Digitalis Horribilis?

Had an interesting discussion on the value of CDs with friends on Friday. One particular friend is of the opinion that CDs are redundant slivers of plastic and metal when all the music he needs is online. (Digital is now and the future, ahem!) He's ok to pay for music but didn't want 142 x 125 x 10 mm offensively plastic cases with unncessary rounds discs in them cluttering up his home. He would however also pay for the only other thing one receives with an actual CD purchase - the booklet. He (and his wife) cringed when I gave a Hossan Leong Show CD fo Christmas last year and responded "Where do I play this?". Apparently he has no device at home that plays a compact disc. I reminded him of his MacBook and he HMPFed at my accurate answer.

Digital, digital, digital. MP3s and AACs. All artworkless. I still buy CDs and yes, then I burn the contents into 320kbps MP3s to listen to on my iPhone. (I am thinking of getting the largest iPod to become the defacto music container for my listening pleasure.) It may sound weird that I do this but it stems for a respect for artistes and their work, and sometimes that work spills over to the artwork and designs and sometimes fragrance of the booklets in CD cases. I agree that buying MP3s does not mean one does not respect the musical talents of So and So. I just don't. I have some free MP3s I downloaded. The music is good but there's no feel lah.

After the few beers we had during this discussion, I announced that some artistes only release on vinyl even today. My friend gagged and choked or so it seemed. "Who has a vinyl player these days? You? You?" Myself and the other unfortunate participant in this intellectual oral threesome denied possession of such a device. "They say there is a warmth to the sound of vinyls. Gilles Peterson even does whole 2 hr session playing vinyls only!" I exhorted to more chagrin. Yes, vinyl are like retro cool. One has to commit and go forth and collect. Pricey they are but since artistes like Four Tet, Thom Yorke and Burial are releasing vinyl-only singles for their collab this week (UK release of Ego - it's brilliant!), collectors have heart, Your passions are not to be trundled upon by the digital music messiahs.

It's another channel lah, that's it. So chill and let it go. We enjoy the way we want to. The bigger problem I have is that suddenly a lot of people think music should be free. Napster started it all with everyone passing music around as if it was costless and copyright-less. It's not. Artistes today have had to change their expectations of the millions they may have yearned to earn, especially the pop cookie-cutter ones. That may also be why some recording artistes venture into clothes, perfumes and other collectibles for revenue. The whole package. Scam the fans while you can, eh.

Well, the Internet may be the great leveller and information provider but we should take art for granted. Music comes from talent, and some talent needs to be acknowledged and rewarded, whether one buys a CD or a digital download.