Mutt has a business plan for Mutt Ramon. Now that we have had some good reactions to our demo CD, including someone suggesting that we could sell it on their online record shop, Mutt is keen to make a CD we can sell. Fine. Good idea. We have argued the Pro's and Con's of sending the demo to various record labels. I suggested Mute as they would fit our "electronic-indie" sound perfectly, but they just aren't obscure enough for Mutt, who would prefer Labrador (who? exactly, they are little heard of outside Sweden, where most of their acts come from). The main advantages are that production and distribution and plugging and advertising etc. will be taken care of (if they want us that is!). Also, some people will buy, or at least listen to everything put out on a certain record label (like Mute or Warp for instance, and I guess if you are Swedish, Labrador). The disadvantages are that you can lose control of the "product", you don't necessarily get as much money from it as you could if you did it yourself, and (if Mutt is to be believed) you might become successful and have to do some work! Yes, that's right, I'll say that again, Mutt is worried we might become successful and have to take up being musicians as a career as opposed to working a 9 to 5 (if only - I did 8.45 to 7.30 yesterday, which combined with rubbish trains meant I left the house at 7.30 and got home at 9.30). Oh heaven forbid we become successful! And anyway, running a record label from your living room after working your 14 hour day isn't hard work at all!
Ok, so given that his aim is to be slightly appreciated in most countries, loved in Sweden and tolerated in Italy, the next part of Mutts plan is perfect - although it does require some work (but mostly by me, so that's ok). He wants to put out an EP for sale with 4 completely different songs on from those on the demo. More low key, "indie" songs. So, let's set that out more clearly. People like the 4 songs we have already put out for review to a level where they are asking where they can buy it, or are offering to sell it, and Mutt wants to sell them 4 songs they haven't heard before. Oh yes, and which Mutt thinks are good, but not quite as good as those on the demo (on the whole). We have to "keep back the good songs for later". When everyone has forgotten us presumably because they asked for 4 songs and got 4 others instead.
Mutt will no doubt explain his reasoning in the comments section, and this time it will make sense I'm sure, as he hasn't managed to explain it to me yet, without resorting to a protracted Mutt Mutter. Maybe I just don't have that self-destructive "Indie-Ethic" like what all Mutts favourites have. All worthy bands who are frightfully hip and never amounted to anything and consequently none of whom I can remember. We wouldn't want to be rich and successful, but just "not cool enough" for chin rubbing indie types (in Sweden) would we?
In my humble opinion the demo contains 2 great tracks and 2 okay ones that are produced well. Salvatore spotted them. The great ones were a massive struggle to record, whereas the okay ones were tossed off quite quickly. The next four are hopefully more like the 2 great ones - at their core they're simply better songs. If the final sound is a bit shabby ("lo-fi" has been mentioned), then that will not matter. A great song will reveal itself irrespective of the mistakes, hiss or bad quality of the instruments that the final sound recording contains.