Dirk Darmstaedter
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THE FINGERTIPS Q&A Dirk Darmstaedter [continued] page 1 2 |
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Q: What are your thoughts about the album as a musical entity-- is it dying? Or are reports of its death greatly exaggerated, as the old phrase goes? A: Just like Super 8 film or the vinyl album (both examples that great stuff doesn't die, it just becomes elitist) the "album concept" will live on for the artists who embrace this concept. They just have to get used to the fact that a whole bunch of their listeners won't really care and, at best, download the two tracks they really like. But there will always be people (like me) who want to hear the whole thing in the way the artist planned it. But, yeah, be ready for a whole new "track mindset" in young musicians. But that didn't work out too bad for Pete Townshend in 1964, so hey.... Q: A lot has been made of the assertion that in the future, people won't buy music, and artists will make a living only via performance. What are your feelings about that idea? A: Yeah, maybe. Sometimes I have this weird feeling that albums/tracks/whatever will be what "setcards" are to models, which puts us label folks in a very bad position, indeed. Maybe musicians will make their livelihoods with live shows, music in films, etc etc. Is this a bad, bad thing? I don't know. In an ideal world (or in 1978) musicians would be getting their due just making great (or crap) albums, it's just a wee bit more complicated now. But, who can say if this is bad? This could mean a steady increase of really cool live shows, which could be a good thing. And remember, Mozart created some of his most important work as protege of Hieronymus Franz Josef von Colloredo-Mannsfeld Fürsterzbischof von Salzburg. Now, that's a concept for the future! Q: What question would you like to answer about music and the internet that I didn't ask? A: Will cool haircuts still sell music in the future? You bet. Some things change. But the big picture doesn't, really. page 1 2 Also available: the Fingertips Q&A with Jonatha Brooke (August 2008)  © copyright 2008 Fingertip Productions |