Anniversary Concert in Amsterdam

SellaBand is both pleased and proud to announce the confirmation of our first Anniversary Party, to be held on Thursday August 16 at Amsterdam’s famous Paradiso. The event will be called SellaBration 07 and is Powered by Heineken.

 


While preparing Concert At Sea and with the fond memories of London Calling still fresh, we managed to find some time to map out the plans for our first anniversary bash. One year SellaBand definitely shouldn’t go unnoticed, that’s for sure. We want the world to know how much we’ve grown, we want the world to know how great the music is you can find on our platform and we want the world to know what a fantastic community we have built in the space of only 12 months.

Legendary venue

So, SellaBration ’07 was the result of a big brainstorm session at SellaBand HQ. We wanted it to be a/ in the Netherlands b/ around the actual birthday of SellaBand and c/ not too far away from the weekend, in case people wanted to plan a nice city trip to our beloved capital. Well, Thursday August 16 it will be and this time at the big room of Amsterdam’s most legendary concert venue, the 1,500 capacity Paradiso.

No competitions

And now it’s time for a big sigh of relief for our Believers: There will be no competition involved in this event. The line-up has already been decided on. Performing for you at Paradiso will be the three acts that will have their SellaBand albums released before August 16: Nemesea (NL), Cubworld (US) and Second Person (UK). All these bands will play full electric performances to present their albums to media and fans alike.

Production feature

Also performing will be (running order tbc), Clémence (F), Lily (USA) and Mandyleigh (AUS). All three female SellaBand stars will get the opportunity to perform their songs with a live band. We’re thinking these performances could work out as a great production feature, so you may expect a few nice surprises from these ladies.

 

Open invitation

All the artists mentioned above have earned their stripes on SellaBand and have either not performed before on a SellaBand stage, or have their albums out by August 16. But, to you and us, SellaBand is also about all those artists who are not there yet, but have been working very hard to reach their goals. Two days after we launched this platform in August 2006, a guy by the name of Daniel Ward-Murphy signed up to SellaBand and we have admired him for his music, his communications skills and persistence from day one.

 

To us Daniel symbolizes what being an artist on SellaBand is all about. He missed out on both the New Year’s Party and London Calling, but this time we want him to be there and PLAY. So, the opening slot for SellaBration ’07 goes to Daniel Ward-Murphy. Mind you, Daniel has yet to respond to our invitation (he’s on holiday right now), but we reckon he’ll be there and will have a blast.

Tickets

There will be 1,500 tickets for SellaBration ’07, 500 of which will be sold to the general public, 500 will be used for media, competitions and sponsors, and 500 free tickets have been reserved for Artists and Believers on SellaBand. Please keep an eye on upcoming editions of the Tribune on how to get your hands on ticket(s) for this event, but for now, please put August 16 in your agenda, as this promises to become our most spectacular event to date!

 

 

Maitreya:

Acting like a real Roadrunner!

We knew he was quick. And ambitious. But this quick? Only weeks after he reached the full $50,000 on SellaBand, he has already commenced pre-recording of his SellaBand album. He will be working with the same team that did such a spectacular job for Cubworld: BKN Music.

 

Maitreya: "I met the BKN Music crew when I recorded 'Wise Words' with Cubworld. We met a few times subsequently to discuss how they would approach my album and I was really impressed by their ideas and understanding of my vision. I will be co-producing the album myself, which is very important for me, BKN agreed and when I heard a pre-release of Cub's album I was convinced and decided to go with them on my album. We're starting pre-production this week and will be recording the album this Summer. If all goes well, the album might be ready by the end of August. I will keep you all posted on the latest developments and please check out www.oneloveandlight.com for all the latest news!

Believer Reviews

Who better to give a personal review of the first SellaBand CDs than some of our more dedicated Believers. So we asked Monsiour John B. Baloumba to write in his own words about Nemesea’s ‘In Control’, and approached Mr. Campuslegend to see if he could put his infatuation with Cubworld’s ‘Step Lightly: Create Out Loud’ into a real album review.

 

Nemesa

In Control

By John B. Baloumba

Well, this is my first time writing a music review! I'm not a music critic nor a specialist! Simple Believer. English is not my mother tongue, and formulating  musical feelings isn't so easy...
Let's Go!
After waiting 7 months to listen to the final work, I was restless. For those who have known Nemesea with their first album Mana, here is a turn in their musical atmosphere and mood. The session for the Believers was fantastic. Seeing the band read messages on a screen, behave and sit in silence and motionless was a great moment of fun and happiness ;-) Motionless, except when Manda was giving kisses through the webcam :-)
Straight to the point, here's my opinion: Manda's voice bewitches you all album long, and you can't stop listening till the end and listening again and again. I can Remember when I first listened to the band and begin to Believe. I now get Lost Inside this charming sound and this female voice will invade your brain as Never, Like the Air in your lungs. I can say that after listening to the entire album @ Home I was No More impatient nor Broken, and if someone is In Control, it's the Sellaband website, filled with the new energy radiating from Nemesea.


John B Baloumba

"No More" gives the entire album - In Control - its taste and flavor. Manda's voice and vocals bewitch all time listening. I love their very modern, rocky and a little electronic sound.
"Lost Inside" is one of my favorites, and should be a single. The first part of the album is easy going and after the duet with Cubworld, exquisite with smoothness and tenderness, you will be surprised with "Lost Inside" and "Remember" giving a new tone, more rocky and punchy. Believe is a great demo of Manda's vocal performances and the Band's music. Love it. Love Nemesea. We Are All Believers, We Are the Record Company…

 

Cubworld

Step Lightly: Create Out Loud

By Campuslegend

If you take a ridiculously gifted Polynesian boy with his love of Coldplay, Dave Mathews and Jack Johnson, give him 50k of believers money to create an album with talented producers from BKN; the result could only be described as cosmic. Step Lightly Create out Loud is a showcase of  Cubworld's talent and a wonderful incite into Jake's world. As you immerse yourself into this emotional journey you realize that "there is so much more here than pain". Rocked Out is a radio friendly hit about breaking up which will have you singing out loud while tapping your feet. For Love leaves you reflecting on this world, the current wars and like most of us, questioning the point of it all. There is so much hope for us in his world, our world, we just to need to love more and fight less. Wise words I hear you say. This collaboration with fellow 50k artist Maitreya will have you skanking to its ska riffs. Maitreya laid his lyrics down with his usual silky delivery. Lights Fade has always been a favourite. It was the song that brought me back to SAB everyday and finally convinced me to believe. Some of the raw emotions in Jake's voice has been lost but cleverly replaced with multiple layers of Coldplayesque soaring melodies.  Lights Fade will always be a beautiful song. 


Campuslegend 

Start Over is the handy work of the BKN boys. It takes you on an unexpected yet interesting detour on this journey. Unexpected journeys are part of life. This is Life, the gem on the album.  You sit reflecting on sad, happy moments and hopefully in the end you might agree it has made you who you are. Cubworld takes us on a magical journey with My World, influenced by Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek you could easily close your eyes and be teleported to the beaches of Hawaii. With Step Lightly, Create out Loud on full blast, Jake, You Make Me Feel, like I care.

 


The SellaBand Store

All your questions answered…

… And then some. It is impossible to answer all questions in detail, but judging by the e-mails you have sent us and the discussions on the Forum, we think the article below covers the most important issues that needed to be addressed after the launch of You Are The Record Company. And remember, the newly launched Store is also still ‘Work in Progress’…

 

Will I be able to see how my sales are going?

Of course you will! We will be adding this information on your overview page. This means that you will be able to see what you are making from CDs, Downloads and Limited Editions as it happens. The advertising income will be added somewhat differently. See the next question to find out how.

SellaBand shares all advertising income equally between Recording Artists, Believers and their selves. When do I get my cut?

Each time we sell an advertising campaign on SellaBand we have to go through a process before we get the actual money on our account. We need to schedule the campaign, run it and then get paid. It usually takes about 3 months after closing the campaign before we get our money. Unlike the music sales on SellaBand we can’t show you what we are making of advertising on a perpetual basis. This means we have to calculate it each month and transfer the money to the balances of the artists and Believers who have earned the money. Once this is done, you will see the increase on your Balance.

How do I get my money?

Your money will be transferred to your balance. You can use this money to buy products in the store, buy more Parts or you can press a new shiny black “Pay out” button on your overview. Your money will then be transferred to your bank account minus a small transaction fee. The pay out button will be launched somewhere mid august.

I’m both selling and keeping a number of my Limited Editions. Which Limited Editions will you be sending to my home address and which ones will you be selling? 

Let’s use an example to explain how we will be processing this. Let’s say you bought the first two parts of a recording artist. You want to sell one limited edition. The other one you want us to send to your home address. Which one will we be sending and which one will we be selling?  You bought the first part, so we will send the very first limited edition labelled Nr.1 to your home address. You also bought the second part, so this will be the first limited edition that is sold. It doesn’t matter who sells it from what page. The revenues from this first sale will be allocated to your balance. This way you, being the first believer, are rewarded for being the first to put your money where your mouth is.

This week Pim will start a thread on the Forum, “Ask me anything you want about the SellaBand store”. He will be answering all your questions and discuss potential improvements with you. He has the habit of talking too much and playing horrible music in the office, so please keep him busy this week so we can finally get some work done here.

 

Q + A

Outrance

It may come as no surprise that the SellaBand team have their favorite artists, too. Your Tribune editor has been impressed with the voice and songwriting skills of singer/songwriter Outrance. And he also deserves our compliments for his persistence, because although progress is slow, the creative juices never stop flowing. So we want to honour  him with a big feature in this Tribune: An interview with one of New Zealand’s finest sons, Outrance.

 

Who is Outrance?

“I write, produce, perform, mix, master etc etc all of my own music. ‘Outrance’ is the name I use for my music creations.  The word outrance is a French word which basically means ‘to the bitter end/fight to the death’.  I’ve been writing music for about 14 years now (I’m 26) and playing the guitar since I was about 14, but it wasn’t until I was about 21 that I decided to pour my heart and soul (and money) into it.  I had my 2 guitars, a mic and a computer and that’s where the story began.  Obviously there have been a lot of upgrades and improvements since then but the idea has remained the same.”

What made you join SellaBand?

“It was actually through someone I knew on Myspace. I saw the old “**Insert name here** and Friends Make Music Together” SellaBand ad (which I now of course have on my own Myspace page). I liked the idea of people investing actual hard earned dollars into artists rather than the more classic “Yes/No” vote that other sites promote.  For me it shows a lot more desire and commitment to an artist when you supply them with something you have worked hard for rather than a simple click of your mouse.”

 

You've been with us for quite some time. Did it take you a while to find your own way in our community?

Yes it did.  I don’t spend as much of my time on the internet as it seems a lot of other people on SellaBand do, and I think this is something that has worked against me. I began with the mentality that if people like your music they will invest parts. This is simply not true. There is a large degree of promotion whether it is through personal social interaction or participating vocally in the SellaBand community. One of my main philosophies with music is that it should speak for itself and not require additional “tools” to enhance it in anyway; this is perhaps one of my own shortcomings on SellaBand.”

How difficult is it to get noticed among 4,000 bands?

“I think as time goes by it is becoming more and more difficult to “rise up” from the first few parts.  I’ve noticed a lot of bands start out and immediately invest in themselves or have friends and family invest.  I think for a lot of people it is more important that those first few parts are bought by more recognized or more active people in the community. Simply coming along and investing 50 parts in yourself does very little in my mind. Staying active and participating amongst the community will always play a big part in getting noticed.”

Progress can be slow on SellaBand. How do you keep the faith?

“Progress can be especially slow on SellaBand.  Having been diagnosed with a mental illness nearly 3 years ago, it is sometimes very hard for me to even concentrate on writing music, let alone getting it out to an audience. I have some great Believers that have been with me for some time now and I also have some very positive people here on SellaBand that encourage me to keep doing what I’m doing.  It is the support from these people that keep me going.  And as the name “Outrance” implies, this will be a fight to the bitter end, no matter what the speed.”

What are your ambitions?

“Not to sound like a typical musician trying to suck in a few extra people, but there is nothing I aspire to more than succeeding in music.  And just so you know this is the truth, I can also say there are many days when I wish music had nothing to do with my life. It can be hard, but being truly ambitious about something always is. I’ve recently started photography just to pry me slightly away from music, at least for a short time. I read a quote the other day saying “There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness”. I can safely say I have crossed that line.  But most days that is fine with me.”

 

Any other SellaBands you particularly like?

“I have a Believer page over at http://www.sellaband.com/believer/ant/ so that should give you some idea of who I am interested in.  As he comes from down under here in New Zealand, and also represents the international hip hop scene, which sadly isn’t a New Zealand forte, Maitreya has been a huge inspiration and an artist who has taken advantage of the SellaBand phenomenon. Seeing him reach the 50k was a great moment. I’m currently working together with the lovely Tan, AKA Wildcat from Germany and it has to be noted I think she has an amazing voice.  We will have a song coming out in the near future.”

Why should people Believe in Outrance?

“In the simple meaning of the act of buying a Part in Outrance, people should be looking forward to an album, recorded in a professional studio, that they can be proud of and say ‘I played a part in that’. If you like the music and think Outrance deserves a shot, take a moment to think. You and only you are able to make this dream come true, so if I am able to give you music that changes your mood, brightens your day or enhances some aspect of your life, then your small contribution could possibly give that same chance to many more people.”