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| Discs shorn of their shells |
I used to have an inordinate fondness for physical formats. I once bought a second copy of The Terminator on DVD because the spine of the copy I was given as a present had a slight wrinkle in it. I think it was related to my age and my lack of disposable income (strangely contrary to what you might expect from this particular example, I'll grant you): back when shiny things were a rarity in my life, I wanted to treasure them.
But I've moved 7 times in the past 8 years, and that Terminator DVD box (both, actually) has been one of many victims of my desire to downsize the things that have ended up owning me, to paraphrase one of the few films whose physical packaging I've retained.
I've only mentioned films so far, but it's been the same story for CDs. I'm now a besotted Spotify convert, and most of my jewel cases have bitten the dust. The only medium I haven't yet mostly digitised is books, and even on that front I'm wavering.
But I know the jury is still out on Spotify and its effects on bands' ability to go on putting out music. I don't want plastic boxes cluttering up my life, and I don't want to be responsible for any more landfill than is absolutely necessary. But I still want to support the bands I love. What should I do?
For bands that tour the answer is simple: go see them live. I live in London, so thankfully it's easy for me to see live music whenever I like. Everyone's a winner: I get to see the band I like, they get paid, and I might even pick up a T-shirt.
But what about bands that don't tour the UK? One of my favourite records of the last year or so was Kinski's Cosy Moments, but as far as I can work out Kinski have never toured the UK, and there's no indication they're about to start now. They're also not selling any merch on their site.
Or take The Austerity Program. They've only visited the UK once, I believe. I discovered them by buying their last EP, Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn, randomly because I liked the look of it, back before I had Spotify. But they are on Spotify, and they have a new EP due out in May. Will I buy it on CD, or just stream it whenever I feel like it? I'm not sure.
But I do know that I won't be buying Cosy Moments, which I've already listened to a dozen times. What would be the point? Am I going to rip it to the mp3 player that I still carry around with me in addition to my phone, when I already have it downloaded to my phone via Spotify? And have the case and disc with all their petrochemicals just sit there gathering dust on my shelf, the case to be ditched next time I move, probably in about 6 months' time, to be pecked at by gulls driven mad by the stench of decay? No.
The answer may lie in that temporal distinction. I'm not sure I won't buy the Austerity Program EP I haven't yet heard, but I am sure I won't buy the Kinski record I already, in a sense, possess. Lots of bands have used crowdfunding to get records made that - apparently - otherwise wouldn't have seen the light of day, and if The Austerity Program had asked me for £8 to help them make their new EP, with the promise I'd receive it in 6 or 12 months' time, I'd've happily transferred them the cash. Obviously that wasn't necessary in their case (since the record has already been recorded and mastered), and there's a trust issue to the delayed gratification, but I think the idea that I'm helping bands to get their stuff out there could be extra push I need to fork over cash for something I can otherwise now acquire more easily, cheaply, cleanly and conveniently.
And if the band promise to use nothing but recycled cardboard for their packaging (and to be fair, Backsliders... came in just a sleeve), even better.
