Welcoming Our Robot Overlords

I don't trust that smile!

Earlier this month I wrote a fairly lengthy post about the perceived importance – or lack thereof, depending on your individual slant – of netlabels. You never saw it, of course, because after re-reading this epistle it became apparent that I had added absolutely nothing to the debate.

My final conclusion, that a netlabel can provide valuable assets and collaborative input yet doesn't ensure artistic success, seemed… well, pretty goddamn obvious. So I scrapped the piece.

I can't imagine any fan reading this will mistake Pause or Scrub Club for Universal or Sony Music. Nor does any artist looking to leverage the kind of grassroots networking inherent in a netlabel confuse that subtle camaraderie for his "big break." In short, I think we all understand what netlabels are: a tool for digital musicians that, if employed properly, can provide minor artistic support and help with much-needed promotion.

I mention this because I recently received a press release from a brand new netlabel on the scene. This one, head by former MisterB and current B-Type Mr. Steve Brunton, operates under the unassuming name of Giggling Robot Records. Peep the presser below to see what they're all about:

Around two years ago now, I discussed the possibility of starting a record label with a friend of mine. We mused that in an age of rampant piracy, fatigue with the music industry, and a huge amount of quality acts releasing music for free that was on par, quality wise, with the mainstream, record labels were finding their roles in the musical society being marginalized.

However, one thing we agreed upon was that the vast majority of music fans have investigated the acts on a label, having heard and loved one.

Publicity is a valuable and difficult thing. We began coming up with a manifesto based around the concept of shared success. With tools like youtube, facebook, and twitter, matched with traditional means such as Album Notes and Word of Mouth, there is no reason that publicity for one act, or the label itself, cannot bleed through to the rest of the family.

As a record label, the most precious commodity we have are our artists. People have already made comment with regards to the sheer amount of acts we have signed in such a short amount of time. The reasoning behind this is powered by our focus on shared publicity. However, this was not an open call. Each act has been pondered, discussed, and even argued about by members of our team.

The label requires each member to be self sufficient when it comes to the music they make. While other labels are able to offer mixing and mastering, this is not something Giggling Robot Records can provide, due to the size of our roster, and monetary constraints. However, to turn a negative into a plus, this means that each and every artist that releases music under the Giggling Robot Records banner will have complete control over their music. The only control we retain is the option to refuse to release music that we do not feel reaches the artists potential. (Indeed, one of our first moves as a label was to create a strict and passionate Quality Control team.)

More information about GRR can be found on our currently under construction website, www.gigglingrobotrecords.com, as well as links to our acts, such as Whoremoans, DJ Roborob, JHSounds, MC Gigahertz, and Magitek.

The Giggling Robot Records team live, breath, and NEED this music. We hope to become a welcome community servant that will produce music to the highest quality, and do our part to help our associated acts reach their full potential.

Regards,

Steve B-Type Brunton

www.gigglingrobotrecords.com

And there you have it. Giggling Robot is a place that a number of established nerd music acts already call home, and we can only assume that it will prove to be a conduit for new talent as well.What it may lack in production resources it hopes to make up for with regard to individual artistic freedom.That's certainly a risky gambit, but an admirable move none the less.

Like most netlabels, it started with nothing more than an idea and a dream, and I, for one, can't wait to see what they bring to the table. Best of luck, lads – Now wow us, you magnificent metal bastards! :)