Endorsement Whores

[metalifuxx]

You can't get much more commercial than composing the Windows 95/98 startup theme, which BT did

Wrong. That was Brian Eno, a very different Brian...

Oops, wrong Brian He doesn't sell out though. Millions upon millions of people have heard that though. It's crazy if you think about it. Probably more recognized than any radio hit song. I remember seeing an interview they did with him on the old G4 computer show "The Screensavers" about it. But they also would have BT on it occasionally too. I had gotten them mixed up for some reason. But I know who they both are. They also had Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan (Crystal Method) on there to talk about music technology at the time as well.

[Brittlestem]

You can't get much more commercial than composing the Windows 95/98 startup theme, which BT did

Wrong. That was Brian Eno, a very different Brian...

Oops, wrong Brian He doesn't sell out though. Millions upon millions of people have heard that though. It's crazy if you think about it. Probably more recognized than any radio hit song. I remember seeing an interview they did with him on the old G4 computer show "The Screensavers" about it. But they also would have BT on it occasionally too. I had gotten them mixed up for some reason. But I know who they both are. They also had Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan (Crystal Method) on there to talk about music technology at the time as well.

So if BT did the Windows theme, that's selling out, but if Eno did it...he didn't sell out?
Smells like a big pile of hipster bollocks to me.

[Voltaire27]

Doesn't matter to me. If the artist can make a few bucks with these endorsements, go 'head on. Many don't receive the money for their work because of illegal downloads/shady business dealings anyway and they got bills to pay just like the rest of us. I do see how endorsing too many products could tarnish the cogency of an artists' backing but, if it's an artist whose work I respect and the product has some kind of connection with music, have at it. It's not like it's Justin Bieber with his line of toothbrushes, napkins, and feminine douche products or whatever.

[dalor]

Doesn't matter to me. If the artist can make a few bucks with these endorsements, go 'head on.

+1.
I remember when people called Aphex Twin a sellout for doing work on TVC's. Whatever.

[spaceman]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiknupp

Personal Assistant
Binary Acoustics/ Brian Transeau aka BT
September 2005 - January 2007 (1 year 5 months)

• Editing audio for music and film
• Setting up and troubleshooting DJ equipment
• Acting as liaison between director, composer and staff
• Approaching companies for endorsements and finalizing deals
• Facilitating daily connections between manager, agent, lawyer and accountant

It actually looks like hes not an endorsement whore but an endorsement professional.

It's outrageous how people these days will go and try to make as much money as possible.
Outrageous!

[kritikon]

Exactly - they're artists! Musicians! Should be doing it for free so they can hold their heads up high!!


It's funny innit - musicians (especially amateur ones) are often the very first to damn the record industry for wanting to make money, for being the big bad corporation that steals money off starving musicians, and also the first ones that accuse any musician of selling out if they even make a dime from music.

[robogone]

Try and go easy with your truncheon this time .

That's what she said...

[BERFAB]

I agree with an earlier poster that said, essentially, that any income stream for musicians is not to be trifled with. If endorsements allow these musicians to make a better living, so be it.

I personally don't buy based on endorsements, but I know that many do. The only time I actually cringed at a celeb/musician endorsement was when T-Pain threw Antares under the bus (arguably they made his career) and joined with another company that I otherwise respected, and slapped his name on the product. Still gives me the willies just thinking about it.

-B

[robogone]

I agree with an earlier poster that said, essentially, that any income stream for musicians is not to be trifled with.

Very true. I know so many musicians who make the majority of their money from doing things they *can* do rather than *want* to do. It's just a fact of life if you're going to be a musician.

[kritikon]

David Beckham endorses underpants, yet we buy those without a 2nd thought (new ones that is, not Beckham's actual underpants - that would be unhygienic, although I'm sure that anything goldenballs touches with his ahem...golden balls shines like the prverbial). Unless I'm mistaken I wasn't aware that Beckham was any kind of underpant specialist either. When you look at such as he - although he certainly rakes in a jaw-dropping wage, he still makes the majority of his income from endorsements. Perfectly accepted as normal. Why not musicians?

[jupiter8]

Perfectly accepted as normal. Why not musicians?

Because music is art and football isn't ?

[masterhiggins]

It's always ugly when money and art mix. Van Gogh was (in many people's opinion) one of the greatest painters ever to have lived, but he was broke as hell. For some reason seeing him pimp Blick art supplies would still seem wrong.

[Woody Aki]

It's always ugly when money and art mix. Van Gogh was (in many people's opinion) one of the greatest painters ever to have lived, but he was broke as hell. For some reason seeing him pimp Blick art supplies would still seem wrong.

...then on the other hand, you got Andy Warhol.

[masterhiggins]

It's always ugly when money and art mix. Van Gogh was (in many people's opinion) one of the greatest painters ever to have lived, but he was broke as hell. For some reason seeing him pimp Blick art supplies would still seem wrong.

...then on the other hand, you got Andy Warhol.

Exactly. Yuck.

[lotus2035]

Smells like a big pile of hipster bollocks to me.

Sentence of the week.