The Future of Pop?
By Ted Genoways
April 3rd, 2008
Radiohead continues to push back the frontiers of popular music—and the way we buy and listen to it. On the heels of the hoopla over their label-less, online unveiling of their new album, In Rainbows, the band has decided not to release the obligatory b-side remixes, but instead to sell fans the individual tracks necessary to make their own. And once you’ve created your masterpiece, you can share it with other Radiohead fans or just vote for your favorite among the hundreds of remixes already uploaded. Or better still, just listen to my remix—and vote for me! If you’re a nerd with GarageBand, like me, this is your new drug of choice. (My wife marveled—with a mixture of shock and resignation—”It’s like they designed it just for you.”)
The Virginia Quarterly Review
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I believe Nine Inch Nails was doing this before Radiohead:
http://remix.nin.com/
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Sasha Frere-Jones has an interesting take on this on his New Yorker blog:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sashafrerejones/2008/04/end-of-the-rain.html
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
thanks John. even thought i’ll be a Radiohead fan to the bitter end, i couldn’t agree more.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:38 pm
though
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
NIN did this splendidly. Releasing their tracks directly as GarageBand files — and so soon after GarageBand came out — was just a brilliant move on Trent Reznor’s part. NIN is a band that I’ve never enjoyed listening to, but could always appreciate in the abstract. But that was the moment when I realized that Reznor also had a mind for business, on par with Mick Jagger.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I used to be a big NIN fan, back in college. He lost me shortly after, but I can definitely appreciate his forward thinking, even if it is ultimately self-serving.
April 4th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Solid mix, nice work! Here’s one that took it the opposite direction:
http://www.radioheadremix.com/remix/?rated=true&id=565