Nomy is a great example of the awesome possibilities that digital distribution and new innovative online services create for independent artists. Recording from his home studio and releasing via Record Union, Nomy has taken the world, and Spotify, by storm. His album “Song or Suicide” was earlier this year the 10 most played albums on Spotify. In this interview, we talk to Nomy about himself, his music and his recent success.

Incredible news! Homegrown DIY success Nomy has now climbed to number 10 on the Spotify world toplist, making his album “Song or Suicide“ one of the most played albums on Spotify right now. And all of this for an unsigned artist who creates his music from his home recording Studio in Jönköping, Sweden. This is not just a success for Nomy, but for all of us who believe in what the the internet and digital music has to offer. For if anything demonstrates the hopes and possibilities of the digital music “revolution”, this surely does.

Nomy is history in the making, and Record Union are proud to be able to be a part of it.  We would like to congratulate Nomy on his phenomenal achievement, and hope that it will inspire more grass roots artists to spring forth and conquer!

“When you reach a certain point with your music which you never could imagine, Its hard to find words to say anything at all. I am overwhelmed. My Listeners and I have proven once and for all that we dont just want to be fed by major record labels. This is the payback for over 15 years of hard work. Its my biggest confirmation” - Nomy

While browsing on the Record Union A&R forum, as we often do, we came across and interesting post by Dr.Sounds called “Music Wining”. Dr.Sounds is an A&R but also an artist who creates some rather avant garde minimalist new age instrumental music - great for relaxation and quite the mind trip. However, he raised in this post an interesting point about creativity and the art of composition and we would like to share it here.

He said, using an apt metaphor, that musical projects, like wine, can mature with age. What he means by this is that when you work with a musical project too long and you might find yourself “distracted” by your own composition. He means that if you grow tired of a composition and after a time think its hopeless - don’t through it away. Dr.Sounds himself often returns to a project after some time, and with his initial misgivings cast aside he approaches it with fresh enthusiasm.

There is actually a type of syndrome, he points out. You cannot work on a song for an unlimited time, because before too long your mind learns the logic of the song and refuses to let you to “hear” it again. If you take a break for a while and let the brain forget this logic, you can hear the song again and approach it afresh.

One can even take the metaphor further. Not all wine actually matures well, some do better than others - but you wont know until you have let it stand a while and then opened a new bottle from the cask.

To summarise: never throw away something you have done, because when you forget the learned logic of a song, you can rediscover your own work anew.

Yes, you can combine being true to music and selling yourself without selling out.

The normal blogg guy is up to his ears in pay outs and other Record Union business, that’s why me, Peter, is writing this one.
As an artist, designer, marketeer and salesman in general, I thought I could encourage all of you to sell yourself in a creative way. If you don’t sell your music and yourself no one will listen to you. Selling yourself and selling out is not the same thing.

Record Union is a first step. Selling your music through Record Union is done on your own terms, no one will tell you how to act and which channel you should do promotion. No one will tell you what record to but on your record, when to have your release date. All of this you will have to figure out yourself. The problem is, you are not that very good at it. Record companies are professionals in these matters, they have the valuable contacts with media. This is where your creativity comes in. You need to find ways to get to media and get to the people you want to listen to your music. Your own ways. The web is filled with promotion tricks but most of them are already done and if someone comes up with a good way to sell their music they really don’t want to share it on the web do you?

You need to sell yourself to be able to play your music. Make those uncomfortable phone calls. Make it your job to reach out. Unless you are the shit. But let’s face it, we are not the shit. We need to make ourselves and it’s hard work to do so.

Think of your band as a company. You need to build your brand, you need to get customers, you need to get the right customers, you need media and internet space to broaden your customer base. You need to tell the world that you are the shit, humble yet sincere. In your own way. From your heart. Not someone else’s.

P.

People are quite clearly nuts about Nomy. In the past few months he has been receiving serious playtime on Spotify, in total achieving over 100,000 listens. His hit “Cocaine” has more plays that Eric Clapton´s song of the same title.

So who is Nomy? some of you may ask. An impossible question to question to answer, clearly. But to give you some idea we can tell you that Nomy is an self producing musician from Sweden who has built his following from the grass roots up. He creates much of his music via his own computer, which gives him the artist freedom and control he requires for his creativity reach its musical potential. The feeling and meaning contained within his music is surely a testament to this. His songs change from moving ballads to awesome thrashing hard rock refrains. Within each one one can feel the underlying genius which one can identify as Nomy.

By his own volition, much of his music can be found on his website and floating the Internet for free. With such an interest in his music the availability on streaming services and music stores has made his music more omnipresent than ever. Keep on rockin, Nomy. The world is ready.

You can stream Nomy´s music here (Spotify, Deezer ) and find his music on iTunes, Amazon Mp3, Tunetribe and most other music stores. Otherwise head over to his official website.

The Phoenix Rose is a band on a mission.  The goal of their debut release “Sick and tired” on Record Union is not just to provide their growing fan base with some great new music, but part of a larger scale campaign to raise awareness about how the music industry can too become more environmentally aware.

To assist them on their noble mission is the pioneering label Archangel^Green, the first Record Label 100% committed to a green agenda.  When the band signed to the label they both agreed to numerous clauses aimed at making the production, performance and distribution of their music as environmentally friendly as possible. The release will also be 100% digital, which is far more eco-friendly as it requires no physical transportation or manufactured raw materials!

The official release of “Sick and Tired” (featuring Flo) on the 9/9/9 is set to cause quite a stir. Their massive media campaign has received  support from all corners, especially organisations working to promote a greener future. As for the song itself, well, it is extremely catchy and will definitely have you coming back for more. Head over to their MySpace page to give it a listen and check out their video.

For the full single, including 5 great remixes from the likes of Pete Hammond and Freshold, you will have to wait until the 9th when it will be available first on TuneTribe!

10% of all profits will go to The Big Issue.

One of the fantastic things of the new music environment is the diversity of music which is now available to those who love music. No more is this tendency proved than in the case of Dr.Sounds, who composes slow, electronic, ambient symphonies probably unlike anything you have heard before. One could describe it, strangely, as new age classical music – as there is a subtle sophistication in his music which takes careful listening to fully appreciate. Not something which you throw on at a party, but something to stimulate your mind. In fact, even without mind altering substances, it has been said to induce trancelike states.  Do not listen to while operating heavy machinery.

And what of Dr.Sounds himself? Well, the inspiration behind his music is equally intriguing. His mind values “logic and mathematics before feelings”, and he says he has always had a deep relationship with his computer. With his music he describes “experiences of flying through several worlds, changing shapes and another life context” – the experience of “coming from another planet” a common point of expression within his music.

Rather than voice and playful hooks, Dr.Sounds uses floating new age soundscapes to express his vision.  He is aware that his music contrasts with the more popular sound, and requires more interaction from listeners. However, he has found an audience for his music among new age circles and those who practice meditation, yoga or alternative healing. He hopes that with his music now available widely, he can introduce his music to a new audience – Record Union will support him in any way we can.

Dr.Sounds has released a large collection of his works via Record Union. You can listen to them here on Spotify. Or buy them from most major online music stores, such as iTunes and Amazon MP3.

The above video is an except from a documentary called “Before the music dies”, we posted an article about it a little while back. Provocative, or what? What this clip tries to get across is that there is something “soulless” about pop music made under these conditions, and they may well be right. But surely not all pop music fits this category? Many pop artists possess some kind of talent, they can dance and sing, and have struggled to hone their craft just like any other performer, right? People like them for a reason. What this clip does illustrate is a darker side of the music industry, a dishonest side, where music is created not for the joy of self expression on the part of the artists, but with a naked profit motive in mind in which the artist is just a vehicle. All in all, this clip raises some interesting questions.

One of the fascinating things about music is the subjective process involved in forming listening tastes. It is fascinating the way that music helps to build a life narrative affecting how people make sense of their everyday experience. Music is, in a very real sense, a kind of philosophy. Bands and genres often form an almost tribal following, with clear examples of what genres a part of another tribe. These tribal followings have their own social codes, general frameworks for acting and certain forms of living which are associated with them.

Along this line of thinking, the artists who create music are in some sense philosophers. Ok, they don´t have long beards and write very long books, but they share something of the philosophers spirit. Through reflecting on their life experiences, or simply because of them, they compose an artefact which in some way transmits their vision of how things are; melody and rhythm acting like different shades of colour on a paintbrush, like words on a blank page. Whether it is a chirpy guitar riff, a dazzling drum beat or a soaring piano melody or the mournful lyrics of an ode; it communicates something to the listener. Though the emotional effect of music lacks the precision of verbal expression, it often speaks with much more clarity. Dancing is when the emotional truth of music translates into action. The origin of rhythm may well lie in the steady beat of the heart pumping our around our biological self; in this case, music shares and intimate relation with our very existence. We will finish this contemplative post with a quote:

“Music expresses that which can not be said and on

which it is impossible to be silent”

- Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

New York rapper Immortal Technique takes independent music to a new, revolutionary, level. Techs regard for major Record Labels can be best described as one of contempt. Echoing the move of many artists who wish to exercise control over the content and production of their music, he did not sign with a record label that would alter his  music and fillter his message. This gives him the freedom to say whatever he wants about whoever he wants. His gritty and sober reflection on the realities of Harlem life, social injustice, racism, corporate America, the hypocrisy of western governemnts, religion,  and the manufacturing of consent reflects his belief that Hip-Hop is an emacipatory and critical movement which should question existing power structures, not perpetuate them.

It is interesting the homogenising effects that major labels have on artists with an outspoken anti establishment message, and Immortal Technique is all too aware of this. He has reputedly turned down at least one major record offer. After the initial underground success of Revolutionary vol. 1 (which got him unsigned hype in Source), he released Revolutionary vol. 2 with Viper Records, for which he is executive VP. To date, he has moved over 135,000 units without a major label. Immortal Technique embodies the spirit of the independent music, the reality of his expression is rooted in his experience of the world, and the deliverance of this vision will not be compromised by anything. A profoundly accomplished lyricist and musician, his music is both provocative and engaging. Tech is a prolific activist, and his tireless work ethic is well known.

“I live and breathe Revolution, Rebellion is in my blood and HipHop is the heart that pumps it”

- Immortal technique