Seems to me that the "hiding your identity" thing is a marketing scheme. I play music in order to reveal my identity, to myself and others.
I know this is not the case Harry. I would admit that from a journalists point of view, if you cant write or report on the individual, then you must focus on the anonymity, and that in tern becomes marketing for the band. "The residents.. Arnt they the dudes with the eyeballs?" as opposed to "The residents, arnt they those 4 geeky guys form San Mateo" . But to them I know that it was a concept and a statement ON the state of music marketing. Why do you think that they focus so much on people like Elvis?"
I dont think that their anonymity was something that they were really so serious about, I have seem them play live without the eyeballs for example, and if you drop round to their studios in SF, they are more than happy to chat... theres no guards at the door, no, they just started out by refusing to talk about themselves as individuals, just the music.
I remember myself being interviewed, I was shocked that Journos didnt know the first thing about music, they knew the history of pop music of course, and knew every latest thing from Camden or Cambridge, so their questions were things like "Where did you grow up? Who were your idols? What makes you cry?
NEVER did they ask, how do you write a song? Can you take me through the recording process, or god forbid.. what looper do you use?
The recording industry realises that 98% of buyers arent that interested in the music, they a buying into a lifestyle, and its that lifesyle is what they need to market, the journalists are paid by the recording industry to produce copy that acts as advertising for the industry, and they know what sells music-papers/newpapers/blogs.
Its people (oh and sex)...
Banksie is strangely simerlar, I think his anonymity comes from the world in which he came from, illegal graffiti art, revealing his identity in the early days, would lead to fines maybe jail. But of course both these example have later used their anonymity as a marketing tool.
So your comment...
I never understood why people use this ploy. It's not about music, it's about marketing.
seems a bit upside down to me... in a world where marketing music is very little to do with music, the residents and their colleagues(very limited colleagues--- why is that?? Ill tell you.. It doesnt sell records!!!) are a breath of fresh air to me...
I know music more about Lady Gagas outfits and image than I know about her music!
I like the outfits... shame about the music...
Mark
PS, I didnt now Daft Punk were anonymous actually.. I find the Techno genre to be refreshingly different in that aspect... there are the big names of course, but many artists you would never recognize...
Haha Per such an abrupt answer i love it
On Mar 1, 2012 3:28 AM, "Per Boysen" <
perboysen@gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 4:21 AM, kay'lon rushing <k3zz21@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've always been fascinated by artists who refuse to show their identity.
> Whether it be by a mask or by simply never presenting themselves in physical
> form. Such as Burial, daft punk, banksy, and whoever else. Would you be one
> of these kinds of artists if u could?
No.
Greetings from Sweden
Per Boysen
www.perboysen.com
http://www.youtube.com/perboysen
