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ARE YOU READY FOR THE '90s?

By JIM MARTONE, President, ENIGMA ENTERTAINMENT CORP.

Frank Zappa once opined that you are ment and artist development are the orders what you is," and we couldn't agree more. of the day. We have the energy of a youthful, So what is we? creative staff led by capable executives. Enigma Entertainment, which encom- In terms of the immediate musical future passes Enigma Records, Restless Records for Enigma, recent albums by Hurricane, and La Rana Music (our publishing arm), is a XYZ, the Smithereens (Enigma /Capitol), young company, creative and entrepreneur- ,. Eddy Grant, the Cramps, the Dead Milkmen, ial. Spun off from an independent distributor ' TSOL, and the U -Krew are current priorities. in 1983, Enigma has been down in the Forthcoming releases from veterans Stryper, trenches signing cutting -edge bands, many of Poison (Enigma /Capitol), Devo, David Cas- whom (Motley Crue, Ratt, Berlin, Red Hot sidy, Sacred Reich (Enigma /Metal Blade), Chili Peppers, Stryper, Smithereens, Poison, Shooting Star, and Vinnie Vincent should and others) have gone on to widespread ac- make the first year of the decade the most ceptance and commercial success. While successful in Enigma's history. In addition, we have some new talent poised to make aus- The Cramps picious debuts, including the Cavedogs, Maxi- ENIGMA mum, Julliet, and a couple of bands we can't mention yet. Enigma Canada's first signing, the Skydiggers, is sweeping like a hailstorm across the Great White North, and will make their stateside debut later this year. On an-

tle (or a lot) left of center. There's something tremendously energizing in working daily with like to take chances. We aren't afraid to push the envelope. artists who are ahead of their time and to we bring them to the masses. We have immense When people were looking to us to find the next Poison, we confidence in our ability to identify tomor- were off having single success with the W(rew, an urban act that row's trends and deliver them in a creative manner. Enigma's A &R staff is dedicated to was about as far removed from heavy metal as Tipper Gore. We get signing and developing new artists as well as a charge out of keeping people on their toes. Especially ourselves. helping our established artists fulfill their po- tential. We are spending more time than ever We like to have fun; if we can't entertain ourselves, how dare we working with artists long before studio time is expect to entertain anyone else? booked to insure that opportunities for cre- ativity and excellence are not compromised. Production values, image, marketing, promo- these achievements might have been impres- tion -all of the star -making machinery -pro- other front, saxman Richard Elliot is one rec- sive for any independent record company, ceed from the basic musical content of the ord away from major -league stardom, and we they were even more so for a company where product, and we are intent on working with think "What's Inside," coming in July, is the virtually all the staff (including top manage- writers and artists who are committed to ticket. Enigma Retro is set to issue its first ment) are in their 20s or 30s, a company that making memorable music. "new" album, a double -CD live set by the late has had the benefit of a major corporate part- We like to take chances. We aren't afraid to Tim Buckley, and the press is beginning to ner (Capitol -EMI Music Inc.) for only the last push the envelope. When people were looking roll in on it already. At Restless, our indepen- year, a company which only this year has to us to find the next Poison, we were off hav- dently- distributed label, releases from Ter- gained the benefit of major label representa- ing single success with the U -Krew, an urban ence Simien, Wrath, Elvis Hitler, the Flaming tion of its product across the board interna- act that was about as far removed from heavy Lips, and reissues of material from Cabaret tionally. metal as Tipper Gore. We get a charge out of Voltaire, Can, and the Buzzcocks will spur the The bare bones of Enigma's corporate keeping people on their toes. Especially our- label to its best year ever. structure and short history constitutes only selves. We like to have fun; if we can't enter- The summary: We love music. We like to the first chapter in our company's story. Our tain ourselves, how dare we expect to enter- know about cool things first. We like to be long -term, unyielding ambition is to build tain anyone else? creative. We like to work hard, be right, win, Enigma into one of the pre -eminent musical Over the long term, as we look into our and have fun. We like to use computers to crystal ball, what might we predict for the fu- free up our time, we like lots of information \\\\tX\N.X\X\N ture of music? A tough question that can only that is accurate and factual and straightfor- be answered with generalities. Seems like gui- ward. We like the challenge of competing in tars are here to stay. Kids will continue to rel- business, we like to make decisions in a con- ish music that parents don't understand. Ulti- stantly changing environment and be tested mately, folks will reread the First from time to time to see what we're made of. Amendment, and record store clerks will be We like to take chances. The answer to what able to breathe a little easier. Romance gone Richard Elliot we is" is simply ... quite unique and ready good or romance gone bad will continue, so for the '90s. boy meets girl songs should survive. People recently taken important steps to bolster our will always love to dance, so strong rhythms forces by recruiting top -notch executive tal- will always remain a foundation around which ent while getting our regional promotion and some sort of dance music will be constructed. sales force in place. Streamlining Ethnic music of various types seems to ebb the staff at Enigma headquarters al- and flow according to the country David lows us to be more responsive and Byrne is visiting. (We're looking for the re- flexible at every level. One of Enig- naissance of Greenlandic folk -rock our- ma's strengths has always been the selves.) Really, who knows what's going to fol- ability to move quickly and decisive- low rock, punk, metal, and alternative music? ly, free of Byzantine organizational Probably Roseanne Roseannadanna summed strictures that immobilize large it up best when she said "It's always some- companies. thing." Enigma's competitive advantage Eddy Grant The formula, on the surface, seems simple: is that we are well -known in the Sign great bands and expose them to the peo- street where this music starts and entertainment companies. In the medium ple. The execution is more problematic, as builds. We intend to capitalize on term, that translates into substantial growth the competition in the marketplace is fero- this advantage by signing artists over the next few years to build the critical cious. Five years ago, there was a minimal in- that have the ability to hold an audi- mass that will allow Enigma to compete effec- terest in hard rock, heavy metal and alterna- ence in thrall and then work their tively in a music business increasingly domi- tive music which provided Enigma a window project hard and long, developing nated by multi -media corporate titans. of opportunity and a niche in the market- them through grass roots and not a We love music, especially music that is a lit- place. Today the story is different. We have do -or -die six -week radio campaign. Commit- X-Y-Z

W-20 A Billboard Spotlight BILLBOARD JUNE 30, 1990