Music Book Review: Listening to the Wind: Encounters With 21st Century Independent Record Labels by Ian Preece

Listening to the Wind: Encounters With 21st Century Independent Record Labels
by Ian Preece (Music 781.49 Pre)

In this era of streaming music access, record labels might seem like a music industry anachronism, just one more increasingly unnecessary step between artists and audiences. There’s some truth to the idea where popular music idioms are concerned: artists who are already popular can take over their own distribution and promotion easily enough, and artists who are lucky enough to have a viral hit can largely control their own destiny without the assistance of record labels. As the shift to streaming music has taken shape, we’ve seen the major labels lose some of their grip on music distribution, and we’ve seen music journalism in a similar decline, as the algorithms of streaming services take over the business of making recommendations.

But what about the many kinds of music that don’t fall so neatly into commercially-viable categories? What about the fans of music who are so passionate that they still want a physical object for their stereos, and liner notes to pore over while they listen? This “long tail” area of the music industry is long indeed, and for many music lovers, there is still a world of music that doesn’t fit so neatly into the algorithms of Spotify. Much of this music requires a special kind of attention to detail during the creative process, and the curatorial and artistic contributions of record labels continue to offer an essential relationship that helps to bring new kinds of music to the public.

There are small record labels all over the world focusing on special subgenres of music old and new, bringing the latest sounds and the most essential lost audio artifacts back to our collective ears with love and careful attention to the depths of artistry involved. In “Listening To the Wind: Encounters With 21st Century Independent Record Labels,” author Ian Preece visits over 30 such record labels for in-depth interviews with their founders. You’ll learn a bit about the day-to-day operations of modern small record labels, how they continue to find their voices both within and apart from the digital music world, and often learn about the local music scenes surrounding their home bases. You’ll hear about new artists and labels who continue to focus on old microgenres, from new age soundscapes to free jazz skronkfests to modern classical works, and you’ll learn of many artists and labels whose discographies defy easy labeling by genre altogether.

Perhaps most importantly, you’ll get a feel for the strong sense of community that runs within all of these musical circles, where the occupational lines between artists, label proprietors, promoters, journalists and fans are often blurry and subject to constant change. This music matters deeply to these communities, and everyone pitches in to keep the music alive and healthy. This is a large book, but if you’re interested in these topics, you’ll find that the pages fly by. And who knows how much fun you might have coming up with a playlist for listening while you read!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Labels: Making Independent Music by Dominik Bartmanski and Ian Woodward, Punk Record Labels and the Struggle for Autonomy: The Emergence of DIY by Alan O’Connor or Cowboys and Indies: The Epic History of the Record Industry by Gareth Murphy.]

[ publisher’s Listening to the Wind web site ]

Recommended by Scott S.
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