A place for multigenre music in your collection?

[ill-esha]

Hello all you lovely FNKers...

I've enjoyed quite a long history now with many of you in the audience as a DJ, MC, and more recently you've checked out the drum & bass tracks I've been doing. Well, now I'm doing something different and I need your help....

I'm writing to ask you about your personal musical tastes. Do you listen strictly to electronic music? Are you into bands as well? What about artists who sort of cross over?

I've just made an album and I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. It's song-based and structured, but the beats are influenced by: downtempo, funk, rock, hip hop, pop, drum & bass (of course), and breaks.

I've got four tracks from it (none of the d&b, sorry) on the right-hand side player here:
ill-esha - music

Would you be interested in something like this? Do you think that there is a place for my music on the shelves?

Thanks, I could really use your help, I am just dealing with record labels right now and we're trying to figure out where exactly my market is.. and I argue that many electronic music listeners are into multiple genres of music and much more diverse than we give them credit for...

...one label wants to have a couple of other producers add some cheesy radio cuts to my album because they're scared that my usual group of fans won't get it and i need to appeal to the mass market.

Feedback!

[esoter1c]

I'm def not your target demographic but there's no doubt all 4 of those tracks are better than anything on the radio.

Corners of my mind is def my fave track out of the 4.

[xzibit]

YO SHORTY, I HEARD YOU LIVE HEAVY VOICE PRODUCTION, SO AFTER UPLOADING YOUR TRACKS TO OINK AS MY OWN, WE CHANGED THE NAMEPLATE ON YOUR TOYOTA TO A "TERCEL-CEL-CEL-CEL-CEL-CEL". DAAAAAYYYUUUM!

[.LxT]

I think there is definitely space for that. Take artists like BT - with a wide range of genres 'attacked' on his albums, from IDM to breaks, trance to rock etc. [Movement in Still Life jumps to mind as a nice collection of songs to exemplify that.]

I believe a more diverse album does allow the artist to really experiment in those areas of music she may be interested in. From the artistic standpoint it makes sense to follow creation rather than market trends; but, since we all have to eat, you might want to hold out a few more months while you get a few more tracks out.. in either genre. That way you might be able to put out an LP to satisfy label needs and maybe convince them into an EP with 'the rest' of your creations? [I have to admit I'm thinking about trying to push my own music independently outside the normal distribution chain] Most labels, I'd guess, know that out of 12 songs maybe two or three will stick. So this gives them a better chance to capitalize.

So, in short - yes. Multi-genre, as long as there is value and work in it. Because, to be quite honest, I get bored with a lot of unimaginative albums. "bangbangbang" - 12 songs and a headache. Whatever the genre may be. You've already made the different tracks so I guess you know what I mean :) There's simply so much to play with in music that I, personally, can't get pinned down that easily [not in listening habits nor in the random and infrequent 'production' work I do]

EDIT: So after listening... if you could get to do Imperfect with Jedi Mind Tricks... could be something really interesting. You know, mash-up/remix or something. Heck, I would think of sampling it - if I knew anybody that can rap.

Definitely gonna be grabbing this album if it comes out. Hopefully a remix kit in the future?

[anewlife]

This is why I don't use genre folders anymore and this instead:

(my folders in which I store my music)

fishatfishbox:/media/box/Possessedby/Audio$ ls

A Drug Assisted Illusion  Fumbling Towards Ecstasy  Shimmering Walls Of Sound
A Search For History      Knowledge Is Everything   Spread Your Wings And Fly
As Time Grooves On        Load Up On Guns           The Maddening Laughter
Bass Infected Funk        Rapidly Moving Images     Underneath The Fading Sun
Behind Closed Eyelids     Sailing To Byzantium      Vanishing Horizons

:P

[Chewy]

i listened to the samples on your website. i enjoyed all 4 of those tracks and im looking forword to hearing the whole album.

mostly i listen to prog house, prog trance, breaks, dnb.

But i change it up and listen to artists like emogen heap, bonobo, Bt, John mayer, Jack johnson and alot of others that are easier on the ears and some Acid jazz, downtempo, funk, etc.

I definetly think there is a place for your sound.