A Doorway Open Wide...

[gr8gonzo]

Brilliant! I think some of us already had the impression Frost* was heading in this direction some time ago, I know I did.

It makes perfect sense to record and release individual tracks or small clusters of shorter tracks. The GP (Godfrey Play), longer than a single release, but shorter than an EP. TDL was also a perfect illustration of mixing personnel - the usual suspects and hired guns. Jem is like the quarterback of Frost*. He should have an array of players on his team. Wow, that was the lamest analogy possible.  :oops:

Is the future collaboration with Nick to be part of a Frost* project, or separate?

[gav]

I still think it would be cool to have a compilation of Jem's releases over a certain amount of time, or whenever an albums worth of material has been created

[Pajter]

Great news!

I compare it to what game developers start doing now, with episodic content. Smaller chunks of content, delivered faster. I like it. It's basically what I've always been doing with one project of mine. It is way more fun than taking on a whole album.

But, you'll need the facilities to do that as well. I'm going to record with my band next week, and we'll be recording a few songs, because we paid for one day in the studio, and we want to make the most of it. If I could record all my stuff for free, I would do it song by song as well. :p

But for Frost*, I love the fact that I can listen to a new track every few months, instead of a dozen every 2-3 years.

[Jem]

Is the future collaboration with Nick to be part of a Frost* project, or separate?

I dunno. Maybe. Hopefully.  

[ChrisX]

Posted this as a comment on Jem's blog entry but might as well post it here:

1) Love your comments on connecting because that is precisely why I keep coming back to this page and have you subscribed on Youtube. I love the fact that you document your 'journeys' and that these documents are also incredibly fun to read and watch. And when the music that comes out of the whole process is so stellar that makes it even a bigger thing for me.

2) I can understand the whole one-track-at-a-time idea and the method of delivery that you propose for these. However, I think the whole idea of having to pay a certain amount to own a file that contains music just seems preposterous to me. Yes, I am a child from the CD age and love to have a physical product in my hand which then gives me the opportunity to choose my preferred method of playback. With a computer file you always have to do some kind of backup thing to make sure you don't somehow lose. My cd's however are securely stored (and I rarely lend people music from my collection so it stays in good condition also) and I can play them at any point in time. But I am not a complete ludite when it comes to the digital age. I use my iPhone cum iPod on an almost daily basis and regularly put new music on it but I hate it when the only option I got is to download. So yes, I really do hope (like you said) that there will be physical product in the future containing the music you produce. When it is of the stellar quality that you seem to offer to us I don't mind to pay a little extra for that.

[DannySoisSage]

Like I said in the other thread, good times =D does anything involving Jem really have to be out of the Frost* bracket? I'd pay for anything he feels is good enough to be called Frost* frankly.

As for the music idea, I chuffing love it. Few thoughts though. Would you offer a subscription service? Could I pay twenty or thirty quid to have a years worth of Frost* material? Or would you rather be totally kind of obligation-free and just issue it as it comes to you? Also would you be comfortable with the idea of releasing it all on CD at the end, knowing that we've all been buying it all along; do you feel like it pressurises you to make the CD 'extra' special or do you kind of treat it as a 'here's a cd, its got nothing extra on it for those of you who've been buying all along but for the rest of you and those who want something to hold, here you go'?

I really love the idea and can't wait to embrace it fully =)

[Jem]

There'll definitely be a physical product you can buy either in the form of a CD with the new track(s) on it (probably a limited CD-R run of them to start with just so I can guage demand) and then once there's 70-ish minutes of stuff, an proper CD. Bear in mind that will probably be in a year from now for "the album", maybe slightly more.

A subscription might be one way to do it. It's a 2 way street this whole thing anyway so I totally welcome suggestions and ideas as to what you'd want (within reason! :lol: ).

[Mooncat]

The subscription thing is something I've done in the past with other artists, although I would venture to suggest much of that material was already recorded and sitting in 'the archives' rather than unwritten.
My only concern with a subscription would be the demand it would then place on Jem and the guys if they were almost 'contracted' to provide a new track every couple of months - would this work with everyone's other commitments ?
I read somewhere recently that the internet age was leading music back to being the culmination of a creative process rather than a commodity, and the resulting product was more often than not better for it - no more album fillers because the record company demand 10/12 tracks. I think this will be the case with Frost* but would suggest rather a £/per month subscription we could perhaps pay a 'retainer' for priority access to the digital product, which would then be paid for upon release.
So say £5 to join the priority list (for which we'd also need a suitably oddball name!!!) and then £1/£2 per track upon release( maybe get 24 hours advance on a general download going on sale???). Maybe also offer list members a small discount on the eventual CD as a loyalty thank you. :?

Not sure how people would feel about this but to my mind it seems a fair way of balancing our desire for new music, against Jem and the boys ability and availability to produce something worthy of the Frost* name without too much pressure to deliver.

[Mouse]

All change! It'll be very interesting to see how the Frost* business model changes and develops, and I'll be here/there/everywhere to support it 100%.  8-)

[Big Black Shed]

Personally I love the idea of being drip fed Frost*, on an as-and-when-it's-ready type model. And I'll pay a premium for that content. FLAC or ALAC is the preferred format, or both. A physical CD, as the last couple of EPs, is even better. I like the physical-in-my-hand thing. (Ooo Err, Frankie Howerd moment)

An "album" when there's enough for an album just rounds things off nicely. "Here is Frost* Part 3 or 7 or whatever"

I'm not overly keen on a subscription service. That just seems to add to the pressure to put something out. And the danger of that is the quality dropping off. (It wouldn't, this is Frost*, remember ;-))

The ludites might shout "But where is the concept / album 'story' / cohesiveness of an 'album'?? If you can't say all you've got to say in 16 mins, TDL, or 26 mins, Milliontown,  I personally think you've taken a wrong turn in Prog-ville, and are heading up Prog-snob Street ;-)

So, no pressure, but when is the next "single" out?? C'mon, chop-chop, pull your finger out.........  

[Phrog]

Excellent news! But then, I've always been an impatient bugger...  

[Phrog]

And no sooner do you post this, do people on other boards (that shall remain nameless) start posting threads entitled "NEW FROST ALBUM SOON!!!!!!"

[Mordwin]

I'm not sure that a subscription needs be tied to a time-frame... it could just cover a certain number of tracks, or a certain length (eg 60 minutes worth), or... pay say £10 or whatever, and get access to each track as it's ready and get a discount on a physical CD at the end of the journey?

I'm sure there will be as many new models for doing this music thing going forward as there are bands... take your pick... I'm sure we'll still gladly pay, however you end up doing it

[rogerg]

And no sooner do you post this, do people on other boards (that shall remain nameless) start posting threads entitled "NEW FROST ALBUM SOON!!!!!!"

some people are just stupid.

[Jem]

And no sooner do you post this, do people on other boards (that shall remain nameless) start posting threads entitled "NEW FROST ALBUM SOON!!!!!!"

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

It'll be a very short album...