There are two things in the world that will get my attention. Good music and anything that is free. So, when I was directed towards http://www.the-album.cc/ by our resident content wrangler Pat, naturally I was intrigued. Of course, the title was a draw, too. After all, just how many albums do you know of that come right out and claim that it is the most remarkable album on the face of the Earth? Never mind the fact that I never heard of the artist before. A proclamation like that isn’t something I could just ignore. I had to investigate…and by investigate, I mean listen to the artist, paniq, and see just what would make this potential album the most remarkable album on the planet.
First, let’s talk about the artist. paniq, aka Leonard Ritter, is a German music composer that has already released 20 electronic albums over the last 14 years. According to Leonard, his style is very diverse, but traditionally he has been drawn towards dance music. And, after listening to a couple of past works, I can see that influence. Tracks like Story of Ohm and Fuckin’ Aye Reloaded 4.0 appeal to my techno/house/electronic music tastes. However, Leonard is more than just a musician. He is a visual artist and programmer as well, producing music videos for his electronic offerings for the world to see. This eventually came out in the demoscene, a computer art subculture that is essentially A/V presentations running in real-time on the computer. With programming and music as interests, it was the only place on the early Internet that Leonard was able to release his music with like-minded individuals. An example of a demo using paniq’s music is Farbrausch – fr-038: theta.
After spending about 6 hours listening to paniq’s music on Last.fm, which made for excellent background music for work, I determined that Leonard definitely had the chops to make a remarkable album. But, can it really be the most remarkable album this world has ever seen? The answer for that, as it turns out, is not what is going in the album, but rather how the album is being created.
Going to http://www.the-album.cc/ will give you the first clue as to how the album is being put together. First of all, the album will be released under a Creative Commons license. What does that mean? Well, essentially, it means that the public has the right to use any of the music in the album in any production, royalty-free. Just give credit where credit is due and state that it was paniq that provided the music. And when Leonard says any of the music, he means it. All of the source files, recorded tracks, lyrics and samples used will be released at ccmixter.org and Freesound. Yes…every little bit of the album is free to use as you will. Now, that is remarkable, indeed.
But we are not done yet. In order to put the album together, Leonard is asking for donations. However, rather than just asking for money, Leonard is offering the public a unique opportunity. Donate enough euros, and you can literally affect the style of the album, be it by changing the style or topic of a specific track, have remixes performed on your two favorite tracks, have a 60 minute album mastered just for you or, if you donate 4455 euros or more, be credited as Executive Producer of the album on all web-related material and booklets. Check out the pledge list yourself to get an idea as to what is being offered. Personally, having the ability to affect the style of music is a huge boon, but getting your own personal jingle? That’s just plain awesome. Oh, and if you are wondering just how many dollars 4455 euros is, one euro is about 1.25 US dollars. So, for 5461 dollars, you can guarantee that this one-of-a-kind album will be made, with your input directly impacting the album. Or…you can donate what you can afford, ensuring that this album will at least make its way from concept to reality.
Time for some final thoughts. Will paniq’s album live up to the title of The Most Remarkable Album On This Entire Planet? The concept is certainly worthy of the hype. However, for the moment, it remains just that. A concept. An idea that needs a little help. Take a look at the The Album’s website, listen to the music, and decide if the album is worth it for yourself.
And, if so, donate a little something for the cause of freedom of expression. You will, indeed, improve your karma and feel better about yourself. Not to mention be a part of one of the most remarkable musical projects in the world.
13:31, June 3, 2010Pat Humphreys /
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This is just an awesome idea in general. Art, be it music, film, print, etc, doesn’t need the big players/corporations. Connecting with fans and giving them a reason to buy/be involved will become more and more important as technology gives the common man the ability to easily create. The 21 century will be one of digital patronage.
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