News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Tim O'Regan
UnderUtopia Records
tim@underutopia.com
Darkfold releases debut CD, Metaverse,
on BitTorrent and beyond
New distribution paradigms seen shaking
up industry but opening new avenues for independent acts
Minneapolis, MN -- Darkfold
will release their debut album on BitTorrent as part of
a promotional experiment to gain insight into emerging technologies.
Darkfold is a Minneapolis-based band on UnderUtopia Records,
a nascent net-label looking to pioneer new ways of blending
independent music with peer-to-peer (P2P) technology and
less-restrictive copyright licensing (often called "copyleft").
This new philosophy includes freely sharing the full album
on BitTorrent (participating sites include Demonoid, Mininova
and The Pirate Bay) and embracing new licensing schemes
like Creative Commons.
About Metaverse
Darkfold's debut album is called Metaverse. It's
an intense, varied and consistently-melodic rock album that
draws from the sounds of the last 40 years of rock 'n' roll,
hip-hop and electronica, but sounds cohesive and thoroughly
modern despite the garage-rock aesthetic pursued by the
band on this release.
"Metaverse is what we wanted
to achieve," says multi-instrumentalist Matthew Coon.
"The album doesn't follow the rules of conventional
rock music, but it sounds thoroughly rooted in everything
from punk to metal to old-school blues. We know it's quirky
and different, but that's a result of the three people who
made it bringing their own vibe to every track."
Darkfold's approach to music
Darkfold was formed in 2006 and consists of three musicians
who switch instruments throughout their live sets, depending
on the song. The approach generates a unique feel and gives
each song a distinct flavor. Taking a cue from their heroes
in Pink Floyd and Kyuss, the band favors an open-ended,
do-it-yourself approach to songwriting and recording. "We
wanted the album to sound raw," reveals band member
Andy Riedinger. "I'm a huge fan of Nirvana and we love
their scruffy sound. If an album sounds too clean and too
compressed it loses some of its honesty."
Why BitTorrent?
For the first time in human history a truly equitable distribution
platform exists. BitTorrent is a collective file transfer
protocol, meaning that you're uploading the file as you
download it. It takes the load off the server, spreads it
around and allows global distribution with virtually no
bandwidth investment for the label. "Using BitTorrent
was a no-brainer for us," insists UnderUtopia Records
co-founder Tim O'Regan. "No other platform allows us
to get Darkfold's album out there for so little investment
on our part and with such a wide distribution."
Asked if he thinks releasing the album on
BitTorrent will hurt sales, Mr. O'Regan grins and replies,
"It's going to end up on BitTorrent anyway. Besides,
Darkfold is a new band and we can't expect people to pay
for an album they haven't heard yet. Corporate radio is
not friendly to independent music and we want a wide distribution;
I want somebody in an internet café in Senegal to
download this album and share it with their friends. I think
people who believe in independent music will support us."
Philosophy on File-sharing
The forward-looking approach even applies to their CDs.
Each copy of Metaverse comes with a quick version
of Darkfold's philosophy towards file-sharing. Whereas other
bands have scary-sounding warnings and ominous FBI logos
on their discs, Metaverse says simply: "Please
share this album freely as long as it's for noncommercial
purposes. Darkfold does not sue fans!"
"I wanted to call the album Seed
This Torrent, but I was overruled," says Tim O'Regan
with a laugh, referring to the practice of continuing to
upload a completed torrent. It is regarded as an act of
altruism amongst file-sharers because the download is finished
and there is no technical need to continue uploading, but
amongst anti-file-sharing advocates it is regarded as aiding
and abetting theft. "You can't steal this album,"
Mr. Coon says, "because we're giving it away for free."
About UnderUtopia Records
Founded in 2006, UnderUtopia Records was designed to be
a bastion for artists who want to separate them selves from
the crumbling music industry of the previous century. Concentrating
on a digital format but still releasing physical products,
UnderUtopia Records aims to set the standard for post-millennial
music labels. UnderUtopia Records is not affiliated with
the RIAA. Find out more at www.UnderUtopia.com
About Darkfold
Darkfold is a 3-piece rock band based in Minneapolis/St.
Paul that plays heavy rock with a strong emphasis on melody
and solid songwriting. All 3 members are adept at multiple
instruments and rotate instruments several times during
their incredible live shows. Besides exploring new territory
in rock music the band is also dedicated to finding new
ways of reaching fans. Find out more at www.Darkfold.com
www.Darkfold.UnderUtopia.com
www.MySpace.com/Darkfold
www.Last.fm/Darkfold
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