After more than a decade researching and collecting sounds, Claudio Solis, Chilean curator of the stamp “Agua y Sed” (2009), presents a musical autobiography in a selection of 12 works, reissued, to be presented in physical double vinyl format. We applaud the risk of taking the crowdfunding path to execute this project. Here he tells us a little more in depth about the process.
The idea is to be able to change the current paradigm of the music industry with concrete actions that involve the fans together with the artists, in order to create a self-sustaining ecosystem, which today is necessary due to the social circumstances we live in, even more so for the industry musical and the small electronic music niche. Crowdfunding proves to be a crowdfunding system that works very successfully in other sectors, and today world-class artists such as Kings of Leon, Christian Scott, Yazz Ahmed, Vulfpeck, Jim Guthrie, Ta-Ku, Amon Tobin, Jocelyn Reyes, Cavalier have been able to successfully complete this type of project, so we intend to show that it is possible to carry out this type of initiative, especially for musicians from our country Chile.
In summary, the Crowdfunding model allows us to streamline financing through fans, production and dispatch of vinyl records. Without an initial investment, we can create a vinyl campaign and begin receiving orders almost immediately. This allows us to eliminate risk, delivering a high quality and flexible product, through a robust platform that already operates.
Pleroma is already in pre-sale until April 15. If by that date we reach 200 patrons, the project materializes, and if not, the platform returns the funds collected.
Review the project here
The compilation includes songs that he works independently or that were part of compilations of the Agua y Sed label, which were published at the time but are not available in streaming or downloads today, so it was a challenge to compile them again, review them. the mixing and mastering work of old projects, and re-editing them to make them coincide a bit with the current creative context in which we are as a label, and how I would like them to sound; many of these were longer, or had a different mood, a different speed. Faced with this, the final macro work becomes something super intimate, since they are works placed on a timeline of almost 10 years, so many events had to happen that inspired or triggered these results, added to the same experience accumulated, to be able to discern again which songs deserved to be revived and published in this way, which seeks to be an exercise not only individual but also collective; It aims at the collective evaluation of the work carried out for its execution, which is why it represents for me a great challenge, not only artistic, but also social.
In this exercise, as a label we are always looking for ways to give one more spin to the editorial work, to be able to generate a greater impact with the work and that they not only become songs in the cloud and / or a clearly self-referential result.
That is why I saw the crowdfunding model years ago as an opportunity to turn all that work into a tangible result, and in all the probabilities I had, I wanted to bet on my own work to be able to measure the impact of a social exercise such as going out to “knocking on doors for its execution”, and since I was the one promoting the idea, I decided to put fear aside and take the lead by going out and testing the crowdfunding model with my songs; which “guinea pig”, hoping that in a good setting it will work, it can in the same way be a voice of inspiration for other artists, and show that it can be done.
The idea of crowdfunding has been around for many years, especially the one offered by the platform Qrates, in which we have hosted the project. And together with my partner we always had it as an option to be able to take what we produce to something tangible, because the other is to eat pride and pay for physical production out of our pocket, and there the risk is more critical. We were spinning the idea of setting up a crowdfunding but we had to swallow our shyness a bit and go out to show it and get support. I think that after the social scene that we have been living this last time, the direction of the label is with more energy than ever, because if we do not go for everything ourselves, nobody is going to do it. This is how we are leading the process, with great enthusiasm, trying to show that we want to actively create our own reality.
If I fail to reach the goal, I do not care, because I am already satisfied that I have tried. But if we reach 200 patrons before April 15, 2021, it would not only show that it is possible for me, but also for many of the artists behind our label, and of course, also being part of the community.
So far the response has been full of surprises, many people around us did not hesitate to organize and support us as a group, and we think it’s great, everything is valid. It has been a tremendous experience so far, and we are left with a good taste about people who consume electronic music.
It has felt much better than a normal release, since there is the possibility of specifying the work in a physical format and that does not happen every month in our label, especially when the result is possible thanks to the people who follow our label or who listen to our posts, or who follow the artists involved. We operate in a very small niche, and it is nice to feel the unconditional support that they have given us, it motivates us to continue working with more enthusiasm!
We want to change the way our local artists expand the music. It doesn’t matter if you do reggae, reggaeton, metal, jazz or folklore. By creating a bond with our audience, we can change the outcome of our music and the impact it can have on the audience. We make electronic music in a small niche, and we believe that if we can manage to finance a vinyl thanks to our fans, any musician, artist, producer or band of another genre can do it too, if they actively propose to do so. With this we seek to inspire artists and also music lovers. We are very grateful to have the support of the people and also the space at South Plug.
Support the project here
