Buying CDs? Too commercial. Streaming music online? The sound quality is abysmal. Listening to music should be sacred and should be produced on formats that no one can recreate, according to Nicolas Jaar.
The Chilean-American electronic artist has in recent years become something of a cult phenomenon with his very own record label Clown & Sunset and has chosen to cut all ties with the music industry for his latest album by releasing it on his own musical device.
Don’t Break My Love has been released on the Prism, a small aluminium cube that sits in the palm of your hand, has two headphone sockets and four playback buttons.
While the album will also be available on vinyl, the Prism will be the primary format for all releases by the label.
Explaining his reason for using the format, Jaar told the Guardian that CDs only exist because they are cheap and profitable.
“I felt disgusting putting out my music on that. I can’t do it,” he said. “Why do we need more profit?”
As for streaming music online, he recently told Lucy Jones for the Daily Telegraph: “We’re listening out of a computer on a YouTube link and that’s probably the worst music has ever sounded, ever, and not what the artist intended.
“We’re losing respect for the listening experience of music.”
Instead, he argues that record labels should produce music on a format that people can’t make so that it is “precious”, which is why he also supports the use of vinyl.
The Prism has been designed by the musician and not only is its purpose meant to retain a physicality of music, but it also aims to promote sharing, thanks to the two headphone jacks.
Is this the future of how record labels produce music and how we listen to it? Jaar is certainly in the minority at the moment, as music video sharing site Vevo alone has seen its unique monthly viewers rise to 11.7 million since it launched in the UK a year ago.
How much do you think about the format you listen to music in? Is music too disposable in 2012? Should people make more of an effort about how they listen to and enjoy music?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
The Chilean-American electronic artist has in recent years become something of a cult phenomenon with his very own record label Clown & Sunset and has chosen to cut all ties with the music industry for his latest album by releasing it on his own musical device.Don’t Break My Love has been released on the Prism, a small aluminium cube that sits in the palm of your hand, has two headphone sockets and four playback buttons.
While the album will also be available on vinyl, the Prism will be the primary format for all releases by the label.
Explaining his reason for using the format, Jaar told the Guardian that CDs only exist because they are cheap and profitable.
“I felt disgusting putting out my music on that. I can’t do it,” he said. “Why do we need more profit?”
As for streaming music online, he recently told Lucy Jones for the Daily Telegraph: “We’re listening out of a computer on a YouTube link and that’s probably the worst music has ever sounded, ever, and not what the artist intended.
“We’re losing respect for the listening experience of music.”
Instead, he argues that record labels should produce music on a format that people can’t make so that it is “precious”, which is why he also supports the use of vinyl.The Prism has been designed by the musician and not only is its purpose meant to retain a physicality of music, but it also aims to promote sharing, thanks to the two headphone jacks.
Is this the future of how record labels produce music and how we listen to it? Jaar is certainly in the minority at the moment, as music video sharing site Vevo alone has seen its unique monthly viewers rise to 11.7 million since it launched in the UK a year ago.
How much do you think about the format you listen to music in? Is music too disposable in 2012? Should people make more of an effort about how they listen to and enjoy music?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!