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.

This clip is a trailer for a film created in 2006 called “Before the music dies”. A documentary, it gives provocative insights into the music industry as it is today. It tells the story a music industry split in two – “the homogenous corporate product which is spoon fed to consumers, and the diverse independent music that finds devoted fans online and at clubs across the country”. The film features engaging interviews with artists, music industry insiders, critics and fans who all tell of their own unique experiences of two aspects of an industry which are fundamentally at odds. It brings out well the contrasting ideologies of the mainstream and the independent, and hints towards the political rammifications of both outlooks. The film comes highly recommended. Find out more about the film, or purchase it at www.beforethemusicdies.com.