Drakkar label report in Metallian

Hey,

First of all, I'll introduce myself briefly as I've not been a big poster around here even though I follow the board regularly since a while.
I'm a French dude exiled to Scandinavia since a couple of years. I spent some time in Finland & Sweden and nowadays I live in Denmark.

I received the latest Metallian the other day and been reading the Drakkar label report which was quite interesting. Been wondering about some things though.

In recent (Celestia) interview, Noktu, you mentionned the following "Les magazines de metal nationaux ne sont pas intéressants, ils reflètent une scène corrompue et vulgaire.", which for the non-french readers means "The national metal magazines are not interesting, they are a mirror of the corrupted and vulgar [Black Metal?] scene".
So first point, I wonder why answering interviews and advertising in such magazines ?

In the label report, you condamn the "[...]mass distribution[...]" and the "[...]bar codes and other technics[...]".
Could you define these a bit more precisely ?
Working myself in a Metal shop I know you're at least being distributed by Twilight Vertrieb and Sound Pollution (from whom we buy) who place your albums in chain stores (mass distribution ?) and therefore request releases with bar codes (example here : http://www.twilight-distribution.com/index.php?cat=item&id=2657 or here http://www.spdist.se/news/nyhetsblad_vecka_11.pdf page 6) cause few indie shops likes the one I work for, need those.

Just trying to understand your point.
If you could shed some light here, could be an interesting talk.

In recent (Celestia) interview, Noktu, you mentionned the following "Les magazines de metal nationaux ne sont pas intéressants, ils reflètent une scène corrompue et vulgaire.", which for the non-french readers means "The national metal magazines are not interesting, they are a mirror of the corrupted and vulgar [Black Metal?] scene".
So first point, I wonder why answering interviews and advertising in such magazines ?





=== Because I believe my interviews are interesting. I consider the metal press as mediocre, that's a sad reality. So, it's not because these magazines are usually not interesting that I will refuse all interviews I'll get. After all, we are a label and we need to expose our own point of views. May it displease many people, we are ok with that.





In the label report, you condamn the "[...]mass distribution[...]" and the "[...]bar codes and other technics[...]".
Could you define these a bit more precisely ?




=== We do adverts who are differents that what you usually can see in these magazines. We do not try to sell. We just want to say, we have this out now. Our ads are informative and for people able to understand them. Many french metalheads do not even speak english, so, I do believe our adverts are elitists for people who care about us. The rest can stay away.

Yes, we condamn mass distribution because our consideration for our artists is valuable. We do not sign bands that can garantee a minimum amount of sales, this is for majors who do not want to take any risks with their marketing techniques.

We also respect the ideas of all our artists. We have been kicked out Terrorizer mag(uk) because our label is supposed "racist". We do not sign politically correct bands because the actual europeean political system is not correct.
We do not sign "musically correct" band. We do not follow trendy tendencies like most labels are doing. We try to go on the opposed direction of any trend following our instincts and our musical tastes.

I can admit that Drakkar Productions is not a normal label. We are a kind of resistance fighting against a supposed extreme metal scene who have lost it own identity.
Extreme metal scene is no more extreme. That's a fact.

We refuse bar codes because we can sell our products without that jewish mark. A Drakkar Productions release cannot be considered as a vulgar product with an expiration date. And thanks to that, we are sure that we will NEVER be distributed by major distributors. This is simply impossible.

Twilight and Sound P are not big distributors I think. Considering the amount of releases they are ordering, this cannot be considered as major distribution at all. Even if they maybe try to work on a professional basis. But we works like professionals too.

Drakkar Productions is like independant cinema industry. We value quality and freedom of speech while Hollywood movies are formated to please the maximum of lobotomised zombies.

The message is clear now ?

Noktu wrote:

=== Because I believe my interviews are interesting. I consider the metal press as mediocre, that's a sad reality. So, it's not because these magazines are usually not interesting that I will refuse all interviews I'll get. After all, we are a label and we need to expose our own point of views. May it displease many people, we are ok with that.

Fair enough indeed.

Noktu wrote:

=== We do adverts who are differents that what you usually can see in these magazines. We do not try to sell. We just want to say, we have this out now. Our ads are informative and for people able to understand them. Many french metalheads do not even speak english, so, I do believe our adverts are elitists for people who care about us. The rest can stay away.

Oh I see. There is the "good advert" and "good advert" like there is the "good Hard Rock" and the "good Hard Rock" heh
Well for me an advert is an advert... a tool to reach a wider audience.

Noktu wrote:

We refuse bar codes because we can sell our products without that jewish mark. A Drakkar Productions release cannot be considered as a vulgar product with an expiration date. And thanks to that, we are sure that we will NEVER be distributed by major distributors. This is simply impossible.

Yet your albums do have bar codes. That's what I don't understand.
Whether you use a sticker or you put it directly on the artwork of the album, you need a bar code to be distributed via Twilight our Sound Pollution (for example). So you refuse them but you still use them ?

Noktu wrote:

Twilight and Sound P are not big distributors I think. Considering the amount of releases they are ordering, this cannot be considered as major distribution at all. Even if they maybe try to work on a professional basis. But we works like professionals too.

What do you consider as 'major' distribution then ? I mean when it comes to UG Black Metal.

If the bar code is on a sticker on the cello around the CD, it may be not Drakkar who stuck it, but the distributor.

Oh I see. There is the "good advert" and "good advert" like there is the "good Hard Rock" and the "good Hard Rock" heh
Well for me an advert is an advert... a tool to reach a wider audience.






[b][i]Anyway doing a label and printing cd's means that the music is supposed to be for a wider audience. What's the point printing a cd and not distributing it ? Our bands wants to have their albums spreaded. We are printing cds in order to sell them. Otherwise, we will not print them. Simple as that. After, if people thinks that Drakkar is "betraying" the scene, that's their problems. What's count the most is that our artists are really pleased and satisfied by what we are doing for them. Period.









And our albums doesn't have bar codes, if they have, it's because some distributors put some on them. It's their problem. We don't need jewish marks to sell our releases.
Drakkar Productions releases will never have bar codes printed on the releases itselves.

Noktu wrote:

Anyway doing a label and printing cd's means that the music is supposed to be for a wider audience. What's the point printing a cd and not distributing it ? Our bands wants to have their albums spreaded. We are printing cds in order to sell them. Otherwise, we will not print them. Simple as that. After, if people thinks that Drakkar is "betraying" the scene, that's their problems. What's count the most is that our artists are really pleased and satisfied by what we are doing for them. Period.

Never said you're "betraying" anything. I'm not against good distribution at all.
I just thought there was kind of difference between what you preach and what you really do. No offense though, I truly respect your work.

Noktu wrote:

And our albums doesn't have bar codes, if they have, it's because some distributors put some on them. It's their problem. We don't need jewish marks to sell our releases.
Drakkar Productions releases will never have bar codes printed on the releases itselves.

Ok ok !
I don't give a shit about bar codes myself. Even more when they are just stickers over the cellophane. Don't see what's so "jewish" about it but whatever hehe

Quote :

If the bar code is on a sticker on the cello around the CD, it may be not Drakkar who stuck it, but the distributor.

You're absolutely right. I confirm it because last week end, I went to a Gibert store and I saw several Drakkar releases which had stickers on the cello put by Twilight.

This thing of big chainstores using foreign distributors to get records released by French labels is funny IMO. I remember these "import" stickers on Adipocere records at the fnac chainstore shops...Of course these CDs were sold for 20€ or more when the label sold them for 12-13€.

Only Osmose seems to be distributed by French distributors.

Mr Nuke wrote:

Only Osmose seems to be distributed by French distributors.

Horse shit.

Explain yourself please...

Mr Nuke wrote:

Explain yourself please...

First label name which comes to mind is Aura Mystique. They are distributed by French distributors. There are others.

OK. I just needed information. I remember now that Aura Mystique are distributed by Season of Mist, is this exact?

Mr Nuke wrote:

OK. I just needed information. I remember now that Aura Mystique are distributed by Season of Mist, is this exact?

That's right indeed.

about "barcode = jewish stuff" talk:

1) osmose put barcodes on its releases;
2) noktu supports osmose;
3) does noktu support a jewish label?