Its All About Oldskool Weekly Email (20th March 2011)

**China-Rising** · 20th March 2011

Welcome to this week’s IAAO email.
This week’s main piece has changed. It was going to go into the subject of digital downloads and how the record industry have shot themselves in the foot, which was part of a topic some of us were talking about in the RR chat room after my latest IAAT show. This week’s main piece will come at the end of the email as it’s about the IAAT site.

VinylJunkie got in touch with me this week to tell me he has done a new mix. It’s available for all members to download and enjoy, or to listen to on Soundcloud. You can find it here (with a track list) Vinyl Junkie - Any Jungle In Guy? by Vinyl Junkie on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

On the subject of new things, Renegade Genius of Paranoid Recordings fame has made a new track. Its well worth checking out. You can hear it here: New one from me - Hoovers / Pianos / Sped Up Vox (Clip)

Talking of Paranoid Recordings, the guys have been working hard in the studio (I think) and have provided some sneak peeks of their forthcoming download only album. This is well worth checking out: Teaser... Paranoid Recordings Vs Bat Beat Recordings

My latest show was on RR last week and I really enjoyed it once again. It was a great success and I think I’m finally getting the volumes right on the mic (about time) if you missed the show, you can check it out here: China Rising - Its All About Trance (15-03-2011) (LIVE On Renegade Radio) Next month’s show will be my last before I fly out to China, so something special is planned. Keep your eye out for more updates on this when all the details are finalised.

Over the last few months I’ve been thinking about the IAAT site and which direction I want it to go. The main problem I have is the whole sharing business. I buy a lot of music every month (more than I should sometimes) and doing this I’m supporting the artists and producers of the music I love. Yet I feel I am betraying those artists and producers on IAAT because of the nature of the site. There is the argument that I’m promoting these artists and producers and helping them get a name by showcasing their work, but in my mind I know this is a cop out excuse and using it as a fake cover. Do I really think by posting up a track someone will grab it and then go out and buy it? If this was the case then why not just post up a track and instead of a download link, I put up a youtube link to that track and a link to a legal download site where it can be purchased? Isn’t that a better way of doing it?

What I would like (although I know it will be very hard work to build it up) is a legitimate Trance site, showcasing the Trance genre in its many forms and bringing together a proper legal community of Trance lovers new and old. Do I think this is possible? Yes and no. Yes because the genre is very popular and with a lot of work, time and effort, something could be built. No because there is a lot of competition out there and some very big and established sites already. It could take years to build up.
I also thought of suspending registrations on the site and just having a small group of people sharing their music with each other, but if this was done the site would never grow.

At the moment I have shut the site until I am 100% certain on what I want to do. I won’t be closing it and deleting it. I’m passionate about it and want to carry on with it and create something I can be proud of.

As I said before, I have been thinking about this for months but last night (Saturday) something happened which just made me come to this decision. I got an email notification that someone was following me on Twitter. I looked to see who it was and it was a very famous Trance Duo who produce great music and are very good DJ’s. I have most of their stuff including their latest track which was released about a week ago. There they are following me on Twitter and here I am sharing their latest track for all to grab and enjoy. It just didn’t feel right to me; I felt I was really letting these guys down in a very big way. This may sound silly, but it’s true.

It must be remembered here that most of these producers aren’t on huge multi million pound record labels, they don’t earn a massive amount of money from making tracks, regardless of what you might think, this is a fact. I’m sure a few of the producers we have on IAAO can tell you this, which is why most have normal jobs and the producing is something extra.

Anyway, this is the situation with IAAT.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Have a great week,

China.

P.S. The 25th March sees IAAO celebrate its 2nd birthday. More on this during the week and in next week’s email.

**dodders** · 20th March 2011

No advice yet - just a question: if theses boys are following you on Twitter, is there not a good chance they already know about the trance site and what you do?

**China-Rising** · 20th March 2011

Originally Posted by dodders

just a question: if theses boys are following you on Twitter, is there not a good chance they already know about the trance site and what you do?

Maybe Dodders, I'm not too sure. They certainly haven't joined. But even without them adding me to Twitter, I would have eventually done what I was saying in the email. It just gave me the push that I needed so to speak.

I started to feel more and more guilt with every track I was adding. This in turn was taking away the enjoyment of the site. Older stuff I could kind of justify, but newer stuff just didn't feel right.

I have thought about just keeping older stuff, but it kind of defeats the object. Live sets won't be effected by any of this of course, they will stay.

**Thrash** · 20th March 2011

Has anyone managed to track down Day V Lately - Pulse & Thunder (Trance Mix) yet?

**China-Rising** · 20th March 2011

Originally Posted by Thrash

Has anyone managed to track down Day V Lately - Pulse & Thunder (Trance Mix) yet?

Not yet Thrash, but i'm still on the hunt.

**China-Rising** · 21st March 2011

IAAT now open again, but with sections hidden to guests until I decide on what to do.

I may just concentrate on the older stuff, not too sure yet.

**msprim** · 21st March 2011

Well for the oldskool trance have downloads available and for the newer stuff that you can buy, as you said in your email you can add a Youtube link and a link to where it can be purchased - you could add a new release section for example

It's not worth getting into trouble in my opinion - and the likelihood of someone buying a new release when they have it for free is zilch

**malgossno1** · 21st March 2011

following me on Twitter

Your on Twitter

**Phizzal** · 21st March 2011

Maybe you should just ask them what they think about people downloading there music. They may even surprise you & say they dont mind.

**oldskool** · 21st March 2011

China i know what you mean (cop out excuse and using it as a fake cover)

but in saying that sharing is a good thing ? i think

a few big names have asked me for big tunes they made and i always feel funny about it till they say there happy because they dont have it anymore

i think if we can keep the raves going then thats a good thing and if djs that are the big names at these rave dont have all there stuff on mp3 or wav then maybe we can help in this way

the ones that have asked me for stuff have always said they are over the moon that i have it to give them and i always say i hope they dont mind me sharing there stuff with them hoping they get the fact that it might not be my rip and that i downloaded it ?
and as i said they are happy just to get the stuff they need ?

also a few remixes should be about soon because the samples that were lost can be taken from very good vinyl rips

so at the same time were taking away were also giving back

not sure if anyone has had this happen to them but i aint talking shit people i know are happy i can help in this way and i couldnt do this without you lot

ripping what i dont have and sharing it

hope this helps you feel better about the sharing side of it

**China-Rising** · 22nd March 2011

Originally Posted by Phizzal

Maybe you should just ask them what they think about people downloading there music. They may even surprise you & say they dont mind.

I could do,but i'd rather not put fuel on the fire....it might get the site shut down

**China-Rising** · 22nd March 2011

Originally Posted by oldskool

China i know what you mean (cop out excuse and using it as a fake cover)

but in saying that sharing is a good thing ? i think

a few big names have asked me for big tunes they made and i always feel funny about it till they say there happy because they dont have it anymore

i think if we can keep the raves going then thats a good thing and if djs that are the big names at these rave dont have all there stuff on mp3 or wav then maybe we can help in this way

the ones that have asked me for stuff have always said they are over the moon that i have it to give them and i always say i hope they dont mind me sharing there stuff with them hoping they get the fact that it might not be my rip and that i downloaded it ?
and as i said they are happy just to get the stuff they need ?

also a few remixes should be about soon because the samples that were lost can be taken from very good vinyl rips

so at the same time were taking away were also giving back

not sure if anyone has had this happen to them but i aint talking shit people i know are happy i can help in this way and i couldnt do this without you lot

ripping what i dont have and sharing it

hope this helps you feel better about the sharing side of it

Oldskool stuff is a little different to the Trance stuff fella. Most of the old labels are now gone, which means in theory there is no profit or sales to be made on the releases (I could be wrong on this point, I'm no expert)

The oldskool site is not effected by anything I have said in the email, i'm just referring to IAAT only.

The site for now is open again with everything intact and operating as normal (although everything is hidden apart from Live sets and Radio shows, you have to be logged in to see it)

I was perhaps a little hasty in this weeks email, but the feeling itself is still there. I will come to a conclusion at some point, perhaps I will just let other do new stuff and I will steer clear of it and concentrate on the older stuff and live sets.