“Looking back in retrospect to a time where it was hard to be seen or discovered, we have a lot that we have accomplished as artists. But now music is being discovered, and the system by which its being found, allows artists to take charge in where their music goes. without labels and without the middleman. We’ve come a long way as musicians and composers in the independent world. Instead of using our platform as a way to force the industry, we’ve become a part of the music scene itself, a part of music history. #WEATNU is at the sunset of its former days, as ideals and motivations change, and this idea we have has helped the many.“
An artist dreams of being heard, at least for the mere sake that you “climbed that mountain” and it feels good to accomplish a goal. To make a notch in the music scene with others, to make a change to help the niche artist and their fans. After 8 years We are the New Underground has been doing the same thing, but we are looking at the sunset of those 8 years and looking forward to the sunrise of the next era in a future not yet known.
What worked then, no longer works now, what was needed then is no longer needed. If the artist now has complete control over their music, their entire catalog and their fan base (which they should) then what about labels and free communities that help artists? Those places are still just as relevant, as they allow the artist to seek out new listeners and fans. Not just radio and streaming, or even Bandcamp but the indie label itself still matters. The artist may feel proud that they climbed to the top on their own, but none of us really make it there by ourselves.
Our efforts are not alone, as #WEATNU has loyal followers, some seen and some unseen, who help the new artist while they themselves benefit from the scene itself. The element to making music is greater than the career that comes from it. Art and music are the beating heart of what it means to be human, and the greater care taken to ensure that survives is above all. WEATNU isn’t a label, it’s a movement, of musicians, artists, poets and dreamers, all of which long for others to simply enjoy the work they have left behind.
We can’t all be David Bowie but there are others who are just as talented yet unseen, even underappreciated. This article should go to the labels, their indie artists and the fans that keep them going.
Most of us don’t make a dime from our work, but at the end of the day, that music you create is being heard by someone. Those people who take the time and put together large radio shows, for the artist, without payment, for the mere pleasure of getting the music heard, we salute you here at #WEATNU.
We’re all working together in some way to strike the balance for the artist. And there will always be artists who think they can do it all on their own, but adding their work to other places actually brings them newer connections and helps build a foundation, and new friends. No artist ever made it to the top alone, someone somewhere helped them see the peak that was hiding over the next cliff side. WEATNU continues to move with the DIY scene, and that means we move with your music.
‘In a music scene that is nearly impossible to be heard, yet alone be noticed, #WEATNU has been fighting for experimental music since the summer of 2014. Starting by forming the group We the New Underground, on Soundcloud that summer, but that was just the beginning of an idea that became a movement and finally a label that artists could stand behind‘
In this world we have formed, the musician is appreciated, not underrated. It is a city all its own, a hub for artists who long to be found, found by anyone they can. The seeker who wishes for something more than top 40 finds it here. Along with the many artists who release to us, with other sub-labels connected, forming a network, a machine for the avant-garde, a world that is so well hidden, few know about it, yet alone care to seek it out, but it’s there, and it’s been building for these 8 years. That machine is a self-running creation, that is helping the indie artist.
In a digital realm that is vast, a small drop of water that is made creates quiet ripples across the digital ocean. The original logo becomes those quiet ripples moving across the music scene.
The mainstream is this imaginary wall that we all fighting. #WEATNU didn’t climb that wall, we tunneled under it, forming our own underground. Using the internet as that underground, an underground that long existed, before this movement was made, even before the internet itself was conceived.
The mainstream is this imaginary wall that we all fighting. #WEATNU didn’t climb that wall, we tunneled under it, forming our own underground. Using the internet as that underground, an underground that long existed, before this movement was made, even before the internet itself was conceived.
We are the New Underground –
The Underground scene
The underground has always been the hidden driving force behind the music. When mainstream was releasing Disco in the 70’s, people in their own world were creating punk and later Joy Division starting the post-punk movement. Then the 80’s, while New wave was jamming and pop radio was pushing synth-pop. Industrial began to surface with groups like Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, Skinny Puppy, NIN, Ministry and Severed Heads then from Belgium, EBM came forth, with Front242 andUK, Nitzer Ebb. When dance was huge, Richie Hawtin in a club in the Detroit scene was spinning techno, then later DnB, Jungle, Electronica in the UK, and Vaperwave, Lo-fi, Synthwave, Retrowave, Dream pop on the internet. And concluding, one scene building off another, connecting them somewhat with each other.
The experimental end of this spectrum began with early hits from Coldcut, Ninja Tune, WARP RecordsAphex Twin, Autechre, Squarepusher thus the IDM scene. Then trickling down to, Underworld, Boards of Canada, Tycho, Tosca, GusGus, and Röyksopp showing us the downtempo and chillout field of things. Each scene is born direct from the underground. A small niche of people find the music, and it drives straight to the heart of what they are longing to hear.
WEATNU encompasses all of these sub-genres in (4) labels.
A free existence to a musician is key to survival in a corp music world, and everything we do is free to the artist.
#WEATNU 2023
WEATNU Records
Housing all forms of electronic music, avant-garde, experimental and ever-evolving underground styles we are the bleeding edge of the DIY scene.
WEATNU Records – Founded 2014
IFMACA Productions
Our cinematic/chillout label and company for royalty free stock media, formed in 2021, and slowly rising to help composers who make film-related music, that you can listen to and enjoy.
IFMACA Productions – founded Summer 2021
Our library of composers continues to build
Transmission Nova
The post-punk/shoegaze of Transmission Nova, alongside goth and alt-rock of the 90’s.
Transmission Nova – Founded Nov 2021, launched 2022.
Synthesis Noir
And this year Synthesis Noir, our latest sub-label will house, EBM/Industrial, Darkwave, and Coldwave music.
Synthesis Noir – Founded 2023 (opens Summer)
Internet radio
WEATNU [OUR] Online Underground Radio, playing 24/7 on rotation all music that is uploaded to us. Freely send music to us.
WEATNU [OUR] playing the best of the underground, 24/7 Electronic, Avant-garde and beyond.
Alongside our sister station, Transmission Nova – WEATNU [OUR], which also plays Indie rock and shoegaze, goth, etc. Transmission Nova radio was the first before its label came years later.
Transmission Nova – WEATNU [OUR] 24/7 | Indie Rock/Post-punk/Shoegaze and Alternative. Internet radio: Playing the best of the Underground 24/7
Our movement hones in on “The Underground” of this modern era, where people are making music directly from their small bedrooms, tiny studio in their apt/flat. That obscure musician on YouTube you’ve never heard of, or the lonely talented musician that wants to be heard.
Along the way #WEATNU has formed Radio | Label | Magazine | and in 2023 formed its net-label to help the artist, who may not wish to sell their work, but instead be appreciated for it, under creative-commons licensing through archive.org.
#WEATNU – Net-label
WEATNU Records – net-label on archive.org – under creative-commons licensing. (opened 2023)
WEATNU continues to influence the indie scene
The image of #WEATNU – becomes invisible radio waves moving across the music scene, beyond web apps, beyond software barriers, and beyond the algorithm of social media, resisting restraint from the corp world. An idea is carried across the ocean, and around the world.
mind map of #WEATNU (c) 2023
Artists from different parts of the world
Artists from many places around the globe join us, we are a world-wide event. It started in the UK and spread to Australia, and now Russia where The Underground still thrives, thanks to the pioneers who keep it going; those early 80’s artists.
Artists and fans are given new options also in 2023, now that we have our network website.
Forum and social gathering
WEATNU Network – social network + forum, opened 2023
A free to join forum / social gathering for people to come together and share music, and to join #WEATNU, where one simply becomes part of the community, sharing each others music on the internet.
We are the New Underground seems to be influencing the music scene, in some way, by the people who hear the music we release to the internet. Those unknown musicians suddenly find a niche audience. There are micro communities across the world and have been for years, and WEATNU is here as the lighthouse for all to see from endless miles on that digital ocean we are traveling over.
Some artists who have come through our doors went on to become semi-famous, even successful and some were already this way before they arrived, only needing a boost for their self-esteem or finding a new audience, even enjoying the community we have here. For every person who can be helped here, they find their niche audience, and this continues to happen, due to the power of the internet.
What we offer is freedom to the artist and fans who alike wish to find music that isn’t mainstream, but has true, raw talent. Both the unknown and the known are welcome to join our movement. We need you all, now more than ever.
May we continue to grow in this hard music industry, but with your help, we will succeed.
For years we have been building up new tools to help the independent artist. During 2017 there was a time of silence with WEATNU, where new ideas were bubbling under the surface and at a moment of sudden inspiration IFMACA – Independent Film Makers and Composers Association was born. The group began on Facebook that year. Composers and small filmmakers were the intention at the beginning, to collaborate with one another, but after some time, the group shut down and the idea of IFMACA went dormant.
That was until the year 2021, when the name was exhumed, or brought to the light as a new entity for WEATNU. “If composers and filmmakers could not collaborate and make projects together for fun, why not instead create a new subsidiary for WEATNU?” However, even today composers and filmmakers can be involved in collaboration through our discord chatroom. This thought-process started IFMACA Productions.
A part that includes label/sync for the cinematic composer and small film studios, also including music for YouTube creators. The music that is with IFMACA Productions is a continual growing library of highly professional musicians and composers. Some of which are cinematic-driven and may include video game music as well.
As the library grows, sync will eventually happen. It was time to introduce everyone to this next part that has been progressing behind the scenes. IFMACA Productions gives the composer a chance at a career, and it also gives them the ability to be part of a cinematic label. Music is released to all streaming platforms and licensed for use as sync in the future.
Listen to our artists
Artists are taking interest in IFMACA Productions
As a sync company, we are ensuring that the small producer, video game designer, film class, limited budget director, all have one thing in common. They each need music that sets the mood for their projects. The music we produce is full of that sound that others are seeking. Film-centered music is part of our artists work, as we are electronic/avant-garde and beyond. In the future, this may expand to our 2nd label, Transmission Nova (TNR), which is centered on Indie Rock/Shoegaze/Dream pop/Post-punk and Post-rock. These extra genres might work well in unique and dramatic ways from a film perspective. Artists will be showcased in our WEATNU Records – Spotify playlists, so everyone can hear their music.
The Composer and small film studio benefits
The small studio, YouTube Creator, art gallery, etc, could benefit. IFMACA Productions is finding its way onto the film landscape and starting small.
IFMACA Productions releases music for the indie film director who is looking for something a little different. This includes music that is driven by the passion of the artist, in a way only known to the composer. It is the film producer who will find what they are looking for, in a niche market, instead of being directed toward a massive audience, large-sync, ad-sync, HBO, Netflix, etc. Our artists for a competitive and affordable price will sync instead with small production studios. As this part of the WEATNU machine grows, so will the artists and audience we house, thus allowing more opportunities for everyone involved here and in time our website will be created when sync begins. To add to our library, see the links below.
During the beginning of #WEATNU – from 2015 – 2016, one of six of our radio streams “Transmission Nova“, played shoegaze and indierock, this included many other sounds from the late 70s onward into the 90s and today. Indie artists, many unsigned, were post-punk, noise rock, alt-rock, dream pop and ethereal. WEATNU Records has been releasing this type of music since December of 2014, upon its arrival in the indie scene of the underground.
Now … Transmission Nova will have the same great vision as WEATNU and put the focus on this type of music, just as WEATNU puts the focus on electronic based artists. Bands as well as solo artists are welcome to join. Nothing changes, but we instead expand. Indie Rock has always been a love for me, from the days of growing up during the early 90s when MTV’s the Buzz would blast the greatest and latest bands.
Being a shoegaze aficionado and part of Gen-X, these types of memories never fade. I wanted to give the underground a taste of even more, as now both WEATNU and Transmission Nova will help artists be heard. Guitar-driven noise, eerie washed out vocals, experimental bass lines and visions by Ian Curtis. All these things tied into one place for this music to thrive. Shoegaze coming from the days of Batcave and Goth, and then the 90s grunge-like sounds, with noise-driven indie rock, British alternative, and other gloomy settings. Transmission Nova opens in 2022, and it is my hope to get these artists heard and signed with us. Contact today, as slots are open (for a time)
Shoegaze | Post-punk | Punk | Ethereal | Indie Pop | indie rock | Dream pop, and other psychedelics
For those of you who follow me on Twitter (@SarahSchonert), you’ve probably run into some of my discussions about Brand, whether it’s during a chat, some random thoughts, or in my interactions with fellow musicians and UX pros. Usually during the chats or the wider conversations, someone will chime in with a quip about selling out, being too corporate, or similar. Here’s the thing… Brand is important for serious musicians. You might bristle at this idea. You might be thinking “that sounds so corporate and that just isn’t me,” but guess what? You shunning “the man” is part of your Brand.
For those of you who treat your music like a business, Brand is incredibly important. But if music is just a fun hobby then this post isn’t so much for you. That’s okay! Not everyone who is public about their art or music needs to take themselves so seriously. However, the moment you start considering music as a part of your income that you seek to grow, then you should consider your Brand and message.
So what do we even mean by Brand (which you’ll notice I almost always capitalize for better or for worse)? Brand is how you present yourself. It’s how you show up publicly through your art, your social media postings, your music, your web-page, on-stage, and pretty much any public sphere where you are your representing yourself as a musician. It’s not just about a logo or a color scheme. It’s not just about styling or genre. (It includes those things for sure, but they are minor pieces.) It’s how all of it fits together to create the you that you wish to present to the world. And to be “on-Brand” means to be consistent with the message that you intend to promote and personify publicly.
If you were shunning the idea of having a Brand you may be rolling your eyes at me, maybe you’ve stopped reading (so it’s kinda moot I guess), or maybe you are starting to accept now that a consistent message and how you show up isn’t really all that “corporate.” You might still need convincing though and that’s fine. So here we go!
Having a consistent message and showing up in a consistent manner does a few things for you.
Your fans know what to expect from you and may be more willing to buy before they hear that next album
Music professionals (reviewers, bloggers, interviewers, etc) will take you more seriously as they see effort and professionalism on your part and have a better idea of what you are about by visiting your website or social media pages
Your marketing and media material can be easily reused, reducing your own workload when you adopt new social media platforms, advertise gigs, announce events, and and coordinate release material
People can find and recognize you regardless of the platform and are secure in the knowledge that they’ve followed the correct account on social media
Even if your Brand consists of mystery and surprises (no one says you have to be boring), if there are some constants then there will be comfort and trust that you will deliver on your promises. I’m reasonably sure there is something about you that is somewhat consistent and that you want to reuse because it represents you quite well. Perhaps it is your artist name, type of artwork you typically choose, your logo, etc. You need a good idea of which of these things are unwavering and embrace them.
I also want to point out that part of your Brand is your attitude and your public voice. I know many artists that make certain causes or even politics part of their platform. They keep their messages consistent and take responsibility for their actions and words. It suits them. It’s part of them; and their audience isn’t too surprised when they post their views. Whether it’s supporting the ACLU, promoting the arts in grade schools, or an unwavering love of penguins, these messages are a part of you that you may have chosen to be continually public about in conjunction with your artistic self and is now part of your Brand.
Another piece of your Brand is also how you talk about yourself. What is your bi-line? How do you describe your act or music to others? Have you coined a new term to sell your sound? Or maybe instead you find yourself using different words each time and rewriting your bios and blurbs. Not being consistent in your own descriptions is confusing to anyone who wants to talk you up, write about you, etc. If you aren’t sure how you’d describe yourself, your music, your message, then how will anyone else?
It may not be overly obvious that you can change up your look and feel and still be on-Brand. Brands evolve and take on new advertising campaigns, slogans, etc and so can you. I change my website and social media images with each new album (that’s part of my Brand actually to do so) but I do it across the board. My logo stays constant. My music style and my description of myself is mostly the same (although it has evolved over the years as it should). My message has matured but ultimately is still on-Brand. And the more I learn about how I wish to show up in this world, the more cohesive my message becomes. Your Brand should grow and evolve with you over range of time, so don’t be afraid that embracing it will limit your growth in the future.
SariGirl – #WEATNUDigital Magazine – November 2019
In 1984, the group’s pioneering piece of synth pop, entitled ‘West End Girls’ thought of as their very best. The Pet Shop Boys’ dark track was influenced by hip hop music and a TS Elliot poem, describing the pressures of inner-city life.
The Pet Shop Boys’ second UK hit, ‘It’s A Sin’, depicts their time at the Catholic St. Cuthbert’s High School in Newcastle. The song was written in 15 minutes, and was intended as a camp joke, but people consciously took very serious. I remember hearing the song for the first time, “how powerful” I thought, it moved me, hearing the clarity in his voice and how serious this was to him. The interesting thing about the song was, the local parish priest in Newcastle delivered a sermon on it, reflecting how the Church changed from the promise of a ghastly hell to the message of love.
In 1987. The synth pop duo covered “Always on My Mind”, a TV special marking 10 years since the King passed away. They decided to release it as a single, and it became that year’s Christmas number one.
Their ‘Actually’ album (What Have I Done to Deserve This?) track was accompanied by Dusty Springfield (60’s soul legend), and it was a number two hit in the UK and US, riding close behind Rick Astley and George Michael’s top spots.
In 1992, Derek Jarman asked them to perform at a charity event in Manchester. ‘Go West’ a disco hit was selected and later, the two decided to record it as a single, and it was a huge hit.
During the duo’s early years, they wrote ‘Opportunities’ describing “two losers” and it is based around the quote “Let’s make lots of money”. Somehow, it is written about himself as being intellectual and educated.
Neil Tennant said he imagined this song “Rent” as being about a kept woman, living in America. The song also deals with a financially one-sided relationship, kept as a kind of secret..
The song, “Being Boring” came from the accusation after someone said the duo was being boring. The duo described it as “one of the best songs that we’ve written. It’s tells of our teenage years and how we moved to London, and I became successful and my friend became ill.”
‘Release’, the duo’s 2002 album gave them another top hit, despite it bizarre music video, showing mice running across tracks and eating discarded food at a Court Road Underground station, with only minimal shops of the duo. Never accuse them of being boring.
Their 1988 album, ‘Introspective’ produced this song influenced by Latin pop and also by the song ‘Elle est comme les etoiles’ by Desireless.
‘punk-wave’ is a term that’s been on my mind for a good while now. “It’s a movement of punk, whereby a group of DIY electronic artists are taking the scene back and presenting their music to a flood of fans and causing the next punk scene, not one that comes from guitar but from synthesizers and the sheer human willpower to be heard. It is against, not for the current music industry. It is empowering artists and allowing them to be creative in all realms. Without hindrance, and without bias.”
When artists come together across the world naturally, then you know something grand is happening. This change is occurring on a virtual global level, and building each day. WEATNU took part in creating this change in August 2014. Without someone opening a door to the creativity of the future artist, a scene could not have been created. Without hindrances or corp rules, you find a beautiful thing happening. WEATNU being a new millennial punk movement, makes it tied to the Internet, but the first wave of punk came from the late 70s, fueled by rebellion toward your parents, anarchy and disregard to rules, including a protest against the music your parents pushed on you, anti-government, anti-propaganda and political issues. Punk was an aesthetic of its time, soon to be adopted by pop culture. Before the decade had ended, that culture became the norm for the music industry in a whole. Punk gave way to Post-punk, batcave, synthpop, New Wave, Goth, Darkwave, and so on. I did not have the pleasure of taking part of that scene as I was too young in 1983 “though I remember the music well at 6 years of age.” But being the last of Gen-X I can say I’m proud that my mid 90s teenage years were some of the best the world of music has ever encountered. As punk started to fade by the late 90s so did the music that fueled it and another era was born. We are the New Underground screams of punk, with its anti-corp attitude. The idea of #WEATNU was born from the unfairness that every solo electronic and experimental artist faces everyday. It’s a statement, one that is filling the internet slowly with its idea. It came out of a time of big media and major music fads of 2014. Fighting against the very system that pushes down creativity but instead rolls out the next cookie cutter single or album that makes millions. During that time, independent musicians were silently screaming to be heard. It takes only one idea to create a fire in others.
Where do musicians go when they want to be heard? The Internet so #WEATNU being born from social media came to its fruition by 2016. Culture cannot flourish when ideas are hindered, where the socialist attitude in the music industry takes away the spirit of music itself. Punk being the attitude of WEATNU, certainly embraces its past history. Punk is not something that is created for a whim but for the sake of change. WEATNU was that change, it was that idea that had to be created or the DIY / Electronic artist may have been lost to a sea of noise. (This was no accident) Musicians have a vision, they form the next culture, commerical norms come from the Underground. This underground we have created, we have formed and developed comes only from the human spirit and need to be heard, to have their music for once noticed by a sea of like-minded music lovers, not people fed by the machine that feeds the many their endless major chord and assembly-line wonders. Pirate radio and college radio played the underground for many years, void of rules, and ridicule. The music lover is tired of hearing top 40, they are tired of hearing about the next fly-by-night pop facade; which includes poser electronic music. WEATNU appeared suddenly overnight to fight this problem we were all facing, a future of uncertainty for the DIY musician. Music lovers and artists need to belong to a culture, just like each genre of music must have its scene, the next punk movement is born, the next scene is here. It will not go away, it will only get larger everyday, because people want change and they want the music to live forever. Artists are tired of the need to find a greater outlet to be noticed, to be appreciated. The modern electronic and even solo artist does not live off of money, money is the old term for record labels from the 80s, that time is far gone. WEATNU is freedom itself and a chance once again to be part of something that matters, something that is anarchy. Burn your corp flags, break down the walls, bring down the house and pile in with your second-hand gear and synthesizers, this new culture is coming soon to your side of the Internet. The prediction is WEATNU will not only be the symbol it stands for but a staple of life for musicians in the years to come. We all needed this, We.. are the New Underground. We are all one!
It’s now 2016 and a lot of stuff had to happen for us to get where we are. Streaming markets are now the #1 place to find music and pay the artist. Spotify is on top of things with Apple coming close behind. What use to be a way to pay the artist via buy and download through Bandcamp, including iTunes is now being overshadowed with the streaming market. The problem lies in if you are an artist and have little to no fan base, streaming audio does nothing for you as far as revenue is concerned. Thanks to the digital market making it the normal thing to stream music and only stream, we are stuck with a true issue. The problem is simple, so many can stream, and be done with it. Even allowing someone to download ‘for free’ usually does not yield results. They will go to A: streaming site instead of B: streaming / buy platform. Artists can beat their heads against the wall and still nothing will change. We’re all facing this trying time. The economy is partly to blame and streaming music is fully to blame. Being in my late 30s I remember when CD’s were the way of life, go to the store, buy a 15 dollar CD, come home and hope the rest of the album is as good as its debut single. But that wasn’t always the case through. We’ve seen streaming sites come and go in the last 5 years. When does it end? Is it ever going to help the solo artist, the unknown musician who not only pays to have their music uploaded to be streamed but gets back less than 11 dollars a year from streaming payments? Is this the future of music?
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could find a way to better ourselves? The full feeling of glorification knowing that your music is being downloaded ‘for free’ for sale, whatever. This issue isn’t being ignored either, musicians across the world are speaking out about the streaming war, in how unfair payment we all get. WEATNU Records only sells through weatnu.com and Bandcamp, because of this. Is there a reason to do more? Not really but let’s not be so negative for a moment. Musicians only want one thing, exposure, we’ve gone so low as to say we don’t even want money but money would be a good thing, at least the artist then knows they are being appreciated. We’re in a checkmate these days thanks to the large labels and their near ownership of these streaming services. It was said that some of the biggest players in the music mainstream made only 1000 dollars from 1 million plays through Spotify. Solo artists aren’t just starving to be heard, they are dying… How much longer before many simply give up? If someone doesn’t do something about this, many musicians who you use to know outside the mainstream will eventually fade away. Perhaps in the future someone will do something about this truly unfair advantage that these large corporations have over us. Oddly, you pay to be played, on these services. The truth of the matter is, you get paid peanuts and really what’s the use of any artist paying for a service they get nothing in return? These aren’t new problems, but they are continuing to be a real uphill battle for all of us.
As streaming services continue to tighten their grip on the indie artist, the indie artist continues to lose more money. Seriously.. no one can make it on 11 dollars a year. Some if they are lucky and have a decent fan base will make about 100 dollars a year from streaming. I take you to these problems because a lot of people just aren’t talking about it. An artist needs to sell their music, that’s their worth. Even WEATNU Records suffers from this, and since the label does not utilize streaming services, we in a whole are not part of the bigger picture. Fans do not buy music these days, they don’t have to, as many have said. It’s become an ever increasing battle that people don’t even buy CD’s or Vinyl, unless you release music that everyone likes. These words are dark, they are not sugar coated but they are in fact truthful. What happens when the majority of these talented artists do not tour? They do not sell.. It’s been said that if you are a touring artist, then you can sell your CD’s and tapes at the venue, people buy and go home happy. This abyss we call the Internet is eating us whole. Do you think there is an answer to this ever increasing problem called streaming audio? Fans can listen forever on Bandcamp but never have to pay one dime. The simple act of charity is just not there, yet the artist needs your dollar to buy more equipment or food. Soundcloud is now the leading service to change their policy, starting this year they plan to charge. This is just one more nail in the coffin wouldn’t you say? The solo artist or unknown band simply writes music for the love of it, that itself is their livelihood, it’s their dream to release the next album. Thanks to the artists themselves and the passion of their creation, we can at least go on hearing their music, free or not. The show must go on.
Culture is an important part to music, as it dictates the direction of future music generations. Groups of people form together to make micro-scenes, one side you have Vaporwave, the other you have experimental / avant-garde, Synthwave, Synthpop and Dreampop. We’re living in a time where we no longer need to be fed music to find what we like; instead we search on the net. Indie music has always been the entrance to the underground. But the underground is far larger than the mainstream. Punk, Electronica, Techno, DnB, IDM. Have all come from the underground scene. There is a paradigm shift happening now, the Internet, social media and musicians can now form as one to share, over-share and saturate the virtual music scene. A flood of musicians pour into groups, forums, facebook, twitter and of course Tumblr at every moment. WEATNU is part of that culture, instead of filling it with confusing noise, it is filling the music world with an identity and culture #WEATNU culture. After nearly two decades we are seeing what Electronic music is becoming. The DIY scene + Electronic, is bringing to our ears, for the first time soloists in droves. Many of us who are in our 30s grew up listening to Grunge music and then later we broke away to find something different, thus the Electronic / DIY community began in our homes, apt’s, bedrooms and garages. Artists have to find ways to share their art, and WEATNU took that opportunity in doing so. Solo Electronic music is the future of music itself. The idea of the band is now a guy/girl on stage with a monome, ableton live, laptop and a small MIDI Controller.
But culture also encompasses the vibe itself, the DIY musician or band is elevated off the ground through their own promotion. Twitter becomes the manager, Facebook becomes the way to show others what you do and the list goes on. DIY culture is important because it tells another side of music history. What was born from the Internet after the year 2000 was this culture and it’s here to stay. WEATNU continues to discover and bring forth the greatest of these artists, their voices are heard from a great distance through the talent they display; whereas other publications and radio might dismiss their existence. WEATNU is a culture all its own. An audience of fans waiting to hear something new and unique. The community of listeners become the culture and WEATNU is slowly becoming a hidden part of pop culture itself. In time it will be noticed by more and the artists who are both band and solo alike will have a platform to stand on and show their music to the world.
But there is more to the world of Electronic than DIY solo artists. WEATNU progresses through its search of the hidden artist, now pushing its way into the dance community. Holding together the experimentalist, producer, composer and finally DJ. Such a movement of avid artists creates avid fans. With the likes of labels such-as WARP Records and Ninja Tune, WEATNU is just as important as not only a movement but a record label as well. Net-radio continues to play the artists 24/7. For every new act that the DIY scene discovers, the music world continues to progress. And unlike the world of the mainstream, underground culture is always changing, always trying new ideas. Never holding to one thing for too long. It’s a raw, uncharted world that a person could never completely wade through and find every piece of music ever created. The Internet has become that world, now with endless artists doing something somewhere in any part of the world. Culture itself through the pop craze, or pop culture has always shaped a generation. The 80’s generation was shaped by MTV and British Pop, which later became more corp driven and started to lose its way well into the 2000’s. Experimental culture is once again showing up in the world of music. But the artists of tomorrow, the pioneers who are the next Gary Numan will come through the doors of WEATNU, or have already, and one more important part of underground culture will be noted in the history of music. These DIY artists are important to music and the scene itself. We are seeing a new punk era forming right before our eyes. Thanks to the greatness of modern technology, and the Internet’s social media. Pop culture creates itself, naturally and WEATNU takes in the acts that are unnoticed and talented.
