[Rumori] People Like Us new album release at UbuWeb

[Vályi Gábor]

To paraphrase ABBA:

    Thank you for the music, the cutting and pasting
    Thanks for all the DIY you're bringing

I guess this is just the right move in getting music out to the people when
music biz is about to kick the bucket.

Thanks again,

Gabor Valyi




----- Original Message -----
From: "Vicki Bennett" <peoplelikeus at mistral.co.uk>
To: "Detritus discussion list." <rumori at detritus.net>
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 12:39 AM
Subject: [Rumori] People Like Us new album release at UbuWeb


> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
> People Like Us is pleased to announce the exclusive release their new
> recordings "Abridged Too Far" on the internet at www.ubu.com.
>
>
> Mon. 19 July -- Following last year's posting of their full 14 year
> discography for free download, People Like Us is going one step further
> in releasing a new album exclusively online. Given the poor state of
> music/media distribution for non-major label music, PLU are favouring
> circulation of one's work as the ultimate goal, in the belief that the
> gift economy ultimately reaps as much, if not more rewards by reaching
> more people.
>
> "We strongly believe in the power of profit through free distribution.
> Often people have never heard of an artist because they aren't being
> distributed through as many channels as they should be, due to the very
> poor state of music/media distribution for non-major label music
> coupled with ignorance of the way that avant garde art forms infiltrate
> mainstream culture. Also many prints of a work are allowed to go out of
> circulation or are deleted for no reason other than cost effectiveness
> by a label/publisher. This makes perfect sense financially, but no
> sense whatsoever that a year's work by an artist should also disappear
> for such reasons. So get all of this while you can, and we completely
> endorse getting one's work out there, no matter what. If you don't
> share, your profit is limited."
>
> "Abridged Too Far" is a collection of audio work first conceived
> through experimentation through or on radio. Given that this was the
> initial point of inspiration, it feels most appropriate to release this
> on the internet which has similar 'on the air' qualities. The
> experience found from internet broadcasting and sharing is very
> different to that of the world of retail - the effect is immediate and
> far fetching, plus the feedback can be immense. It is a good feeling to
> know the work is far more likely to reach it's intended audience since
> it transcends physical borders.
>
> On Abridged Too Far, People Like Us continues its pastiche of
> impressions of popular music from Europe and America from the 1920s
> thru to 1990s. Bennett's work is an examination of  the affect of
> hearing well known tunes and lyrics in fragments, then putting those
> elements to play-- resonating, intermingling and recombining with the
> listeners own associations and shards of memories. But this music,
> countering the pathos of straight tear-sucking nostalgia never settles
> in a place for its listener to cozily reflect times past.  Rather, the
> deft recontextualization and juxtaposition of individual elements
> creates an alchemical space of sublime and satirical transformation.
> This work is justified only because it is transformative; that it
> reflects something that may never have even been what it was perceived
> to be.  People Like Us weaves a  revealing nether-narrative to
> accompany  popular culture's monolithic straight telling of its own
> history.  The reality of which is columned by the sinister
> underpinnings of rapacious consumer culture and empty marketing.
>
> This is not background music. It is  engaging, inclusive and
> reflective. Not only a conduit of dialogic criticism  for Ms. Bennett,
> People Like Us is also personal and personable to a stranger given our
> shared experience and running commentary of the Western World.
>
> Do not buy this album!
>
> http://www.ubu.com
> http://www.peoplelikeus.org
>
>
> http://www.peoplelikeus.org
> http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/PL
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