Monday, June 26, 2006
C|Net: The Residents' New Release a Blank Disc
Posted by Damion Chaplin in "CONTENT" @ 12:30 PM
"Cult band the Residents and the Cordless e-label have teamed up to create something that is either a unique multimedia experience that will link the physical, digital and mobile worlds--or is just plain wacky. On June 13, Cordless issued the Residents' "River of Crime"--a 1940s-style radio serial with a band-composed musical score--in a cardboard double-CD package with artwork that reinforces the band's trademark eyeball, all for $14.99. The catch? It contains two blank CDs so that the five episodes, which will be released sequentially during a 10-week period, can be burned after the last one becomes available. A unique code for each package allows users to unlock the subscription at riverofcrime.com... "It is an experiment, but we think it is something that is relatively easy to understand," Fiber says. The package comes with a red sticker on the cover warning that it contains blank media and telling buyers not to burn "River of Crime" until all episodes are retrieved. Inside the package is an instruction card. On the other hand, Fiber says, it may also be confusing. If the helpline rings off the hook, he says he'll know the effort was too ambitious."
Wow, now there's an inventive distributing idea. The idea boils down to "How can a digital-only release be (positioned) as a collectible? Residents fans are collectors, and this gives them something tangible to add to their collection." I think it's a great idea, and people who are already fans of The Residents are undoubtedly going to jump on it. The real question is whether people (like me) who've never heard of The Residents will want to risk buying a blank CD which they then have to fill. I sure don't mind digital releases, but this seems like a lot of extra work. What do you think? Would you be interested in something like this? What if they were to release a blank HD-DVD that you were to then fill up with Lost Season 3? Would you be interested? Especially if you can get the entire season before anyone else does?
Wow, now there's an inventive distributing idea. The idea boils down to "How can a digital-only release be (positioned) as a collectible? Residents fans are collectors, and this gives them something tangible to add to their collection." I think it's a great idea, and people who are already fans of The Residents are undoubtedly going to jump on it. The real question is whether people (like me) who've never heard of The Residents will want to risk buying a blank CD which they then have to fill. I sure don't mind digital releases, but this seems like a lot of extra work. What do you think? Would you be interested in something like this? What if they were to release a blank HD-DVD that you were to then fill up with Lost Season 3? Would you be interested? Especially if you can get the entire season before anyone else does?
