Forum - View topicNEWS: X Japan Signs With EMI Music North America
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Tomibiki
 Posts: 834 |
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given the current state of American metal (if you could even call it that...god I hate this country's music scene sometimes), they might actually get some numbers here...numbers previously untapped that is.
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inu-liger
Posts: 67 |
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Interesting. EMI seems to be signing quite a few international artists as of lately (including Utada Hikaru, X Japan...), which I find peculiar considering the financial trouble they've been having in the last 3-4 years, which has been leading to a good number of their major roster deserting the label lately, Queen being the latest.
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j Talbain
 Posts: 279 Location: Toronto, Ontario |
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Great news! I think it's great EMI is expanding their portfolio.
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Metanomaly
Posts: 107 |
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No info on what channel the Yoshiki Show run on Sirius/XM?
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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Because it makes perfect sense for X Japan to earn $0.10 from EMI for every digital download rather than $0.75 had they worked with iTunes, Amazon, and Walmart directly.
And that's just in the United States. This makes about as much sense as a beating a gift horse in the mouth. |
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Metanomaly
Posts: 107 |
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Well, it's a little more complex than that, usually. Assuming $0.75 per song download only works if you spend no money on promotion, marketing, or anything. That is to say, you can maximize your return from iTunes by not letting anyone new (who didn't already know about you) know that you're on iTunes (et al). If you want someone who already has promotion and marketing expertise in a particular national market, they're gonna want a cut, too (and rightfully so). In short, it's much more complex than just making some mp3's and tossing them on an online music service if you don't want the project to flop and/or want to actually gain new fans, not just service existing ones. |
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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Sorry, but my experience and the experiences of others say this is complete oatmeal. X Japan is already marketed, otherwise EMI wouldn't have made the deal (the coattails are perfect in length). What's going to be more beneficial to X Japan: -Work out the deal with the Big 3 and serve the fans already out there and can spread word of mouth, leading to the $0.75. -OR- -Waiting for EMI, who just wants control of the market, to make these deals with the Big 3, asking too much up front to allow X Japan less than $0.10 a song download because EMI charges them a "file conversion" fee? I can speculate the reasons for this decision, but I won't. It's just too stupid and now EMI owns the rights which will screw them over because of it. C'est la vie. |
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Metanomaly
Posts: 107 |
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Marketed in Japan. No one outside of a very small subculture knows who they are in the US. And I can bet you dollars to donuts that the reason Yoshiki is going to be on Sirius/XM is because of a cross-promotional project that EMI brokered. No way they were getting that without a major partner in region 1 (because Sirius/XM only officially serves the continental US). This is X Japan looking at the big picture. |
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shoddyworksucks
 Posts: 21 Location: San Diego, CA |
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Actually, the metal scene is pretty healthy. The so-called underground metal scene has been growing in strength over the last decade or so, and when you factor in European metal bands that have a strong following in the States, it's not quite a barren wasteland. That said, American fans are usually welcoming of foreign bands (at least compared to pop music), but it's typically open to foreign bands that sing in English. The problem with X in the States is that they are typical of '80's metal, especially when you consider the number of ballads they penned. The era of the ballad in metal has been more or less dead for twenty years. While I am a huge fan of X-Japan, and have been so for a long time, I don't think their brand of metal will make much of an impact State-side. Most Japanese metal bands (or any other, for that matter) seem to have to fit into one of two molds: critically acclaimed (Guitar Wolf, King Brothers, Boris, etc.) or niche-audience appeal (Dir en Grey, Shonen Knife). Boris had a good turnout when I saw them a few months back; it actually filled up the club, in fact. Dir en Grey had the BEST turnout for any Japanese band I've ever seen (outside of a Con) when I saw them in Hollywood a few years back. Boris made waves at South by Southwest and got some positive press in indie publications. Dir en Grey appealed to goth/industrialists (the crowd at the show was almost exclusively in these camps) who live in a small scene and are willing to celebrate a band who doesn't sing in English (at least most of the time). This niche appeal would also figure in to the appearance of Dir en Grey merch at stores like Hot Topic. While I hope X-Japan will be able to expand its appeal beyond its already established U.S. fan-base, I feel that it has come too late. The era when they might have been a success in the U.S. has past, and this recent signing will just be a boon for established fans such as ourselves. |
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Metanomaly
Posts: 107 |
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Well, and you're mostly right about this. The sort of late 1980's/early1990's rock they do appeals to *me*, but I like that sort of thing. I doubt that they will have any ability to nix the current "angry/disappointed white guys who constantly sound constipated while singing over their band that is downtuned a silly 2 1/2 steps" sort of pop metal that is en vogue in the US these days, but one can dream 
However, it has been said that now, more than ever, it's possible to pull revenue from niche markets. It will be interesting to see how they do. |
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zanth
Posts: 14 Location: Somewhere over there. |
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Am I the only one who remembers that they released a single in the US afew years ago called I.V. that was in Saw IV and Rock Band 2?
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Covnam
 Posts: 3644 |
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Do they have any english songs? While I'd be happy to hear it, I can't imagine hearing a japanese rock song on my local rock radio station. At least during any time anyone would be listening.
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crunchycat
I do Marketing for Anime Companies
Posts: 138 |
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I Believe that is all being worked on right now, they do have some "Engrish" songs but seems they will be focusing on more with their new CD and songs going forward. I believe as big as their fanbase is, it could be much bigger fans of Japanese music know about them as well as word of mouth, but it can grow so by getting more media attention and X Japan out there in the middle of the US where they aren't as famous. |
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