Victor
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Benise
Sept 14, 2004 18:43:09 GMT -5
Post by Victor on Sept 14, 2004 18:43:09 GMT -5
You're right Adam - I guess that wouldn't be "spam wars". Besides, we'd be helping Mehdi out - right?! ;D
Bob, that's interesting it was Marc Antione who got Benise interested in Spanish guitar. How's Marc's career going?
By the way, are you in the music biz, or maybe you know some people? I don't think I really understand it, particularly the marketing and distribution. It does seem like a lot of pop music is "manufactured for the masses" though.
Anyway, I'm wondering the same things you are about Mehdi. Guess it doesn't really matter except the whole spam tactic got my panties in a bunch! Maybe his approach is to try and be a studio artist without being a performing artist. So he's trying to manipulate the avenues of distribution he has available. I guess "new age" is a little different in that respect - I mean, I don't know that a lot of them tour like Yanni does.
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Benise
Sept 14, 2004 18:55:47 GMT -5
Post by Adam Solomon on Sept 14, 2004 18:55:47 GMT -5
It does seem like a lot of pop music is "manufactured for the masses" though. Listened to OL's conversation w/ Stuart Davis?
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Benise
Sept 14, 2004 20:42:14 GMT -5
Post by Bob on Sept 14, 2004 20:42:14 GMT -5
Victor,
Marc Antoine's career is doing very well in Southern California. He gets alot of airplay out here.
it's tricky when you're in the music biz. You can be commercial and make a lot of money or you can be more ground breaking or experimental and maybe gain the respect of your peers (other musicians) but sacrafice some of the financial benefits. It's up to the musician to decide which path is more fullfilling.
It sounds cliche but the music buying masses "know what they like and like what they know". Every now and then an artist will break the barrier into the masses with something new and truly original. Most artists take the safe path and pretty much emulate what has already been done before, like Mehdi.
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Victor
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Benise
Sept 15, 2004 13:06:18 GMT -5
Post by Victor on Sept 15, 2004 13:06:18 GMT -5
Adam -- Guess you know by now that I'm not an I-N subscriber. Can you give us a summary of the main points OL and Stuart made about music "manufactured for the masses"? Bob -- I hear what you're saying about musicians having to choose a path. I guess pop music is particularly different from other "fringe genres" in that pop gets radio air time. Seems like it's the record companies that push that. Of course, the record companies have a lot of say over their "artistry" too. I don't know how it all works. I've never heard OL on the radio. Once I heard him in the DFW airport though! I wish he had more air-time exposure, but then maybe I shouldn't care since I hardly listen to the radio anyway. Maybe if they had an all "new flamenco" station!! Hey, I found Marc Antione's website. www.marcantoine.com Listened to a few samples. Kind of smooth-jazz with a Latin/Spanish flair?! It's always hard to peg artists - but he sounds like a great jazz guitarist! Benise has much more of a flamenco/gypsy edge.
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Benise
Sept 16, 2004 8:23:06 GMT -5
Post by boris on Sept 16, 2004 8:23:06 GMT -5
There's one thing I don't get. How is it possible that amazon.com posts the "Mehdi-spam" at all? I have written short fan comments (not reviews, though, I don't want to get insolent) for all of OL's albums and the DVD, one James Bobchak album and one Leda Battisti album for amazon.de (the German version of amazon). The moment I mentioned too intensely my favour of another of OL's albums or his own small label, they didn't publish my review. Happened two times, e.g. when writing about NVMT, I mentioned LS -- maybe a bit too often, I don't know. And I don't really understand cause it was another album of the same artist, I talked about. So how can they let the Mehdi avalanche go down? Do I have a misunderstanding with amazon.de OR is there a different policy between amazon.de and amazon.com OR is amazon.com working together with certain labels using spam tactics?? I would not be surprised if it was the last. (Okay, I would not be surprised either if it was the first alternative... )
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Victor
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Benise
Sept 16, 2004 12:15:52 GMT -5
Post by Victor on Sept 16, 2004 12:15:52 GMT -5
Boris, your experience with Amazon.de does raise some interesting questions about Amazon.com. With respect to reviews they explicitly state in their guidelines that URL's are not allowed. The Mehdi spam always contains the reference to soothingmusic.com. So what's up with Amazon.com? 1)They don't monitor reviews or don't have sufficient staff to monitor them all? 2)When a suspicious review is brought to their attention they don't care, or it just takes them a really long time to repsond, or they only respond after a certain number of complaints on the same item? 3)Mehdi is a top-seller for them so he can do what he wants?!
OK, probably dismiss #3 off-hand. However, with respect to #2 - I have been experimenting with that by bringing several of the Mehdi spams to their attention using the "report this" review as inappropriate link. Now, the Mehdi spam disappeared off La Semana, but others have not. Was this because OL sent them a message or because the right number of people reported it??
By the way, actual size of the "Mehdi spam-alanche" might not be as big as it looks. If you Google "thanks for the introduction to mehdi" you get about 1,880 hits now, but if you limit the search to just Amazon.com you get like 75. That's still bad enough, but I'm trying to figure out if a lot of sites pull reviews from the Amazon database which accounts for a "multiplying of the spam" effect or if Mehdi is really into a bunch of different review databases. Anybody have a guess?? I'll keep you posted on my findings!
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Benise
Sept 17, 2004 4:50:49 GMT -5
Post by boris on Sept 17, 2004 4:50:49 GMT -5
Hmmm, when writing about ITAOL, I said that this was supposed to be the beginning of a new era, OL splitting his work, future records you can only purchase at his website which is to be found at www.lunanegra.com. A bit more, but that does it. For maybe two weeks, nothing happened, and then they published my fan comment and had taken out all the expressions the didn't like, e.g. the mentioning of the url. My fan comment for NVMT, they didn't publish at all, although there was nothing like an url in there. I was just making references to LS and said ... wait, I did write an url!! I wrote that LS could be purchased at amazon.de also....... so maybe they refused it because I put their own url in?!? But then, how manages Mehdi to get his spam inserted? I highly suspect that amazon.com is allowing that stuff. I mean, remember OL telling us that 33rd street offered him to make people sneak into forums, participate and then drop the name of his new recording? Who says that certain record labels if paying a certain amount of money to amazon are not "allowed" to use their tactics? OR there are single persons at amazon who close their eyes as long as nobody complains about it. 75 comments like this I would still call an avalanche. At amazon.de they often offer the same album several times, mainly because somebody sells it used also, or you can get it as an import. They don't sum all offers. So when you write a comment, it can happen that you have to check the same album four or five times just to make sure that it's commented. But doing even that costs you time and you are fed up with it. And finally: how came that the Mehdi comment was there the very first day LS came out??
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Benise
Nov 1, 2004 0:40:24 GMT -5
Post by CG Ryche on Nov 1, 2004 0:40:24 GMT -5
Hey, I stumbled on this site. Interesting Q's about Medhi. I am the percussionist for Benise & thing are going Great. We're ready to head on a National tour early 2005. Check www.benise.com for more details. But before I joined Benise I played with Medhi for over 3 years. Medhi is the Millie Vanilli of the instumental world. I don't even think he writes his own music. I left because of this reason. He pay sucks. He constently lies to his fans. He's all about the money. He's done nothing, nor will he. I wish I had better things to say about him, But it's the truth. The music on his CD's is very good, but I have no respect for him & nether does any other percussionist I know. Hope this answers some Questions. God Bless - CG
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Benise
Nov 1, 2004 15:37:35 GMT -5
Post by Adam Solomon on Nov 1, 2004 15:37:35 GMT -5
Wow, very interesting--thanks for posting that! Feel free to register and hang around the board if you'd like Anyway, I'd love to see Benise in 2005 if he stops by NY. That's also cool you happened to work with Mehdi, I never knew all that about him (though it doesn't really surprise me). Did you ever hear anything back then about his spam techniques? And he doesn't even write his own music, wonderful... Anyway, it'd be really cool to have a pro musician around here to talk to, so feel free to stick around! Adam
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Victor
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Benise
Nov 4, 2004 0:47:30 GMT -5
Post by Victor on Nov 4, 2004 0:47:30 GMT -5
Hey CG, that's cool you somehow ended up here and gave us some inside scoop! Glad to hear that things are going great for you with Benise. I was wondering if his tour would go beyond the west coast soon - looks like a sign of good things to come. I'll be looking to see where you're playing - Bob says you guys put on a great show!
Well, if you've read much of the forum it's obvious that we all agree on Ottmar but our interests in other "New Flamenco" artists varies quite a bit. I've described Benise as having more of a "Gypsy guitar" sounds with some "rock and roll flair". I'm not even sure exactly what that means - obviously hard to qualify art. If you have time I'd love to hear how you would describe Benise!
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Benise
Nov 11, 2004 1:37:12 GMT -5
Post by CG Ryche on Nov 11, 2004 1:37:12 GMT -5
Hey Guys, to answer some of your Q's. Yes we will be in NY 2005, which answers Q #2. I a couple of weeks we will have some dates. God bless you guys. Feel free to ask any Q's I can help answer. Thanx CG www.cgryche.com
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Benise
Nov 12, 2004 0:17:39 GMT -5
Post by CG Ryche on Nov 12, 2004 0:17:39 GMT -5
Hey Guys. My thought on Benise. Great song writing, does have a Rock edge. We play like their was a gun to our head. Being a great musician takes many years of wood sheading, being a great entertainer is one who puts the cookies where the kids can reach them. I feel Benise is a great combination of both. A Benise performance is filled with passion, heart as well as musicianship. I also feel Benise has a lot of peers & influences which come through in the song writing. Ottmar is a great artist, also very passionate. You can listen to Benise music on his web site. If you purchase something I would recommend our DVD, so you can be the judge. I hope my word have helped answer your Question in some way & hope to see you at a performance sometime. If you do, please come up & say hi. God bless CG
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Benise
Dec 30, 2004 15:32:14 GMT -5
Post by Adam Solomon on Dec 30, 2004 15:32:14 GMT -5
Well, I just watched Benise's live "Spanish Nights" DVD, and I can definitely say his style is much different from OL's. More along the lines of Strunz + Farah or Jesse Cook, maybe, but I think there's yet something different there. Actually, don't quote me on that, the OL influence definitely shows through on songs like "Corazon" and "Santa Barbara". And Benise lists OL as one of his biggest inspirations--IE in the interview section of the DVD, the bassist said when Benise first contacted him for an audition, he said it was music like Gypsy Kings or OL. So, he's definitely influenced by the Liebert, but musically speaking, I wouldn't call him a copycat. The similar song names are probably just a homage to him. Very different music--and if I may say so, I was pretty impressed, too. I'll write up a little, more in-depth review around the blog whenever I get time
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Benise
Feb 27, 2005 19:06:24 GMT -5
Post by DAvid on Feb 27, 2005 19:06:24 GMT -5
CG, I tried to email you from your site...but I'm not sure if it went through or not. Anyways, if you read this...I'm looking for a percussionist in the OC area. I've got paying gigs. I'd like somebody who is creative, high energy and a great showman (someone like you)...let me know if you know anybody. thanks, David precisionpcs2004@yahoo.com
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Benise
Feb 27, 2005 19:52:18 GMT -5
Post by Adam Solomon on Feb 27, 2005 19:52:18 GMT -5
Hey, keep us posted on your gigs man!
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