It's only a few months since I first heard Loui$, and realized I'd probably never own any of their releases, simply because of the quality and the demand. The songs I'm posting are from a 12" from 1985, which is selling for $140 and up (wayyy up), and while I'm no fan of jacked up prices (the hype that's causing the price inflation usually comes back to bite the buyer in the butt) I do understand why this release is so sought after, as the songs are simply incredible.
The producers have worked with guys who produced stuff I've posted here before, but apart from Crystals, I think Loui$ might be the only thing I've heard.
I'm posting both the vocal and the instrumental versions. The instrumental, 'Pink Footpath', which I actually heard first, is arranged a bit differently from the vocal version, a bit more laid back and minimal. In an rather odd way, together these versions compliment each other.
Again, this is amazing.
Vocal:
Loui$ - Magic Dance
Listen / Buy: GEMM / eBay / Music Stack
Instrumental:
Loui$ - Pink Footpath
I hardly want to talk about it in this particular entry, but one of the reasons why I dislike jacked-up prices so much is not because it makes it harder for *me* to buy the item, but rather that it promotes elitism, which, I believe, is the death to everything supposed to be creative and shared, such as music.
I also really really dislike the "collector's mindset", that is, the need and want to both raise the price and purchase really expensive items only from a collecting standpoint, because it usually only results in wanted items becoming even more expensive, but most often only for a limited time. Too many enthusiastic listeners are suckered into paying way too much.
I'm not wanting to sound hippy-ish, nor am I a disgruntled Ebay-shopper, hah. It's just that I like music because I can listen to it, which means I like letting other people listen as well, and, more importantly, I buy records so I can listen to them--which is why I only buy records I want to listen to. Similarly, I buy Jordan's to wear--not to resell on Ebay and make a profit. While items can be extra valuable, they should be valuable for their intrinsic value, that is, the particular record itself governs its value and importance -- not the cyclopsed seller who is after a wad of ca$h.
It's sad to see a bunch of releases selling for more and more, with everyone claiming it is because of the scarcity of copies in circulation, only for these releases being re-sold at a later time for less money. That means that too often the ones who really appreciate them--the ones who would never sell them, for one--never stand a chance of getting them in their collection. 'Polaris' by Cyber People was selling on Ebay and Gemm for around $80-100 in early 2006; now you can get a copy for around $10. Those copies did not get any younger, nor did the track become worse. It's just some price-up-jackers who claim they're in it because of their love of music. Sure, that and money. F**k'em, really.
And hot damn how I HATE all those bootleggers.
Comments(11)
agreed about price hikes! there's nothing so depressing as finding a song that speaks/sings to you, then not being able to afford a copy!
loving, loving, loving the blog!
t.
Written 05.03.08 01:07
Thanks Terry!
And yes, you're right, it's extremely depressing.
Written 05.03.08 08:43
You know what's not depressing? Being an artist and seeing your shit being given away by some self-righteous "I'm in it for the music" blogger.
Written 07.03.08 01:12
Haha, mr. anonymous, I like your style.
Yeah. My favorite music-bloggers are those who really despise music.
Like all those food-bloggers, god do they hate food! Giving away all those recipes, and explaining how to boil an egg. Do they love food? EWW NO!
Next time though, if you want to discuss this, just comment as the real you.
Until then, peace brother.
Written 07.03.08 03:41
My my.
If the shit being given away is not readily available for purchase, does it matter that its being given away? The state of flux that the music business is in right now is probably damaging to older artists that have relied on some income from their catalog, as it is usually easier for the tech-savvy consumer to access older, rarer music without paying for it than it is to legally purchase the music. If you're looking for a copy af a song you've read about, you're liklier to find it on soulseek, hypem or bit-torrent than itunes or Amazon. It seems to be a natural reaction of music consumers to share their music, and be it blogs, or sharing networks, this will continue. The solution to this problem would be to monetize the sharing methods, so you can share or get what you want, and the artist being shared would get a little money, and the person downloading would pay a monthly fee for this access. But the old middle men, the record labels, have done what they can to fight this progress, with the effect that more and more people just don't see music as something you neccesarily pay for anymore.
In the end though, I think the main reason for the sorry state of the music business is Halli and his bootlegging of records that his readers woud probably not be able to find legally anyway.
Written 07.03.08 08:59
How do the music blog hating people end up on music blogs anyway? Hmmm...
Written 07.03.08 16:42
He he, exactly.
"right" painfully browses the music-blogs, a sordid affair if you ask me, and whether he or she is a disgruntled artist or just a disgruntled consumer (and aren't we all artists, anyways?) my comments on high-prices and elitism must've hit a nerve.
And would we music-despisers be hatin' on jacked-up prices if we weren't trying to purchase copies ourselves?
Written 07.03.08 16:48
And not to mention that when we are buying these second hand records the artist isnt seeing any of the money anyways, so I don't really see that dudes point. There are a few rare instances when the song will be rereleased legitimately and then the artists can get paid but with out these music blogs and Youtube, there would be no market for these reissues.
Written 08.03.08 19:14
I totally agree. The demand for these records only exists because someone put the music out there for people to hear, and then eventually want.
And you mentioned one of the reasons why I'd rather not spent a lot of money for a release I really love, only for the money to go directly into the collector's pocket instead of the artist. I know the sellers have the right to do it this way, but I have the right not to contribute to it.
Also, a lot of the (Italo Disco) artists have not released anything in 20 years, and a lot of them do not even own a playable copy of their, now classic and highly sought after, records. Some of them don't even know that Italo Disco is what it is today.
And THAT is depressing.
I spoke with Mya Fracassini, who was the singer and songwriter for Mya & The Mirror's 'Hesitation', which is one of my all-time favorite songs, and as with so many other artists this was her only Italo release, and furthermore her only venture in dance music. She was surprised and delighted to hear that her little 25 year old record was actually considered a classic by many.
Yeah, the re-issues are usually pretty shaky business, but like you said there are a few who try to do things correctly. Morgan Geist (at Environ) is one of them, he spent a lot of energy trying to contact the artists to license for his re-releases, because he wanted them to get the money they deserved.
Written 09.03.08 00:20
i too hate the overpirced used record phenomenon. i've had the experience of digging through stacks of what i assumed would be only 5$ records, finding jewels like la bionda's first album and cynthia's springtime and lesser known joe yellow tracks, only to have my excitement dwindle at the register, where the clerks make me wait 30 minutes while they dissect the records i found (which they didnt even know they had) and cross reference them with their mate over the phone (the clerk's mate obviously online, checking for the highest price someone payed for the record to legitimize the price they plan on quoting me). the biggest insult though was that the clerk, who didnt know very much about italo, insinuated that the tracks would be worth a lot since they had the "italian stamp" on the label of one record and another was on that "disco 8" lable. christ.
Written 10.04.08 17:34
Pablo: Woooooww...that is teeeerrrible. I would've screamed and cried. What a load of idiots. I want to take a shower after reading this...I feel dirty and disgusted.
I never wanna go there.
How did it go? Did you end up buying the records?
Written 14.04.08 10:34