Tuesday, September 16, 2014

The Mustache Club, Phase 1 : Customized vinyl

The music industry is in shambles. 

I know that. You know that. Everybody knows that!

Why purchase a CD when you can get the mp3 for free? 

That’s the dilemma the industry is facing.

So, what's the answer?

I don't claim to have THE answer. But I have one that works for me.

I like to think in today’s world, one thing that makes a release valuable is its packaging; how unique the presentation is.

As I’m establishing The Mustache Club as a label, I could completely bypass physical releases and go for strictly-mp3 releases.

But I’m still attached to physical releases; I still enjoy them. There’s something sensual when you hold a release from an artist you enjoy. There’s something more engaging about holding an album versus downloading an album in two clicks.

My solution: customized vinyl

For The Mustache Club's first release, I decided to go with a vinyl release.

Vinyls look great.

I only printed 100 copies because, let’s be honest, Pantaloon Descendo is a no name band. And 100 copies is the lowest amount of copies I could print.

However, with the 100 copy limitation, an opportunity arose: the amount is low enough to allow for customization. Instead of having 100 jackets pressed, I decided to order 100 blank jackets and hand-draw all of them. 

To make it more of a “collector’s item”. To make every single copy unique.

So, that's why the intial release on The Mustache Club will be Pantaloon Descendo’s recording debut on vinyl:100 hand-drawn and hand-numbered 7-inch vinyls.

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