I mentioned the World
Series of Fighting, it just so
happens Rocktagon provides
the music for that promotion
including walk out tracks
for fighters. This endeavor
is just the tip of the iceberg
for company that’s growing
daily.
So yes, the “music
industry” is dying and to
that I say, “Let me twist the
blade,” because I like what
I see. I’m seeing a system
growing that is based more
on talent and ingenuity than
connections and dumb luck.
So crank up the music and
enjoy the ride, it’s really all
you can do.
