Studio Wizardry: The Game
 

In this game, you are the manager of a small record label. Every day, I will post a description of a completely fabricated band on this thread. You, as the manager, may choose to audition them and/or sign them, but be quick, for other labels might snatch them up first. Once you have signed a band, you can book them gigs, rent them out studios, buy them equipment, advertise their merchandise and peddle them to fame and fortune! Eventually, you will have the opportunity to "buy out" other companies by buying up their stocks. Eventually, only one will reign supreme as the premier record label in Music. So, who's in?

*I'll post the rules very shortly

I wanna play.


p.s. I lost the *other* game, by the way ;)

damn it i just lost the game...wow i lasted a while on that.

I went 2 years until just recently. Then everything started to make me think of it.

Okay. It's so nice to see the enthusiasm! So, if you want to play, please reply to this post with the name you want your record label to go by.

Also, choose one of the following "classes" to start off with:

1. Privileged trust fund child: Start with extra capital
2. Well-established veteran: Start with a boost in experience (bands are more likely to want to sign with you)
3. Audiophile Prodigy: Start with your own studio and basic audio equipment

String Dance Studios - Audiophile Prodigy

Thanks Conan. You're definitely in the game. I'll wait to post the first band till at least 2 more people have verified that they're playing.

I'll play.

Bukowski Fist Records - Audiophile Prodigy

Band #1: Meiser
 

Meiser
Meiser is a post-hardcore band from Germany. Their music is often described as “politically-charged, metal-influenced crust punk”. Most of their songs are about either the evils of capitalism or a personal struggle with mental illness (the lead singer and lyricist is a bipolar schizophrenic). Their first 3 albums were recorded under the independent anarcho-punk record label “Down with the System Records”, while their forth and fifth albums were both released independently. They are probably the most popular band in their field, although their popularity has never spread past the hardcore punk scenes of Europe and Eastern North America. The band members have been described as “one-of-a-kind”. Says “Down with the System Records”, they are “very unique artists who are very strong willed and opinionated, but they won’t turn on you for anything other than a perfectly legitimate reason”

You may choose to audition or directly sign this band, or any bands that come along in the future.

Malted Milk Records
And i'll audition Meiser.

I'll be New Quasar Records.

I'll audition Meiser, but if they fail to be unique enough, they're getting the boot. I like uniqueness in music, so I want them to offer a sound that's hard to find, very good, or entirely different on it's own.

They play 6 songs. The first two ["Tortured Inside" and "I'd Love to See the Capitol on Fire"] are very fast crust punk tracks with lots of decompressed guitar and vocals that are half-sung, half-shouted. The third piece is a KAOS cover which is surprisingly accurate to the original. The fourth is a slower, more traditional punk oriented piece [The Fascists Will Always Have Bigger Guns] which seems, both musically and lyrically, to be somewhere between the Clash and Chumbawamba. They play another song, even slower this time [Sea Rapist], that is a surprisingly tasteful lament over the destruction of natural resources by oil companies and fishing interests. Their last song is a 7-minute scream fest [antidisestablishmentarianism] which your audio engineers are immensely impressed by, despite their cringing bodies and wrinkled noses.

Since James called for the audition first, he will have first picks of whether to sign them or not. If he chooses not to sign them, then Dayvan Cowboy will have an opportunity to do so.

The comparison to The Clash sparks interest within me and the fact that they can play short fast songs and slow long songs shows they have range. I sign them.

Okay. So, you now have a band! (Sorry Dayvan Cowboy)

Do you want to...
- Allow them to practice
- Rent them studio time
- Allow them to practice in your (crappy) studio
- Push them to record
- Book a live gig
- Start a merchandise line

This game's pretty much open-ended. Do whatever you think would be a good idea, and I will decide if it is fair and ethical for the game.

Band #2: ViZionARy
 

ViZionARy
ViZionARy is a duo that makes highly-complex dance/electronic music. Their music is known for its extremely eclectic drum sequencer patterns. Their first 2 albums, one self-released and the other released under the label Light Wave Records, were commercial failures but did very well with the IDM/Glitch scene. They are based in Baltimore, and their music’s rhythmic patterns share a very strong resemblance to the notorious “baltimore beat”, a fast-paced, jittery rhythm type that is at once both very danceable but hard to rap or sing over. The band members of ViZionARy, Rez Wilden and Gina Erns, are close friends and get along with each other very well. According to Light Wave Records, they were “very peaceful and friendly, but asked a lot of our technical staff”. They left Light Wave due to the record company’s reluctance to provide them with state-of-the-art synths and sequencers.

Best. Thread. Ever.

I allow them to practice but I leave hints towards my intentions of them recording new material.

I audition ViZionARy. I dig glitchy music and glitchy music shall forever reside in my heart. If they fail to be interesting, though, I won't be reluctant to give them the boot.

ViZionARY auditions with 6 pieces. The first [ExtraVersion] is more or less a brag show of their technical ability. It is a whirlwind instrumental where the members are constantly seen repositioning sliders and pressing seemingly random buttons. Next comes a slower electroni-pop number ["Heart Like The Moon"] where they seem to pull back a little in the technical department to bring a heartwarming, albeit cheesy, romantic duet. They follow that up with 2 furious IDM tunes ["Lalala" and "Quicksand"] which both demonstrate their musical skill, although they seem to start to tire towards the end of "Quicksand" and it ends considerably slower than it started. Then comes a haunting aphex-twin-style ambient work [solace] that your audio engineers describe as "chilling". Finally, they finish up with a traditional rave track [turn it up]. You like it, but your engineers sneer at it, claiming it is "the easy way out" and that "it is never a good sign to end an audition with a loop track.

And on a side note, would you guys mind suggesting this thread to others? It's the best when you have 3-4 people. Any less is boring... Any more is chaotic.

Yet to have a band catch my interest.

Band #3: Sweet Georgia Breezes
 

After starting out in their parent’s basement in Minneapolis, Sweet Georgia Breezes climbed to the top of the the indie rock scene in 2005 with their debut album, Modesty is for the Weak, which they released with a quasi-label(ish) outfit, “Gritty Urban Hip Nonconformist Art Genius Gritty Metropolitan Collective Art Cool Hip Art Intellectual Liberal Urban Liberal Art Collective Socialist Corporation Inc.”. The band’s latest album, Aching to Be, layers Jodichromey supergenius’s gritty hooks with jangling guitars to create a shoegazing wall of sound that somehow also evokes British Invasion pop-rock. Most critics, even their most powerful nay-sayers, will agree that their music is catchy and their technical proficiency is passable, at the very least. Their one hit single, “You Know You Want Some”, reached #27 for 2 weeks on the US Rock charts. After being asked to leave the aforementioned collective after being labelled as “anti-art sellouts”, they began to look for a new label. They are often considered to be gods by their fans and pretentious arrogant apathetic bastards to almost everybody else. Most critics would agree with music writer Harvey Oldey when he said “...Sweet Georgia Breezes’ music is thematically about both everything and nothing. It has no substance but manages to give the listener a sense of awe and power.” He also sums up their temperament very well in another article where he says “...they were almost as obnoxious in real life as their music would make them seem.”

Any takers?

Band #4: The B*******s
 

The B*******s
The B*******s are a three-man group that crank out mostly novelty hits which are musical hybrids of pop, hip-hop, dance and funk. Their success, although usually not extending past middle-school boys, has been sweeping in their genre. Their ability to release consistently popular popular music memes, such as their infamous “B******* Bop” (yet another Cha-Cha Slide rip-off), has intrigued record labels since 1999, when they formed. They have only performed live once to this day, and their real identities are still a bit of a mystery. Their old record label, Krab Apple Records, signed confidentiality forms with them and thus are not allowed to disclose any information regarding their behavior or personal habits. However, regardless of their odd privacy policy, they continue to release high-selling party fodder. Granted, signing these guys will, your audio engineers warn you, “result in a drastic drop in cred... especially with the indie crowd.”

Just to clear up any misconceptions, Band #4 are the b-a-s-s-h-o-l-e-s

I'm really looking to sign someone more artistically credible. A brilliant singer-songwriter or a bluesman or something. String Dance Studios believes in signing people who'll live on through their music, even if they die before getting famous.

I'll throw you a few bones tomorrow, Conan. But remember, this is supposed to be a light-hearted game, bordering on a total farse. Don't expect anything too life-changing.

Right, I'm just kidding by the way :D

Is anyone going to sign Sweet Georgia Breezes or the Bass-Holes?

I'll audition Sweet Georgia Breezes.

Since they follow in the footsteps of the almighty Aphex Twin, I sign them. I'll see if they can step up their offerings next time, and allow their crazy IDM skills to show on their possible future record.

My band's better than your band :P

Sorry for my lack of participation today. I'll be back tomorrow. I'm just very busy today.

@James: Meiser's lead singer approaches one of your audio engineers and hints at wanting to record 2 songs. They've already made demo tapes in your crappy home studio, but they want to record the real tracks at a slightly better studio.

@Dayvan Cowboy: ViZionARY immediately asks you if they can get into a good studio to record some new tracks. They are very enthusiastic (and pushy) about it

@Conan: Sweet Georgia Breezes doesn't show up for their audition, then comes to the studio at 1 o'clock in the morning. They bang on the door for half an hour, waking up the people in the surrounding apartments. They leave their phone number and an apathetic note about how you are "not supporting their art".

Studio options:
 

Here are some studios in town that you may use:

Eddy's Home Recording Block: A well-to-do music lover converted his basement into a high-grade amateur studio
Price: Dirt cheap

MegaStudioPlex: A gargantuan leviathan with over 40 studios within its walls.
Price: Low

The Barn: An old warehouse converted into a studio known for its unique acoustics
Price: Low

The Magic Shop: A professional and inexpensive independent studio and record store
Price: Fair

Underground City Inc.: A studio specializing in grunge, punk and other underground forms of rock.
Price: Fair

Hole-In-The-Wall Studios: Another tiny underground studio renowned for its motto "make a lot out of a little"
Price: Fair

BeatBreaker Studios: An uptown office building converted into a decked-out electronica studio
Price: Hefty

MBU (Music Banter University) Music Wing: The local college's music dept. has some fantastic studios to work in.
Price: Moderate

East End Production Co.: A high-class studio on the east side which is time-tested and revered by audio engineers nationwide
Price: Ridiculous

The Grand Eta Recording Palace: A glitzy penthouse converted into a state-of-the-art studio
Price: Astronomical

I allow them to, but I tell them to record the best album they can. I get them to record at MBU (Music Banter University) Music Wing

Any other bands who want to be signed?

I sign them because those kind of balls will show on record.

Band #5: Johnny Six-String
 

Johnny Six-String is a little-known singer-songwriter who moved to Music Banter City less than a year ago from Washington state. Over the past year, he's been traveling around MB City performing at artsy bars and independent music centers with an acoustic guitar and the occasional acquaintance on bass or drums. He reached local notoriety in his hometown for releasing 2 self-produced, self-released, self-sold albums which sold fairly well thanks to a handful of enthusiastic local record stores and the internet. His vocal range and tambric variability has caught the eye of several reviewers and critics. His normally mellow voice can jump to a grunting yell and back again before you know it. However, his music mostly remains in a chill, happy-go-lucky manor, although his lyrics are quite cynical if one reads between the lines. His instrumental skills are passable, but as critic Edward McVauls said, "...you don't need to be a Jimi Hendrix to make good folk-pop". Johnny Six-String claims he is considering going in a more "commercially-friendly direction" if a record company would like to sign him. He hopes to get a job soon so he can record the songs he's been working on since his arrival in MB City.

I sign him and push him to record a record at Eddy's Home Recording Block.

Damn, I keep missing the artists, and I don't want the novelty act. :(