-How is the current work development of a company that used to be called “Record label”?
-Very different from what it was in the past. Let’s start by pointing out the good: Technology has allowed us to speed up publishing, as well as making recording and mixing easier. Today an artist does not need to be in the same place where the production company is.
In the distant past, companies had their own studios. Then to save costs they rented studios. Now sometimes it’s not even necessary because artists usually have their own. High-end studios are still used for large orchestras, although it is possible to record in “fragments”. Then it all comes together on a computer and wham! the symphony sounds There is also the sampler that masterfully recreates an orchestra. It is the current reality and I do not think it is good.
Let’s point out the “bad”: We can no longer publish those magnificent copies where a technical file, list of musicians and some comment on the work presented were attached.
Digital stores do not allow all this information to be given and this is detrimental to high-quality works. We cannot make vinyl or CDs. Computers are made without a CD player, vinyl records are expensive, and technology has also imposed bluetooth and all the different ways to listen to songs on social networks.
To make work profitable, companies must resort to image, video, which exponentially increases costs. Great musicians and singers are left out for whom videos cannot be produced or they do not have the means to do so either.
It’s a shame because technology, in many cases, kills true talent that shouldn’t depend solely on image.
-The “Video” or Audiovisual is very old. Carlos Gardel and cinema in general were already doing it. But I understand what you are expressing. Also the promotion has changed?
-Not much. The “Awards” awarded by the press for sales continue to be the trigger mechanism for prestige, although said awards are almost always arranged by extra-advertising agreements between Companies that share the market. Who can give real sales figures?
Now there are the “Likes” and visits to the Internet that benefit certain products.
We mistrust such information as always. For example, aside from music, there are great movies that people don’t know about or haven’t had a chance to see or enjoy, simply because the distributors wouldn’t make the money they need to sustain their businesses. The present is hell. It was never easy, but now it’s worse.
Do you know the film “The Year of the Still Sun” (Polish-American Co-production), or “Giovanni sin pensamiento” from Cinema Italiano? I sure don’t. Neither you nor millions of human beings. These films are an example of monumental works that sleep in the forgotten drawer.
The same thing happens with music.
Josemaria De Niro, one of our artists, defends record companies and says that “there are more artists than people to see them, there are more writers than people to read them,” and so it is with all branches of art. We live in a jungle that seems beautiful, but like all jungles it is wild and ferocious where the strongest survive, although not always the best.
-Given this reality that you describe, how do you define your task?
-Very good question. We are people of strong convictions. We are from generations close to each other and kindly loathe today’s world.
We do not claim to be heroic, but we are committed to good taste, to the freedom of choice on the part of the public. You have to exercise some teaching and try to offer “something else.” It is not possible that great musicians and singers have to modify their soul to be heard. It is a lack of respect for the human condition.
Artists have always suffered from “record” companies, owners of limitless cruelty, just as much as film producers. Sinatra one day got fed up with everything and founded his own label. But he had the means to do it. Today you are successful and you are God, but tomorrow you are buried alive.
-You, like Tribeca New York Music, how have you acted in the face of these widespread and mercantilist mechanisms?
-With courage and quite candid. In the first place, we were lucky to have financial support from people who do not need an “immediate” return and they patted us on the shoulder saying “Work according to your convictions even if it is for a future that we do not see near”.
The appearance of Jhosemaria De Niro has been the “miracle” that allowed the planets to align (laughs). Some “solidarity investors” also got excited. It was something definitely “foundational”. Jhosemaría is a great seducer, but above all a monster in a good way, an impressive artist who refuses to do what he doesn’t like.
Some told us “he is a dangerous man because he is not interested in money”, there is a prestigious Argentine psychoanalyst named Ana Santos who defined him by dedicating a poem entitled “Angel Man” to him who transforms others by paying an enormous cost in his own life.
And as this psychoanalyst says, “when one finds characters like these in life, they must be protected because they are the beautiful part of the human race.” In many sectors of life there is heroism, suffering, wars, martyrs, Gods and demons. We founded this little universe that we found ourselves without wanting it or dreaming of it, but to which we gave shape. And it became our reason for being and living.
-What other products is Tribeca New York Music creating?
-We are processing the rights of Soundtracks of great films and renowned composers so that Jhosemaria De Niro begins a second stage as Old New Songs was.
Then we will continue with the recordings of another series of Casuall Classic for which task we will travel to Prague, Munich and Rome with the singer.
We have some film projects on the agenda.
What follows is a lot of movement and the joy of continuing to work.
English version
Interview with George Rossen, artistic director of Tribeca New York Music
-How is the current development of the work of a company that used to be called “Record Label”?
-It is very different from what it was in the past. Let’s start by pointing out the good things: Technology has allowed us to speed up publishing, as well as making the task of recording and mixing much easier. Today an artist does not need to be in the same place where the Production Company is located.
Companies had their own studios in the distant past. They rented studios to save costs. Now sometimes it’s not even necessary. Artists often have their own studios. They still use high-class studios for the big orchestras, although it is possible to record in “fragments”. Then it all comes together in a computer and wham! The symphony sounds. There is also the sampler that masterfully recreates an orchestra. Although this is the current reality, I don’t think it is a good thing.
Let’s point out the “bad”: We can no longer publish those magnificent copies where a technical data sheet, a list of musicians and some commentary on the work presented were enclosed.
Digital shops do not allow us to give all that information and that is to the detriment of high-quality works. We cannot make vynils or CDs. Computers are produced without CD players, vinyls are expensive and technology has also imposed bluetooth and all the different ways of listening to songs through social networks.
Companies have to turn to image, to video, to make the work profitable, which increases costs exponentially. Great musicians and singers who can’t produce videos or who don’t have the means to do so, are left out.
It’s a pity because technology, in many cases, kills the real talent that shouldn’t depend only on the image.
-The “Video” or Audiovisual is very old. It was already done by Carlos Gardel and cinema in general. I understand what you are saying. Has the promotion also changed?
-Not much. The “prizes” awarded by the press for sales are still the trigger mechanism for prestige, although these prizes are almost always arranged by extra-advertising agreements between companies that share the market. Who can give real sales figures?
There are now the “Likes” and Internet visits that benefit certain products.
We are suspicious of this information as always. For example, leaving the subject of music, there are great films that people do not know about or have not had the opportunity to watch or enjoy, simply because the distributors would not make the money they need to sustain their companies. The present is hellish. It has never been easy, but now it’s worse.
Do you know the film “The year of the still sun” (Polish-American co-production), or “Giovanni without thought” from Italian Cinema? I’m sure you don’t. Neither you nor millions of human beings. These films are an example of monumental works that sleep in the drawer of oblivion.
It’s the same with music.
Josemaria De Niroone of our artists, defends the record companies and says that “there are more singers than people to listen to them”, there are more writers than people to read them,” and so it is with all branches of art. We live in a jungle that seems beautiful, but like all jungles it is savage and ferocious, where the strongest survive, although not always the best.
-Given this reality that you describe, how do you define your task?
-That’s a very good question. We are people of strong convictions. We are from generations that are close to each other, and we are kindly loathe of today’s world.
We don’t pretend to be heroic, but we are committed to good taste, to freedom of choice for the public. It is necessary to exercise a certain teaching and to try to offer “something else”. It is not possible that great musicians and singers have to modify their soul to be heard. It is a lack of respect for the human condition.
Artists have always suffered with the “record companies”, owners of a cruelty without limits, as much as the film production companies. Sinatra one day had enough with it all and founded his own label. But he had the means to do it. Today you are successful and you are God, but tomorrow you are buried alive.
-How have you acted in the face of such generalized and mercantilist mechanisms as Tribeca New York Music?
-Courageously and quite candidly. First of all, we were fortunate to have the financial support of people who don’t need an “immediate” return and who gave us a pat on the shoulder saying “Work according to your convictions, even if it is for a future that we don’t see in the near future”.
The appearance of Jhosemaria De Niro was the “miracle” that allowed the planets to align (laughs). Some ” solidarity investors ” were also enthusiastic. It was definitely “foundational”. Jhosemaría is a great seducer, but above all a monster in the good sense, an impressive artist who refuses to do what he doesn’t like. Some people have told us “he is a dangerous man because he is not interested in money”. There is a prestigious Argentinian psychoanalyst called Ana Santos who defined him by dedicating a poem entitled “Angel Man” who transforms others by paying an enormous cost in his own life.
And as this psychoanalyst says, “when you meet characters like these in life, you have to protect them because they are the beautiful part of the human race”. In many areas of life there is heroism, suffering, wars, martyrs, gods and demons. We founded this little universe that we encountered without wanting to or dreaming of it, but which we gave shape to. And it has become our reason for being and living.
-What other products is Tribeca New York Music creating?
-We are processing the rights to soundtracks of great films and renowned composers for Jhosemaria De Niro to start a second stage like Old New Songs.
Then we will continue with the recordings of another series of Casually Classic for which we will travel to Prague, Munich and Rome with the singer.
We have some film projects on the agenda.
What follows is a lot of movement and the joy of continuing to work.
