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Home , Alex Kapranos, Always Ascending, A Little More Work, Feed the Machine, OK Go, People Just Do Nothing

05–06 Tools Blinder 07–08 Campaigns Franz Ferdinand, OK Go, Augmented Reality, Shania Twain 09–12 Behind The Campaign- The Band Called Oh

NOVEMBER 22 2017 sandboxMUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA ISSUE 192

can streaming services SHOW AND TELL make video work? COVERFEATURE SHOW AND TELL CAN STREAMING SERVICES MAKE VIDEO WORK?

The fact that Spotify and are both going heavy on original video could be taken as a sign of a new shift in emphasis for streaming, possibly going head to head with YouTube. Except, well, it’s not that straightforward. The first thing to note is that the viewing numbers are not being made public and many suspect this is because they are terrifyingly low. But it appears that acts and labels are prepared to work on original content as they feel it gets them important wider support on the services in question. Apple sees video as a key weapon in the “war on free” and substantial investments are being made here. That said, will acts now find themselves painted into a corner where they have to and create unique videos for every platform under the sun and not just video-based ones?

Video and the “war on free” ver the last two years, the media head of Spotify’s original video programming typically reflects the notion that advertisers merry-go-round has played out to the in September 2017 while Apple is reportedly will pay out more readily around video Apple Music’s Jimmy Iovine told reporters Osound of companies pivoting to video, set to spend $1bn on original video content content, an idea that translates to Spotify’s at the Television Critics Association’s winter with everyone from Vice to MTV News this year for Apple Music. Tidal, meanwhile, ad-supported tier. For Apple Music and press tour in January that video could help announcing their own video-focused plans. was a pioneer in this field, beginning its push Tidal, however, the appeal of video to fight the appeal of free. “At Apple Music, Music streaming services have not been into original video back in 2015, although its has more to do with persuading what we’re trying to create is an entire exempt from this trend: MySpace and Maker impact has been minimal (see box). music lovers to fork over their cultural, pop cultural experience and that Studios veteran Courtney Holt took over as For media outlets, a pivot to video $10 monthly fee. happens to include audio and video,” he said.

1 | sandbox | ISSUE 192 | 22.11.2017 COVERFEATURE

“In-playlist videos [on Spotify] software and services, told Reuters in August have only been visible in the UK for 2017 that Planet Of The Apps “had led to new about a month and a half, though customers signing up for free three-month they’ve been happening since March Apple Music trials” and he hoped Carpool of this year,” says music:)ally head of Karaoke would do the same. It was an training and development, Wesley A’Harrah. endorsement, of sorts, if hardly clear. “RapCaviar’s videos have been brilliant, music:)ally spoke to several leading music like award-winning music documentary marketers to gauge their reaction to this and original content that would really only video content and few were enthusiastic. “I be rivalled by productions like Beyoncé’s can’t say that I watch any of this content [on Lemonade.” streaming services], nor have I seen anything The problem with this approach, compelling enough to make me want to A’Harrah adds, comes when the video is watch it,” one source says. “The fact that not universally accessible. Spotify are now on their third reboot of this “If you’re in a country where the video play speaks volumes.” video isn’t available yet and you hit play Another label source adds, “I have at the start of the playlist, instead of watched a couple of exclusive vertical videos He added, “We’re fighting ‘free’. So a simple head Tom Calderone) is said to be part of automatically skipping over the videos on Spotify recently – the ones created for utility where, ‘Here’s all the songs, here’s all broader moves to narrow its focus. Much of that are unwatchable, there’s a message Selena Gomez and Sam Smith – but really for , give me $10 and we’re cool,’ is not Spotify’s original video programming has met that pops up and tells you the content the novelty factor and to see how they work going to scale.” with a rather muted reception – TechCrunch isn’t available from your location and you and look on the platform. Ditto watching Apple and Spotify’s approaches to compared Spotify’s Deconstructed series have to hit the skip button every time some recent video content on Apple content have, thus far, been notably to “an overpriced startup launch video there’s a video,” he says. “So if someone in – for example, the Kygo documentary. If I different. Apple Music is home to two mixed with a purposefully viral but shallow a country where video isn’t yet turned on flagship series in Carpool Karaoke: The Series BuzzFeed clip”, while one music:)ally hits the play button on RapCaviar from and Planet Of The Apps. The former is an source called the Trading Playlists series seeing it on the home page of Spotify expanded version of James Corden’s Late “painful” – but its recent decision to insert browse, they’re going to think the Late Show segment; the latter is an original videos in Spotify’s leading playlists, including playlist is broken and they’ll move onto series in which software engineers have RapCaviar and now Viva Latino, has been something else.” 60 seconds to pitch their ideas to celebrity received more positively. judges. Around these two A numbers game: view flagpoles, Apple Music is home stats are rarely made to concert videos (from the likes public of Arcade Fire and ) and documentaries (including There can be no question that the recent On The Record: Sam Apple Music and Spotify are taking Smith, as well as 808, dedicated original video very seriously. to the titular drum machine). And yet the doubt remains as to Spotify’s approach to what impact this video content is video has been rather more making, with neither Apple Music scattergun, although the arrival nor Spotify keen to give out figures. of Holt (in place of former VH1 Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of internet

2 | sandbox | ISSUE 192 | 22.11.2017 COVERFEATURE

around four weeks after being the impact this content has made. But uploaded. By contrast, a “guided they do not seem to suggest a huge video tour” of the iPhone X on Apple’s breakthrough or raft of viral hits. official YouTube channel was viewed 2.7m times in one week at Is the concern less about the start of November. viewing numbers and Spotify has uploaded some more about keeping the of its original video content to YouTube, including videos from services sweet? didn’t work in the music industry, I’m not the I’m With The Banned series, So why do time- and money- sure how interested I would be.” which features collaborations stretched record companies In the absence of viewing figures, online between US artists and those continue to work on this original stats may help to give us some idea as to from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, video content? The most obvious how popular the two streaming services’ Yemen and Iran. At the time of reason is that it keeps hugely original video has proved. At the time of YouTube as a means of writing, YouTube views for these important partner companies writing, the trailer for Planet Of The Apps extending the reach range from 6.5k (for Sufyvn feat. BJ the like Spotify and Apple Music had 139k views on YouTube, after being Kid) to 161k (for Waayaha Cusub on board. uploaded on 6th June 2017, while Apple’s As for music documentaries and live films, feat. Desiigner). “Working on video content with DSPs is trailer for Carpool Karaoke: The Series had the official trailer for Apple Music’s Several videos from Spotify’s The Drop one of the ways that we can keep each other been watched 1.7m times on YouTube since Danny Brown: Live At The Majestic film series are also available on Spotify’s official happy,” a source tells music:)ally. “There’s February 2017. had 50k views on Apple’s official YouTube YouTube channel, with views ranging from no doubt though that the viewing figures channel at the time of writing, 10 days after 1.8k (for part three of ZHU’s Generation haven’t impressed.” And if cuddling up to being uploaded, while the trailer for Why ) to 79k (for part two of Blink-182’s Spotify and Apple Music with video content Major Lazer: Give Me Future , another ). Clearly, these cannot be seen also helps to keep music fans off leading Apple Music exclusive, had 124k views, as anything more than an indication of music industry frenemy YouTube, then so much the better. There are rather more tangible benefits to keeping Spotify and Apple Music on board, too. One marketer explains that video “has the potential to add context and interactivity around artists and songs, to help tell a story around them and perhaps, therefore, to better connect artists and listeners and to help convert more listeners into fans”. The same marketer explains, “I think both services and labels are keen to experiment with new experiences for listeners and new ways to drive streams and revenues. Video content could also create opportunities for ads and branded content on Spotify’s free tier, which could then be blocked for premium users. This could be another way

3 | sandbox | ISSUE 192 | 22.11.2017 COVERFEATURE

Doubtlessly, Spotify, Apple Music et al face a tricky task in trying to convince consumers used TIDAL to a lean-back music Tidal occupies a unique space among streaming services in experience to pay attention that video was part of its make up from the very beginning to their video content in (as Tidal, rather than its predecessor WiMP). After the newly what is a crowded market, re-baptised service launched in March 2015, one of its particularly with Facebook first exclusive offers was the Beyoncé video ‘Die For You’, now riding high on its own followed by a video teaser of ’s ‘Ghosttown’. native video push. But If Tidal doesn’t get its due for this innovation, this is the potential rewards of probably because the service has yet to make a lasting success are huge, given impact on the music business, as one Music Ally source the major labels’ equity explains. “Tidal overall has just never gained the same kind stakes in Spotify. of traction as a Spotify, an Apple Music or an . And “With the value that it’s going to be hard enough for those services to try and video streaming services change listener behaviours and get users to engage with have, it’s easy to see why original video content on their services. However, it doesn’t music streaming platforms seem to have stopped them altogether. I read in September want to incorporate video, that Tidal is launching a new, original bi-weekly video series in which Spotify is looking to diversify into fit into modern marketing plans. With as if it proves a success then they may called Side Hustle, which will spotlight artists’ businesses new revenue streams; but again, will users YouTube, Facebook, Spotify, Apple stand a very good chance of having a beyond music.” respond positively or negatively?” Music, Vevo and so on all gunning for monopoly on the home entertainment They added, “And it’s Extra exposure around video their own original video content, will we market,” one marketer says. “Even if had some interesting live content is also important. Apple eventually see a scenario where major incorporating video on a music streaming performances and festival Music gave a huge push to its Sam artists have to produce individual video service proves moderately successful, then streams, as well as non- Smith documentary in terms of both content for every streaming, sales and it potentially sets them up for high-value music content like Daft PR and placement , with an advert for social media platform? Will record labels’ acquisition from one of the market leaders Punk’s Electroma film and the film plastered at the top of the Apple overstretched marketing departments be in video [Netflix, Amazon etc.].” Erykah Badu’s Western, in order to try and diversify its appeal. Music Browse tab and the iTunes store, able to accommodate such requests? And If this is where streaming services are Those have, however, certainly illuminated some of the accompanied by an advert for the special what would this do to the fine balance of headed, then maybe record labels can help. potential issues around hosting video content on a streaming edition of Smith’s new . Don’t feel too marketing campaigns? If the habitual slate of music documentaries service; I read that, despite 23m people tuning in to Kanye’s bad for Spotify, though, which had its own It is a prospect that has some people and live footage isn’t enough to persuade Yeezy Season 3 fashion show at Madison Square Garden in exclusive Sam Smith video – a vertical in the industry alarmed. “The exclusivity paying consumers to watch video content, 2016, server issues meant that its high-quality video crashed video for his track ‘Too Good At Goodbyes’ demands to all this stuff needs discussion then maybe labels should try to create and fans were forced to watch a grainy version.” – which it featured on a number of its top too as it can harm campaigns if it comes at original video formats around music, thinking They concluded, “Overall, while exclusive music and playlists, including Today’s Top Hits. the wrong time, especially around album like TV companies rather than music rights video doesn’t seem to have done too much to help Tidal releases,” says one Music Ally source. owners. That may be considerably more grow its subscriber base, it has been an attempt to enhance A video for every platform? “It feels like we’re now at a stage where effort, but creating virally successful video the service’s value to subscribers, whilst simultaneously getting the mix right for all the DSPs is more content around music – such as the original providing a platform for creators.” The Smith campaign raises an interesting important rather than focusing on getting Carpool Karaoke – could be a massive win/ possibility of how original video may the most out of one provider.” win for labels and platforms alike. :)

4 | sandbox | ISSUE 192 | 22.11.2017 TOOLS BLINDER

PR and publicity remain essential parts of The PR then can schedule a call window sandbox asked Ross McConnell and Caley the marketing ecosystem, though both are in the platform – meaning the caller may only Wilson, respectively Blinder’s CEO and often characterised by old-school forms ring the talent the selected timeframe. co-founders, to expand on where Blinder of activity – reaching out to journalists After the call has happened, Blinder notifies came from, the needs it’s been meeting and blogs, conducting interviews, pitching the PR that the call did in fact occur, preserving in its first few months of activity and the periodicals and so on. an audio recording of the call. The call itself company’s future. can be made from any phone, whether the Few parts of these relationship-based journalist prefers to use a landline or a mobile, sandbox We’re intimately familiar with the processes have been affected by digital to the and will go directly through to the talent’s needs that Blinder addresses, but where did same degree as other marketing fields, such mobile. the service come from? Why did you decide to as advertising, but difficulties remain. Eamonn Forde, the editor of sandbox, build it? Handling artists’ personal contact details regularly conducts high-profile interviews over blinder Sport is a big deal in New Zealand when arranging interviews, making sure the phone and has highlighted a few of the and Caley was the media manager of the New interviews actually happen and ensuring stand-out features of Blinder. Zealand Rugby League team. His athletes calls take place at the right time are common “The automated recording option is quite included Sonny Bill Williams, who was the obstacles from a PR management side. The amazing as it takes away the jeopardy of your highest-profile athlete in this part of the actual recording of phone interviews is also recording working/worrying the batteries are world at the time. Caley did all media calls one of the most annoying things imaginable going to last. This also means you don’t have for his athletes through his own phone, but from the perspective of a journalist (trust us to put your phone on speaker and use another that was a major grind, especially over the on this one). recording device to record from that and pray 2013 Rugby League World Cup in the UK Blinder is a just-launched platform that the audio quality is good. Also, you don’t have and France, where the team were trying to addresses all of these issues. It stands out to wait for a PR to connect you, as often they fill famous stadiums including Wembley as an intuitive, user-friendly solution to the call 10 minutes after they said they would. The [London] and Old Trafford [Manchester]. woes faced by all parties involved in phone- background data is also good for PRs filling in Caley didn’t think it was at all correct to based PR. their media report sheets, as they can track give out athletes’ personal mobile numbers Blinder is a platform through which when interviews happened and ensure that As it stands, it’s a good B2B tool, but there’s for media access; but not giving out numbers PR managers can set up the scheduling, writer X spoke to client Y at the time arranged, possibly a better consumer-facing application also proved a major headache. Rubbish calling, recording and reporting of phone meaning they don’t have to hound one or both here that they perhaps haven’t twigged yet.” option A versus shit option B was how his interviews. Particularly suited for calls with of them to check it happened.” One should consider how phone calls mind framed things. talent, high-profile employees, investors and He added, “In its current form, this is a can be already used for marketing ends – That got him thinking, “What if you had a anyone else who feels their number should super-niche service providing a solution for a Superphone, Twilio and even Google Numbers virtual team phone, that you’d somehow be be protected from the likes of journalists (or specific profession. But I can see this having a all have uses covered by sandbox previously. able to just ‘pass around’ to the right athlete other interested parties), the PR simply enters wider music marketing application by spinning But none of these have the same level of at the right time, wherever in the world they the talent’s number into Blinder’s dashboard, it into a competition winner’s mechanic control and privacy as facilitated by Blinder, were?” That idea was bouncing around Caley’s receives a Blinder phone number that can where they can call the pop star ‘direct’ and and it’s exciting to consider how this not-yet- head during the World Cup tournament. be adjusted to any country code and then it means the pop star’s number is not made a-year-old company might evolve to meet With those seeds in our soil, we did provides this number to the journalist. public. Uses like that could give it a wider life. new marketing opportunities. interviews with over 100 people from pro

5 | sandbox | ISSUE 192 | 22.11.2017 TOOLS BLINDER sport, entertainment, media, politics, big business – all sorts. We spoke with people in key roles from to London. We wanted to understand how they were solving the ‘phoner’ challenge Caley faced – and work out whether Caley had just missed a trick. But the responses were severely underwhelming, with most interviews concluding with the subjects asking us to keep them posted if we found better solutions. We didn’t, so we started talking with development heavyweights about building our own. Through the interview process, we’d found a number of strong allies and our beta group that included publicists who represented Olympic champions to Grammy winners. And blinder We release new features on a sandbox Who are your noteworthy clients? we were aware that by marrying accessibility monthly basis. Our newest “feature” is a blinder We have clients ranging from and privacy, we were solving a problem mobile app for iPhone, which is in limited Varrasso PR—led by a former PR director that stretched right outside pro sport and release to selected beta clients. Our next major of —to Australia’s national entertainment. release will enable multi-party conference ’ collective, to the Australian We called the technology Blinder, in calls as well as our traditional 1:1 calls. Football League, to the largest sports event reference to people now having the ability the country will see this decade (the Gold to make a blind call – so being able to ring sandbox What are your goals for Blinder Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games). Blinder someone without having their number – and across 2018? cannot disclose who has made calls through also to acknowledge our sporting roots. blinder We’ll continue to develop our offering the platform, though the level of talent Having a ‘blinder’ is a playful complimentary for sports and entertainment clients. Our represented by these companies include the term for a great sporting performance. primary focus to date has been on the talent likes of Post Malone, Sia, Zhu, Chase & Status, management side of the market, but in early Olympic athletes and beyond. sandbox What’s your quick pitch? 2018 we’ll release new features that will make shared them. Blinder will allow any mobile blinder Blinder is a platform for the managers life easier for journalists as well. Then we phone user to be accessible without sandbox How is Blinder primarily funded, and of high-profile talent and “newsmakers”. It plan to enable video calls as well, to further sacrificing their privacy, by developing a what kind of partnerships could be made? lets you schedule media calls for your talent, enhance the value of the content that can be virtual assistant that manages your calls blinder Blinder has raised approximately $1m it connects these calls directly to their mobile captured using Blinder. and protects your phone number from [USD] in seed capital so far, primarily through phones without sharing any personal contact inappropriate use. private investors based in the company’s details, and it keeps a record of everything, sandbox And through to 2020? home country of New Zealand. At the time including call audio. Released within the last blinder Our ambition is to develop the sandbox What’s the quickest and best way of speaking, we have about $250k [US] still year, Blinder is already being used by teams blind calling technology that we’ve created for someone who manages talent to start available in our current round. In 2018, we’ll managing Grammy winners to Olympic for sports and entertainment VIPs, making using Blinder? focus on finding a suitable strategic partner in champions. it available to anyone with a mobile phone. blinder Get a free trial account right now by the talent management and/or media space, We’re ultimately solving a fundamental signing up via www.blinderHQ.com. In under who can help to accelerate our growth across sandbox How often does Blinder update and problem with phone numbers, which are five minutes, you could be scheduling your first their own networks and support the ongoing what are the newest features? impossible to “take back” once you’ve Blinder call. development of our platform. :)

6 | sandbox | ISSUE 192 | 22.11.2017 CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena

FRANZ WITH BENEFITS: THE PRE-SAVE FAN CLUB OK GO-ING LIVE

For a band more famous Ahead of Franz Ferdinand’s fifth studio for their conceptual and album (or sixth, if you count 2015’s high-production videos, collaboration with Sparks as FFS) OK Go have risked painting in February, Domino has created an themselves into a (conceptual interesting pre-save mechanic that unfolds and high-production) corner. into a virtual fan club, where fans can get People like the videos, talk paper about the risk of using technology access to all manner of exclusives ahead of about the videos and share the videos – in this way for crowd participation. “That the album’s arrival. but they don’t necessarily remember the one’s tricky for the audience because tunes. they have to follow a ‘’-like ‘’, the title track from the It is a tricky balance – reminding them the screen,” he said. “And so their parts are album, was released at the end of October and album is coming but not spamming them – and The band, keen to show that they don’t all on the screen […] so for that one the worked as the set up for the Always Ascending this Franz Ferdinand campaign does it well. just spend months in a studio rehearsing big challenge is for the audience to stay Fan Club. There is a steady flow of interesting content intricate choreography and having a in time and for us to stay in time with the “Curated by the band, you’ll get exclusive stretching from the album announcement to brand pick up the bill, are pushing their audience. So it’s very possible we could go photos, videos, lyrics and insights, plus every release – and it’s not just a load of old toot that live show as the next area for creative off of one another, but if that happens I track from Always Ascending saved to your happened to be lying around. There’s a rolling innovation. still think it’ll be fun and entertaining.” Spotify library as soon as it’s released,” runs suite of things like a short “making of” studio As such, they have launched an app Normally, members of the audience the blurb on the website. Obviously, growing diary, lyric teasers, singer talking (for iOS and Android) called OK Go Live, taking out their phones during a show is Spotify subscribers is the core thrust of the about the sleeve design and so on. They’re an which makes it pretty clear what it’s all an irritant for everyone around them, but site – with “subscribers” rather than “plays” erudite band who understand the art/music about and where their efforts will be the thinking here is that if everyone does being the most prized success metric at the connection and this gives them the space to focused for the foreseeable future. it, it will be unifying rather than divisive. moment in terms of streaming longevity. explore all this, using the format of the “fan “Use this app to play along with OK Go Yet the challenge is persuading a big It does this by automatically making you a club” to play to their strengths. during their upcoming live performances!” enough chunk of the audience to install follower of the band on Spotify when you click There is also a link through to pre-order the runs the app listing, but, being in the UK, the app in advance. It’s not like a band through on the link from the site. album and all manner of formats (including we’ll have to wait to see what exactly it on stage asking everyone to turn on their The idea of the Spotify pre-save really only cassette) and a £25 LP fan bundle (limited to will mean in a concert setting as they have torch function to create a sea of lights started last year with Kobalt’s campaign for 1,500 globally) featuring a marbled LP, tote bag, only played a handful of gigs in America or even giving them wristbands (like Laura Marling, but it’s grown in importance poster and signed photo direct from Domino’s since the app came out. But initial previews Coldplay did on their last world tour) that for the service and artists on it. (Apple Music, site. Physical product has always been of the app give a taste of what people at can be triggered and lit up remotely. for now, doesn’t allow such an easy mechanic important to Domino acts and this initiative is upcoming shows can expect. Playing along with the band could be, to be set up.) The idea of just pre-saving, a smart blending on streaming and physical – “It’s a ‘Guitar Hero’-type app that lets at scale, exhilarating. But if only a handful however, is no longer seen as enough. Fans catering for multiple audiences simultaneously the audience follow a color chart to play of people have the app and are tapping need a steady reminder that the album is while building anticipation for the album. this song as the band plays hand bells, yes their screen to make it chime then it’s coming or it risks getting lost in the avalanche Probably the smartest and “stickiest” pre-save hand bells,” wrote Los Angeles Daily News. going to be like a sparrow trying to sing of Friday releases. campaign we’ve seen so far. Guitarist talked to the along with a bulldozer.

7 | sandbox | ISSUE 192 | 22.11.2017 CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena GAME OF TWAINS: SHANIA GETS HER OWN GAMING AVATAR AUGMANTED REALITY: FICTIONAL RAPPER GETS THE AR TREATMENT ON FACEBOOK

A rapper who’s not really You can then add all A decade ago, there was huge excitement “real” going hard on manner of filters, stickers, around music console games like Guitar Hero augmented reality? It scribbles and effects to the and Rock Band, followed shortly after by the For the uninitiated, Home Street is a bit sounds like an abandoned image and save the photos rise of music-centric app games like Tap Tap like the Sims or Minecraft, but is less about plotline in Inception, but let’s to the camera roll on your Revenge. Then it went quiet. building/populating virtual worlds and more run with it for now. phone. You can also create about decorating them. Yes, really. It’s a a video version which drops Then it got busy again, with Glu Mobile game about paint swatches, rag-rolling and Big Shaq is the creation of in effects while the track pumping out games around Katy Perry, Nicki cornicing. British comedian-actor- plays in the background. Minaj and Britney Spears, hoping to replicate Twain has had an avatar created that social-media-star Michael If you are brave enough the success around the Kim Kardashian: will run in the game during November and Dapaah and is a fictional (sandbox wasn’t), you can Hollywood game. Except, well, they tanked. two of her videos from the album will play MC in the online post the results straight to A planned Taylor Swift game was delayed, on billboards in the virtual world. Players SWIL (which your Facebook Wall, turn but is due to launch soon (after being will also be able to buy Shania-inspired stands for Somewhere In it into a 24-hour story or significantly reworked). outfits and an “interactive guitar” for their London, but the whole thing send it to friends directly via Into this busy – and enormously characters, with bundles starting at $4.99. really should have been Messenger. unpredictable – world steps Shania Twain. There will also be an in-game Q&A with the called Spinal Rap). Island worked with AR/ As part of the promotion for her Now album, singer herself. Anyway, as with Kurupt VR agency Everywoah on her first in 15 years, Universal Music Group The game is free and the long-term FM (stars of the BBC comedy the effect, using a feature is keen to cover all the bases and get her ambition seems to be on driving in-app ) that’s still officially in beta across as many demographics as possible. purchases and using the fame of the singer signing a deal with XL for Facebook. Big Shaq is Its in-house brand partnerships arm has to draw new players into the game – many Recordings, Big Shaq was the first (as far as we know) worked with mobile games company of whom have possibly never played a signed to Island Records British artist to make use Supersolid and Twain’s album will be mobile game before. The game itself is not and his ‘Man’s Not Hot’ track of the feature, following in promoted within the Home Street game. massive (4m downloads in its first month), was released in October, the footsteps of the likes of so this is clearly being banked on to push already passing 60m plays on . It’s essentially up its numbers significantly. It’s too early to YouTube and 40m streams on Spotify. Facebook’s equivalent of Snapchat’s ‘lenses’, tell if it’s worked, but music celebrity + game Island has created a Facebook Camera and an interesting way to build social buzz has not been a marketing equation that has effect for Big Shaq based around his around an artist and track. There is a very automatically set the cash registers alight. breakout single to help extend its life – all clear eye on creating a “viral sensation” here, activated on the Facebook mobile app. although there’s no shame in that. Plus, Using facial recognition, it overlays a there’s the get-out clause of him being a spoof baseball cap and fur-collared jacket on the character, so it makes total sense to make a user, echoing the single sleeve. (Please filter that is heavy on the tongue in cheek. excuse sandbox’s terrible selfies used It’s nonsense, of course – but tremendous to illustrate this piece.) fun with it.

8 | sandbox | ISSUE 192 | 22.11.2017 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN THE BAND CALLED OH BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNTHE BAND CALLED OH

Norwegian act The Band Called Oh wanted to find a new way to put their music out and so, inspired by the “radical openness” at a friend’s company, they decided to put Guerilla Gardening out as what they refer to as an open-source album. What that means is that the album, with all the stems, is available on a bespoke remix website for listeners to edit and share as they please. They view this as part of a wider web-centric push towards openness and are happy to, as they see it, lose control of the music in a profound way. FRODE LARSEN (singer and “project manager” for the release) and EIRIK FJELDE (keyboard player) explain how they did it, why they did it, what they hope it will achieve and why this is “a label’s worst nightmare”.

Using “open source music” and software. They call it “radical Winamp to play our MP3s and reskinning paid for a gig, how much we would pay as the overarching concept openness”. If you go to the company’s it – so that is all open source and we the technicians and so on. But we quickly FL: It has been a long process [making website, you can see what everybody were looking at how we could do this realised that that wasn’t very interesting. the album]. The idea actually came from is making a year, what the bonus with music. The first idea that I had was But that led to the idea of letting people a friend of ours who has a consultancy arrangements are and what the economy to have full transparency when it comes contribute – and taking the songs a step company in Oslo working with computers within the company is. We grew up using to the money. How much we would get further.

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EF: When we started thinking about how we could share all the parts, we thought we should take everything. For the people who are really interested, they could see what microphone we used to get a particular sound. Or if they play synth and they like the patch, then they can download it or see pictures of how it is set up.

FL: The idea is that if you’re going to do it, then you should do it properly. The idea was to take all the aspects that make an album and split them up to put them on a website – and that means if someone wants to read about just one part then they can. We wanted to put everything Taking that concept into reality tunnel, but there was a hell of a lot of work there. FL: We had a lot of obstacles, of course. It to do before we got there. Did this change was at the same precise BPM. From helps that we are not on a label. This would the way we wrote compared to how we our artistic point of view, we had to do it Super-serving audio geeks rather be a label’s worst nightmare. We are doing wrote in the past? In a way. organically. than a casual audience everything ourselves and we met some We recorded the album in the Czech FL: I think 999 of every 1,000 of our good people along the way who could Republic as well as in some studios in EF: It might mean a little more work for the listeners actually listen on Spotify and guide us and help us.; that is both on the Norway. On the first day in the studio in remixer to take it on because the tempo haven’t even been to the website. We technical side and in the programming of Prague, we told the technician that they might not be constant. don’t care about that. If that one person the website. We had a friend who said he should write down everything. We had who goes there and really digs the stuff was going to programme the web mixer so to know everything because eventually it FL: At one point we realised that the music we have put there, it is worth it. I had this that the website could be interactive as would end up as open source and people has to come first. We cannot create a idea of, taking Sgt Pepper… or Songs In The well. He did that in one night. were going to read up on everything. It remix-friendly album. We have to create Key Of Life as examples, asking: what if has been part of the journey with both the the album and then, if people want to EF: There were really great ideas from production and the writing. engage with it, they can remix it. other people as well. EF: Did it take a long time to write because Building the interactive site FL: People were chipping in. That is the of that? No, you just had to make sure we FL: The mixing part was a bit different. We whole idea behind the concept. had detailed notes about what we were had a couple of friends mixing the album doing. We just did the recording in the and they had to deliver the album in three Making the album with a view normal way. We did it live in the studio, different file formats. We needed MP3s to its future malleability almost. for the web mixer , we needed multi- FL: The hardest thing with writing the track files for the download plus multi- album was that all the ideas were FL: We recorded everything but without track remix kits, as well as WAVs for the happening at the same time. You could a click track. From a remix perspective, it mastering sessions. They put in a lot of feel that there was light at the end of the would be easier to remix it if everything extra hours for us.

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as a commissioned piece and then we developed that music into an album. The track list is basically the same. We are working on some ideas for the live version. We are touring in Norway now and we just want to tell people about the album and the music. At one point we talked about this whole concept being a success if someone else does it after us. We could be the first to put this on the table in the music industry. For us, it feels like this is the way that we release our music. We hear about people who use our music as a vocal exam or a keyboard exam and they want to know the chords we played or we could experience those in this anyone can do everything. They just have how we can take it further. You can do the words that we sang. That has been a way? We have been studying music for to be kind and let us know. It’s all on our whatever you want with the music; just let continuous inspiration working on this. If 30 years between us. If we could go back server. We can count the streams and we us know. you want to play the song in your music and read what microphone Stevie Wonder can count the download. It’s fun to watch class, [the information] should all be there. used in that studio in 1976, [that would be the download count as it grows. The wider deconstruction of the album Before this, we were recording and fascinating]. We just wanted to create this EF: We noticed when Kanye West kept putting out music in the normal way. But new way of releasing an album. EF: When they download it, we kind of lose changing the running order of The Life Of obviously the music industry needs some I started as a drummer. If I could put control of it. We just hope that they credit Pablo and thought it was a cool way of innovation and some new thoughts. If we Songs In The Key Of Life on my mobile us. doing things. It really inspired us to think can provide that from our perspective, that phone while I played drums and just about new ways of putting out music. would be nice. I love what Björk is doing muted the drum track and play the drums FL: The political angle here is that people with cryptocurrency. That is super nerdy. myself, it would have been extremely should own less and share more – FL: Drake’s last album was also an eye Traditionally the music industry valuable for me as a young drummer. If we, both their stuff and their knowledge. opener. That was basically a playlist more has been about locking down or someone else, can do this for some new When we do this full transparency than an album. That was the time when copyright. But that is pretty young musicians, I think there is a magic and full openness, it would take the album transcends that into a playlist. boring! there. With our music now they can just a strange person to not credit us That has been really inspiring. When you It’s been a fun ride. Let’s see what mute the drums. They can play completely if they do a remix. One year from listen to the whole album, we wanted it to happens next. :) different beats over it if they want. If now, if that is a tough lesson that feel like a DJ set. That means everything is it’s two friends playing bass and drums, we have to learn, I just want to totally mixed and blends over from track to they can replace our bass and drums. If learn it! track. That was also an idea here – taking WANT TO FEATURE IN someone is thinking they could be a better The full album came out at the start that mixtape view. BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? singer and in this band than I of November and it is 22 tracks. We have Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working am, then be my guest! a lot of ideas on how to take it further. Performing it live on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign sandbox It feels like the first season is over, in a FL: We are looking at how we can in a future edition of ? If so, send a brief synopsis of Accepting that losing control way. This whole format has been inspired transform this for the live setting. it to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your is fundamental to the concept by TV series. We will just see how people Originally a festival had commissioned words) could appear here. FL: It is the full openness and the fact that respond to it. We have a lot of ideas about us to write a score. So we wrote this Email: [email protected]

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