Now we are here to collaborate with YOU, humanoid, on the most exciting project we’ve ever done.
– De La Soul
Yesterday I received an email from De La Soul [I’m on their mailing list] informing me that they would be releasing their first album in a decade. It’s currently available for preorder on Kickstarter in digital, and physical format. Tiered levels of support come with perks, such as De La Soul USB keys, shoes and limited edition shirts. Needless to say, I’m excited to get my copy of the album in the mail, and review here for all of you.
It seems like many artists are finding themselves on platforms like Kickstarter (and indigogo) these days. Some notable projects have included Domingo’s Big Pun EP, and Ras Kass’s A.D.I.D.A.S project. Let’s face it, independent music sales isn’t easy, and the production of an album is (generally) far from free. Kickstarter campaigns really make an artist vulnerable, but can also help them gauge the loyalty of their fanbase, and actual demand for their music. Allowing fans to be a part of your process and know that their money is positively benefitting the actual production of your music is a valuable connection to make.
It’s this type of platform that has record labels scrambling. Kickstarter (and others) has unwittingly created a platform for musicians to sell music and keep 100% of the take, minus any personal overhead and nominal handling fee of course. My thought is that we may see that change in the future. Perhaps a Kickstarter for musicians, that finds a way to generate more revenue for the company. But for the time being, it’s an amazing outlet for acts like De La Soul, and up and coming acts such as Lil’Dicky to positively exploit growing fan bases, and loyal followers in a way that simply posting music for sale on services like Bandcamp can’t replicate..
Maybe instead of artist trying to change the face of music history with streaming music services, they should more intimately and authentically connect with their fans and produce a crowd sourced project. Just saying. This is the wave!
If you want to grab a copy of that new De La Soul, you have 29 days and counting!
