Original Thread: How specific do labels get?

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-- Original Thread: How specific do labels get?

Posted by meneedit on Nov-22-2005 05:51:

Original Thread: How specific do labels get?

I understand that labels release only a certain type of music...

..but there are still many things I yet have to learn.

which brings me to this question:

How specific do labels get?

i.e do they go as far as vocals? (will they only release music with a certain type of vocals)

There are two types of vocals

Example 1: "Soulsearcher - Feelin' Love" (that horrible type of vocals found in 99% of house music)

Example 2: "Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes" (melodic vocals)

so for example would there be a label that would only release music containing Example 1 or Example 2?

Posted by Spacey Orange on Nov-22-2005 10:20:

Posted by meneedit on Nov-22-2005 22:27:

I tried to stop it from being confusing.

Posted by punjabi on Nov-23-2005 00:10:

i understand the question, but i don't really know the answer.

Posted by meneedit on Nov-23-2005 00:40:

fair enough

...how bout this one then. Who organises labels? (Who owns them and how do they get to do that? ...is it a job?)

Posted by AlonMiz on Nov-23-2005 02:03:

well i guess they have a manager, or some dj working there that vote for tunes to sign or decline.
but thats just a thought.

Posted by sandstorm03 on Nov-23-2005 06:31:

I always thought that rich white dudes owned the labels, rather then djs like tijs

Posted by UWM on Nov-23-2005 06:47:

What about spoken word vocals (PQM - You Are Sleeping), Male vs Female Vocals, Filtered / Stuttered Vocals (Nothing (93 Returning)), Creepy Vocals (Timo Maas - Pictures), Drug-Related Vocals (Placebo - Special K (Timo Maas)), Hip-Hop influenced Vocals (Sharon Philips - Want 2 / Need 2 (Trentemoller)), etc, etc ...

Posted by Ang ' ela_ie on Nov-23-2005 19:03:

To parallel...

Generally, from what Ive seen in rock (since thats where I work), they do have an influence but they arent there watching the band record their every song. The problem that they face is that they are the ones that are going to have to push the music. If the band doesnt produce something that they think they can push, its a worthless investment. The label reps that Ive talked to and that we have met at conventions generally seem to adore their own bands, and I get the impression that its kind of 50/50. The label knows what they can push (or get the stations to play) and the band knows their own goals. The trick is to find a label with the same goals in mind... if you cant find that, then youll probably be playing puppet to the label for the rest of your career. At the beginning I think they have a TON of influence, even down to vocals. But when your popularity speaks for itself, there's no need for the label to interfere anymore. Youll sell whatever you produce.

However, this might just be surface fluff from what Ive seen. Not to mention that things are really different in the EDM world. How do you know what you can push if nothing is ever really "popular" by conventional standards? Speaking for the States, at least...

Im going to stop rambling now.

Posted by meneedit on Nov-24-2005 01:01:

this is all so confusing...

Posted by ziddy on Nov-24-2005 14:08:

Anyone can start a label on their own. Tre tricky part is just to find good enough music and distributors. Of course there are many labels that only releases maybe one or two records before they realize that their not earning enough to keep the label alive.

Posted by Allied Nations on Nov-24-2005 17:34:

I own a label called, "fucking awesome ch00ns bitch"...

we havent released anything yet

Posted by Pavy on Nov-24-2005 20:07:

In the UK, moreso years ago than today, an artist would set up their own label to release their tracks, then others (sometimes friends) would release their tracks on that label, so you would see the first few tracks by the same artist before other artists names started appearing ont the vinyl.
Rather than tracks being categorised by 'vocal' 'minimal' etc labels tended to produce tracks that were categorised by their 'sound'. They would sign tracks that would just need that extra bit of input to give it the sound associated to that label, thus it was possible for DJ's to hear a track and immediately identify it by label rather than artist. Usually, because the label was started by an individual all the music released through that label was to the label owners taste.

Someone could probably explain that better and someone could probably argue to the contrary.

Some excellent examples include

Tinrib: (Many of The Captain's back catalogue online for free, legal download.)
ftp://ftp.coreblack.com/TinribVinyl/
ftp://ftp.coreblack.com/TinribAlbums/
ftp://ftp.coreblack.com/DirtyHouseGrooves/
ftp://ftp.coreblack.com/DirtyHouseGrooves/
or go here for his website:
http://www.captaintinrib.com/

Tripoli Trax: In my opinion, the best UK dance label, is now finishing. The shop 'Puregroove' is now turning to Indie music.

Fragile: Mainly the label for Lab 4 but also releases by a few other artists who have the same sound

'React' have possibly been the most varied label, releasing Hard House, Jungle, Techno, Breakbeat and every other genre people call EDM while still retaining a certain sound.

Then there are 'Positiva' 'FFRR' 'Guerilla' 'Manifesto' 'Xtravaganza'. I could go on forever

So it's really all about 'sound' and normally it would mainly include vocals, or mainly not include vocals.

Does that help?