IDM Mailing Archive

Profit-minded mentalities are compromising the music: It has come to my attention that Watts, the US's largest importer of dance/electronic records and CDs, has been refusing to carrying alot of solid local and foreign labels.. Most shops we deal with rely solely on Watts for their product, whether they admit it or not.. This dynamic leaves people like us unable to avoid paying silly shipping costs (mail order), IF we find the release at all.. At this time, there are at least three notable, non-Watts affiliated distributors in the US..Off hand, I would mention 7th City (Dan Bell), Submerge, and Nemisis.. I encourage you to make a visit to your local record shop and see if you can convince the owner/orderer to at least investigate these alternatives.. I am sick of finding out that my favorite new labels are struggling because they can't get decent distribution.. I know that this level of business seems distant and unrelated to your everyday purchases, but the quality of the music you have at your disposal is being compromised by some pretty stubborn and misdirected people.. The effort is minimal, the result maximal.. .., ........, .........., .........., ........, .., B.U.a.R.P.

quoted 9 lines Profit-minded mentalities are compromising the music:

> > Profit-minded mentalities are compromising the music: > > It has come to my attention that Watts, the US's largest importer > of dance/electronic records and CDs, has been refusing to carrying alot of solid > local and foreign labels.. Most shops we deal with rely solely on Watts for > their product, whether they admit it or not.. This dynamic leaves people > like us unable to avoid paying silly shipping costs (mail order), IF we > find the release at all..

Why not ask you local retailers to pressure Watts into carrying them. I spend $600+/week with Watts, and I'm sure other retailers spend a heckuva lot more, so input from us, the retailers, might be considered if they want to keep selling to us. Send the list a list of the specific labels you're referring to. Dave

Hodge moves up in the conventional wisdom watch! Nice one Jamie.

quoted 1 line Profit-minded mentalities are compromising the music:

> Profit-minded mentalities are compromising the music:

...

quoted 2 lines At this time, there are at least three notable, non-Watts

> At this time, there are at least three notable, non-Watts > affiliated distributors in the US..

Is now a good time to start up a FAQ file on 12" and CD production and distribution? Start to finish. (MP) is tip toeing around the issue right now, but we are still waiting for the big bang. What *IS* the mystery of distribution? Teep making revisions and building additions H O T T M I X 1995 11 / 1 1 @ 1 1 90.3fm http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena/user/a/r/aran/www/HM95.html

Attn Jamie et al: Regarding the boycott of Watts Music: What labels are you referring to that are not carried by Watts Music? And what is good a distributor that would have the goods in the US (imports and domestics) . I know Edie (sp?) and Silent are out of the question when it comes to large and varied selection of techno, is there any others that are worth checking out? As far as having selection for both imports and domestics Watts music can not be beat, as far as I know, if they can please inform me. Sorry if I missed out on anything that was touched on earlier I deleted Jamie's message by accident. Derek 0--\___/--\___/---0 moses@teleport.com 0--\_______/--------0

Sometimes they can't carry certain labels because somebody else may have an exlcusive distribution deal i.e. Nemesis may have the hook up on a certain label, wheras WATTS has the edge on another and Seventh City gets First dibs on some other Label. I don't think it is as evil as you think. WATTS isn't allowed to import the latest Nightmares on Wax LP because if they do, they will get sued by TVT here in the states 'cause they plan on releasing the damn thing probably six months later after the initial UK release. That is bullshit. I want those tracks now too! Benny Blanco

On Tue, 7 Nov 1995 Bennywah@aol.com wrote:

quoted 4 lines WATTS isn't allowed to import the latest Nightmares on Wax LP because if they

> WATTS isn't allowed to import the latest Nightmares on Wax LP because if they > do, they will get sued by TVT here in the states 'cause they plan on > releasing the damn thing probably six months later after the initial UK > release. That is bullshit. I want those tracks now too!

I think Pulsonic (Silent's distribution arm) is carrying this. They are very cool to deal with too. They've been very supportive of mail order, and while they don't get the shit quite as fast as WATTS on everything, they usually have a good backstock and are much more dedicated to carrying idm and ambient than WATTS (which always has at least 3 pages of Italian "newies"...yecchh). They also have been carrying quite a bit of trip hop and *good* drum and bass lately, on their last fax I saw a shitload of stuff from Cup of Tea, Wall of Sound, Metalheadz, Photek, Ninja Tune, Mo' Wax, etc. -- wallace winfrey wally@nicar.org "sometimes we live no particular way but our own" *robert hunter*

quoted 6 lines On Tue, 7 Nov 1995 Bennywah@aol.com wrote:

>On Tue, 7 Nov 1995 Bennywah@aol.com wrote: > >> WATTS isn't allowed to import the latest Nightmares on Wax LP because if they >> do, they will get sued by TVT here in the states 'cause they plan on >> releasing the damn thing probably six months later after the initial UK >> release. That is bullshit. I want those tracks now too!

what are you talking about? watts had it. i'm pretty sure that was where i got mine. the tvt release has been out for a few weeks too. actually they ended up only being 2-3 weeks behind the warp release. i do remember this happening w/ the first autechre album too. i was up in berkeley and saw the silver vinyl for sale but figured i'd be able to egt it through the store i work at for less only to be told by my sales rep that they weren't allowed to carry it. they eventually did carry it, but i do think people like silent had that one all along. in those instances distributors are dealing direct with the label, not with a foreign distributor who'll usually be banned form exporting items like warp/tvt releases. if you deal direct with the label it is easier to bypass the export bans.those smaller labels sure aren't going to say no to someone who is offering to buy your product. someone please correct me if i'm wrong, but it is actually technically illegal to carry the import copies in the states, especially if there is a domestic version. i forget the correct record company term"(parallel importing" or something to that extent. i think most record companies turn a blind eye to it. it is intersting though to see how people will still buy the import copies if the domestic is already available. i'm talking about groups like oasis, erasure, madonna, smiths, etc... even when the packaging,tracklisting is the same; just a different label... sorry to drag this out and hopefully this will clear things up a bit to kill this thread. obidm content follows: anyone have any opinions on the new mille plateaux comp-electric ladyland ? has anyone heard the air liquide-black cd on smile? is the microstoria release on mille plateaux available on vinyl? david *+* on now-electric ladyland comp.