UPDATE: Impala reached out to us and gave extra input and feedback, this has been added to this article.

Impala, the Independent Music Companies Association, has published the findings of its first survey examining the economic advantages of adopting sustainable practices within the European independent music sector. According to the survey there are multiple benefits for labels that implement sustainability measures, including cost reductions, enhanced innovation, and improved brand perception.

Let’s have a detailed look at what they communicate. You can download the business case right here. But first this…

Danger of Greenwashing

Below you can read what Impala indicated as being ‘sustainable’ practices. But, in some cases you can actually wonder if it’s not about greenwashing, because the cost for instance of producing lightweight vinyl is lower but the prices in retail will often remain the same. So, it could often be a cost element that plays, and not really the sustainable idea.

Impala reacts to us by saying that they strongly refute that assertion: “First, it is important to highlight the goal of the business case itself, which is to promote action among our members and in the supply chain. IMPALA is committed to aligning with climate science and works closely with expert advisors to ensure our approach is appropriate.

Furthermore, the report and IMPALA as an organisation don’t promote making sustainability claims without scientific backing, which is detrimental to both climate action and the organisation’s reputation. Should any companies want to display their commitment to the cause, it’s great to know that there are organisations like B Corp working on providing certified credentials.”

Greenwashing is when companies mislead stakeholders about their environmental practices to appear more sustainable than they are. Greenwashing can undermine genuine efforts, erode trust, and misguide consumers and industry stakeholders.

No Sign of the Famous Unplayed Catalogue Tracks Server Cost

Strangely enough we don’t see any mentioning of the huge cost that comes with unplayed tracks on Spotify. As we reported, Spotify will not be paying royalties for songs with fewer than 1,000 streams in a year.

But the deeper issue is the cost related to tracks that never get played. Nearly 25% of the tracks on streaming services had no streams at all. With the constant growth of the music catalog, unstreamed songs are predicted to reach a whopping 100 million by 2028.

The cost of maintaining these platforms has increased dramatically, from $35 million in 2019 to more than $130 million in 2022. So removing the unplayed tracks from Spotify would be a real sustainable move as it would mean less energy use to keep servers up with unplayed tracks.

In a reaction Impala says this: “Regarding streaming, IMPALA has had a position on the scope of responsibility for a while now, which we included in our ‘standards’ report published early last year. In a nutshell, while we’re working closely with DSPs to encourage greater transparency and support them towards measuring and reducing the impact of streaming, their emissions are excluded from the responsibility of labels, who we represent.

You can find the full report here, and I’ve also included the relevant text below. We’ll also include this in our business case report to avoid future misinterpretation. Thank you for bringing that to our attention.”

This is the relevant text that we were sent by Impala:

Standardising the sector’s approach on streaming is vital. The group reviewed the whole chain and reached a key set of conclusions related to the scope of responsibility concerning digital distribution.

Emissions from downstream digital distribution (the distribution of digital recordings through Digital Service Providers [DSPs] and consumption by fans through streaming services or digital download) are excluded from the responsibility of labels for the following reasons:

• Scope of responsibility – labels do not own or control DSPs which are the responsibility of third parties who are already taking responsibility for the relevant emissions.
• Influence – record companies have no direct control over the distribution of digital files once they have distributed to DSPs, or influence over emission reduction programmes.
• Size – due to a lack of available data, it’s not possible for the recorded sector to estimate with accuracy the size of emissions from digital distribution. The necessary data is controlled by DSPs and their downstream partners. Some DSPs are working towards gathering data from their operations and are establishing emissions calculation methodologies. We refer to this, as availability of data is part of the GHG protocol, but as noted above, scope of responsibility and lack of influence mean that DSP emissions (including subscriber emissions) are not counted as record company emissions. (This is the same as for other downstream areas of activity in the music market, such as physical retail.)

Digital distribution is a vital part of our industry and makes up a significant portion of income for our members. We’re therefore working closely with DSPs to encourage greater transparency and will support towards measuring and reducing the impact of streaming. As part of the Music Climate Pact and our own Climate Charter, we call on DSPs to work collaboratively to share data and knowledge on this issue.

Here is what Impala says in its current version of their business case regarding sustainability.

1. Financial Savings and Environmental Impact Reduction:
   • Companies reported important savings in manufacturing, distribution, energy, and travel costs. For instance, labels like K7! Music have reduced costs by opting for green vinyl (PET), which cuts energy consumption by 70-80% compared to PVC.
2. Internal Innovation:
   • Embracing sustainability has driven internal innovation. For example, some companies have optimized logistics by shifting from air to sea freight and encouraged remote meetings, maximizing staff efficiency​. The introduction of new formats, like 140g vinyl instead of 180g, has proven cost-effective with minimal impact on audio quality.
3. Supply Chain Improvements:
   • Sustainable practices have led to operational efficiencies and cost savings. Local sourcing and just-in-time inventory management have minimized excess stock and lowered storage costs. For instance, labels reported benefits from using lightweight materials, reducing transportation and packaging costs​.
4. Strengthening Supply Chain Relations:
   • Enhanced transparency and collaboration within supply chains foster positive changes. Suppliers publishing their sustainability data and collaborating on certification systems have presented new opportunities for large-scale sector improvements.
5. Competitive Position and Brand Awareness:
   • Sustainability has bolstered companies’ competitive positions. Labels such as Secretly Group and Beggars Group have seen improved brand perception and competitive advantage through their sustainability efforts. For instance, public engagement and recognition as sector leaders have enhanced their visibility and appeal.
6. Regulatory Compliance and Financial Resilience:
   • Proactive sustainability measures help companies stay ahead of regulatory changes. By implementing tools like the Impala Carbon Calculator, companies can prepare for future regulations and tax incentives, ensuring long-term financial resilience.
7. Attracting and Retaining Talent:
   • Sustainability initiatives have positively impacted employee recruitment and retention. Companies noted that a focus on sustainability fosters a purpose-driven work environment, attracting younger generations who value social responsibility.
8. Attracting Artists:
   • Labels with strong sustainability reputations attract more artists. Artists increasingly engage with labels on sustainability practices, contributing to positive public perception and industry leadership.

Survey Methodology

The survey was conducted through ‘qualitative interviews’ with selected Impala member labels from different territories, sizes, and stages of their sustainability journey. Research projects from entities such as Music Declares Emergency, British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and Key Production supported the survey findings, showing that music fans prioritize climate action and are willing to pay more for sustainable products, so Impala claims.

Impala itself offers tools like the Carbon Calculator to help members track and report their carbon footprint. The program aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050. It encourages members to take action by measuring their carbon footprint, reducing emissions, and investing in environmental projects.

About Impala

Established in 2000, Impala represents over 6,000 independent music companies across Europe. Known for their innovation and artist discovery, these companies produce more than 80% of all new releases and account for 80% of the sector’s jobs.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Out on April 7th is the all new Wumpscut album “Giftkeks”. Next to a CD version the album will also be out as a llimited (red) vinyl limited to 500 copies. The new album holds 4 brand new tracks and 4 quite different, all instrumental versions.

Next to to these two formats you can also expect a “DJ Dwarf 23” CD, the usual accompanying remix-album. This time the remix CD contains 16 remixes of tracks from ‘Giftkeks’, a remix of the track “War” from the 3rd regular album “Embryodead”, plus two remixes that Wumpscut did for other bands (Decimortus Satanicu and Gulag Kalashnikov).

Next to this new album, you can also expect brand new vinyl reissues of the Wumpscut albums “Bunkertor 7” and “Born Again”. The 1995 album “Bunkertor 7” comes in a 180g black vinyl version (500 copies) while the 1997 album “Born Again” is re-released on 180g transparent green vinyl (500 copies).

The releases will be out via Ratzinger’s own record label, Beton Kopf Media, which he started in 1995.

For our younger readers, Wumpscut is an electro-industrial music project founded in May 1991 by Bavarian disc jockey Rudolf “Rudy” Ratzinger. “Defcon” was his first demo and was released in late 1991.

Since that first demo a string of (excellent!) releases followed:

• 1993: Music For A Slaughtering Tribe
• 1995: Bunkertor 7
• 1997: Embryodead
• 1999: Boeses Junges Fleisch
• 2001: Wreath Of Barbs
• 2004: Bone Peeler
• 2005: Evoke
• 2006: Cannibal Anthem
• 2007: Body Census
• 2008: Schädling
• 2009: Fuckit
• 2010: Siamese
• 2011: Schrekk & Grauss
• 2012: Women And Satan First
• 2013: Madman Szpital
• 2014: Bulwark Bazooka
• 2015: BlutSpukerTavern
• 2016: Wüterich
• 2021: Fledermavs 303

Side-Line also covered Wumpscut’s ‘Kalashnikov’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Bira) Out on March 24th is a remastered limited edition vinyl series from Chris & Cosey, which will see many of their albums available for the first time, or for the first time in decades.

The series launches with “Elemental 7” on green vinyl, “Muzik Fantastique!” on pink vinyl, and “Feral Vapours of The Silver Ether” on yellow vinyl. The colour vinyl pressings are limited, and will include a printed inner sleeve of archival photos.

“Elemental 7″ is the soundtrack to the film of the same name (on Cabaret Voltaire’s Doublevision video imprint) that saw the duo working once more with John Lacey. Lacey had previously worked with Cosey in COUM Transmissions and introduced Chris Carter to the collective.

Listen to “Dancing Ghosts” from this album.

On “Muzik Fantastique!” The duo went for a more dynamic and melodic approach, Below is the video for the album track “Melancholia”.

“Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether” will be available for the first time on vinyl, and was the second release under the Carter Tutti name. On it, the duo mixed electronic and acoustic elements. Listen to the album track “Feral Vapours” right below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Erasure have announced details of their new release, “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)”, out on Mute on 12 August 2022 on fluorescent green vinyl, CD and digitally. “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” is an album of brand new tracks, each created using elements of “The Neon” universe resulting in a 10-track album.

Origins of this new album

Vince Clarke, finding himself with unscheduled time to spend in the studio, began manipulating files for tracks from “The Neon”, their 2020 album release. Vince explains: “With no agenda in mind, gradually a hidden landscape in the tracks began to emerge – one that revealed a track within a track, another world within ‘The Neon’.”

Clarke explored this further, progressing some of the techniques he was using until the tracks that make up “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” started to fall into place.

Andy Bell then took these tracks into the studio and, working with long-time collaborator Gareth Jones, began work on his parts. The final album bears little resemblance to the original source material – although echoes of “The Neon” can be heard from time to time. As a whole the album is an alternative look at Vince and Andy’s world.

Listen to the first chapter of “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” right below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The American death rock pioneers Christian Death are reissuing one of their most classic releases, the 1985 album “The Wind Kissed Pictures”. There will be 3 formats, a digipak CD, a black vinyl and a dark green vinyl, the latter is limited to 600 copies.

The offering was the first Christian Death release after Rozz Williams left the band and Valor K took over command. It features Valor’s girlfriend Gitane Demone on vocals on 2 tracks and on keyboards on 1 track and even their common child, Sevan Kand, has a vocal appearance on “Ouverture”.

Originally a 4-track mini-album (limited first edition with a bonus-track on a 7″) on the Italian Supporti Fonografici label, this album has seen countless re-releases on different labels: Chameleon (USA 1986), as a 7-track CD in 1988 (Supporto F. + Normal Germany), in the same version on Cleopatra USA (1999) and as a 8-track edition with 1 bonus live-track on Candlelight UK (1999) and on Candlelight US in 2002.

The tracklist of this new 2021 edition is identical to the album that was released via the Contempo Records label in 1990, under the album name “Past, Present and Forever”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo via Trisol) Out on December 21st is the Sopor Aeternus album “Averno / Inferno” consisting of the two title tracks. The two tracks are actually the original demo-recordings of “Dark Delight” and “Penance & Pain” which have been turned into dark ambient tracks for this special album release.

The CD version comes in a limited edition of 1000 handnumbered copies while a special vinyl edition comes limited and hand-numbered to 500 copies.

In further news, you can also expect “The Dead” seven inch to be released in smoke green vinyl. It holds the atmospheric ambient track of the “Island of the Dead” video teaser. The vinyl is limited to 500 copies worldwide.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Bridges were a Norwegian rock band formed in Oslo, Norway in 1978. It is notable for being the predecessor to synth pop band a-ha. The band released their debut album “Fakkeltog” in 1980, but their second album “Våkenatt” which was recorded within the following year, will only get released in full later next month (November 20th) and this after almost 40 years. Good to know, the album holds the early version of the later well known a-ha tracks “Scoundrel Days” and “Soft Rains Of April” as you can hear below.

Bridges included future a-ha members, Magne Furuholmen and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, alongside Viggo Bondi (Bass) and Erik Hagelien (Drums), who was later replaced by Oystein Jevanord on drums. The band was formed during their schooldays in Oslo, Norway and they played gigs across 1978 and 1979. One audience member was the future a-ha lead singer, Morten Harket.

The second Bridges album didn’t get released earlier because band members Waaktaar and Furuholmen planned to continue their musical careers in London after 1981, but Bondi and Jevanord declined, and so bridges split up and Magne Furuholmen and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy would go on to form the synth-pop act a-ha.

As you will notice, the Norwegian psych-rock sound of Bridges is very different to that of a-ha’s electro pop.

“It’s not only an essential part of Norwegian music history, as the missing link between Bridges and a-ha; as I listened to the record, I discovered that it’s a masterpiece which still feels fresh and relevant today,” said rock historian Terje Nilsen at Rockheim in 2018.

“Våkenatt” is available to pre-order now and the first single from the album “Asleep” can be downloaded and streamed below.

Note that “Våkenett” had been pressed up in a small run of vinyl copies in 2018, by Norway’s national museum for pop music, Rockheim Museum, in Trondheim, Norway. 900 copies of the album were produced on green vinyl 180gram vinyl presented in a box.

Side-Line also covered a-ha’s ‘White Xmas Lies’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The cult act Cabaret Voltaire have announced the release of their 1979 soundtrack, “Chance Versus Causality”, which will be available officially for the first time since the film’s release. “Chance Versus Causality” will be out on limited edition transparent green vinyl, CD and digital formats on August 30 via Mute.

On the same day, “1974-76” will get its first vinyl release. The album, originally released on cassette via Industrial Records in 1980, was reissued on CD by The Grey Area of Mute (a division of Mute dedicated to reissues) in 1992 and will be available on limited edition transparent orange double vinyl and digital formats. “1974-76” is a selection of material recorded by Cabaret Voltaire in their formative years. Recorded in Chris Watson’s attic on a domestic reel-to-reel tape recorder, a number of the recordings were included in the now legendary limited edition cassette released by the band in 1976.

The lost “Chance Versus Causality” tapes

“Chance Versus Causality” was recorded in 1979 as the soundtrack for director Babeth Mondini’s film of the same name. The band originally met Mondini at the infamous Brussels Plan K show which saw Joy Division, Cabaret Voltaire and William Burroughs share a bill, and soon after, Mondini asked them to create the soundtrack for her film.

The soundtrack was recorded live by the original Cabaret Voltaire line up – Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson – at the band’s Western Works studio with no prior knowledge of the film or instruction from the director.

Only one copy of the soundtrack existed on 2 reels of tape that were sent to Holland for inclusion in the split-screen 16mm film which was given a limited release and never even seen by the band. Around 15 years ago, the tapes were returned to Cabaret Voltaire and only recently resurfaced during discussions with Mute. The artwork for “Chance Versus Causality” was executed by Richard H. Kirk and Phil Wolstenholme.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Deep Six only released one album, but their “Brave New Waves” session turned out to be legendary. And finally this material gets a well deserved release on smashing green vinyl after all these years.

First some background info on the founders of Deep Six, namely the Braun Brothers. In the early 80s, the Braun Brothers played in Circus Mort with future Swans singer Michael Gira on vocals. Dan Braun laer on became one of the earliest member of Swans. A year later the 2 brothers joined The Del-Byzanteens with Jim Jarmusch and Dan Braun joined a band with the future Madonna (yes THE Madonna), toured and recorded with the late Glenn Branca, and performed with T-Venus (Julia Heyward and Pat Irwin).

In the mid-80s the Braun brothers formed Deep Six, a short-lived garage rock band that produced one album and a 7”. The duo also performed a radio session which ended up on “Brave New Waves”, curated by the team of Heather Wallace, Kevin Komoda, and Brent Bambury. Shortly after the session’s broadcast, Deep Six disbanded.

Out now is the full “Brave New Waves” radio session which the duo recorded in Montreal Canada (at least that is where the band thinks it took place). You can order this 11-track release right here on green vinyl.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Read the review of ‘Let Me In’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Throbbing Gristle and Mute have just announced a series of reissues, set to start on the 40th anniversary of their debut album release, “The Second Annual Report”. “The Second Annual Report” was originally released on November 4, 1977.

On November 3, 2017 “The Second Annual Report” will be reissued as a limited edition white vinyl release in the original packaging and also on double CD. Also out will be “20 Jazz Funk Greats” and that on green vinyl and double CD. Accompanying these releases will be “The Taste Of TG: A Beginner’s Guide to Throbbing Gristle” with an updated track listing that will include “Almost A Kiss” (from 2007’s “Part Two: Endless Not”). This will be the first time “The Taste Of TG” is available on vinyl and will be presented on double red vinyl alongside a CD and digital release. The November’s anniversary releases will be followed by further catalog releases in January and April 2018.

Throbbing Gristle are Chris Carter, Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson (who sadly passed away on November 25, 2010), Cosey Fanni Tutti and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge.

Listen to “United” here which is taken from “The Taste of TG”. It was originally released as a 7” on Industrial Records in 1978.

2017 saw Throbbing Gristle’s catalog available on streaming services for the first time. This was the initial stage of Mute releasing the band’s entire classic catalog physically and digitally. Mute and Throbbing Gristle will continue the reissues series, creating previously unreleased box sets and making available long out-of-print and important pieces of work.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Read the review of ‘Underneath’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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