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'Our songs honestly reflect what our lives are like, and people respond to our vulnerability. People forget the power that art has, and by being forthright in our lives, we've seen our music touch a broader audience than we ever expected.' - manCHILD
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Mars Ill is: (l to r) manCHILD, DJ Dust
We recently got to chat with the guys who are known in the hip hop community as Mars Ill...
MQ: How do you guys see technology affecting music in terms of production, distribution, and creation?
dust: Personally, the technology - for groups like us, it's a good thing. For so long we've used the internet to our advantage. Having our music available online for people - whether people have downloaded it or bought it online, that's a powerful thing for us - to help spread the buzz. I feel piracy happened before the internet was around. I used to dub tapes when I was a 6th grader - I'm not saying it's ok to do it - just that it's been around forever. It is easier to get a hold of things you like on the internet...
manCHILD: Yeah, with the platform of the internet...when we were independent, I basically sent out packages to everyone I knew that reviewed cds, everyone I knew that posted up audio, or whatever. So when 60, 70, 80 good reviews came back, it was like, 'Wow, this group is really doing something.' But, in fact, we were just struggling - doing as many shows as we could do. I guess the buzz was really bigger than what we were. I certainly don't think the internet should be your only contact to the outside world, you should really go out and meet real live people. But, it's certainly a good tool for independent artists...
Dust: It's an amazing tool...
manCHILD: Of course, I'm anti-piracy, but the labels have to get up to speed on how to make it available for downloading. They have to cover the bases to make sense for the artists and fans...where it's not insanely expensive. I think some labels are really trying hard. I think Gotee is making strides to to do something like that.
Dust: I think part of the reason...cd prices were initially high when cds were first released to the mass market and they kind of made a promise that prices would eventually come down when the format got going. But they've got nothing but more expensive. It's ridiculous to go buy an album for twenty dollars. If you have to go into Best Buy and spend $17.99 on someone's record...that makes it pretty tempting for kids - not that it makes it right at all - but I feel like there's got to be a compromise in terms of price point. With Backbreakanomics - we tried really hard to get - for the first couple of months - the price point to be at ten dollars. It helps and I think people appreciate that. I think it's more of a reasonable amount for a record.
manCHILD: I think that technology has allowed groups that use home recording studios - for groups like us, instead of paying by the hour in a studio, we now own our own studio, because of the software and what you can do...
Dust: It's good and bad for a lot of artists. It levels the playing field...but then again it doesn't. I think there is a certain of amount of caution you need in doing your own recording. We came up at the end of the era when you had to go into the studio and pay money to make a record. It was a big deal. You had to pay your dues, at least enough to put your money where your mouth is. But computers are powerful enough now - I do all of the production and dj'ing for Mars Ill - and I'm a huge computer guy. I love the power to record our own material. I do all of our production on our little portable Mac. There are so many hip hop guys that think that is so crazy. But I feel that the technology there is so much more powerful and flexible. If you really understand the medium, you can do so much with it. I think, obviously, it's the future of recording. That's a no brainer.