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Music Directions: Trends for
2001
by Lloyd Barde ©2000
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It's a challenge these days not to feel
overwhelmed when deciding which CD titles to stock. Sometimes it
feels as if a periscope would come in handy, submerged as we are in a
veritable sea of choices. In the deluge of radio charts, promoters'
hype, and customer feedback, it's nearly impossible to keep up
without a little outside guidance. Hopefully, that's where I can help.
Open Mind, Open Ears, Open Cash Register
One valuable lesson I learned years ago is that I
don't have to carry every music title I personally like. There is a
distinction between personal and business preferences. I happen to
love reggae music, and once thought about starting a subsidiary of
Backroads Music--called "Back Roots"--to offer
independent reggae CDs. Turns out the name was the best part of the
idea, and it never happened. But it was a good lesson in determining
the balance between what I liked and wanted to share with others and
what I could realistically offer through my business.
It's a given that if you offer different kinds of
music, you will appeal to more types of customers. With appropriate
listening-bar availability and systematic implementation and
organizing, your clientele will begin to count on you for the latest
and most essential titles in different categories, and word will
spread quickly. Trying out new titles for yourself and your staff and
having a greater library of demos from which to draw makes you better
able to make recommendations and to "up-sell" beyond
a customer's specific request, a friend's suggestion, or a special
order item.
I've found the 12 below to be useful categories,
all of which have proven appeal for "New Age" listeners. In
considering them, let's look at some recent trends and at which
categories are expanding their reach or diminishing in significance.
Chants & Vocals Massage & Healing World Contemporary
World Traditional Nu Ambient/Electronica
Ambient/Space Music
Celtic Native American Guitar
Piano Classical Contemporary Instrumental
Take the Chants
The biggest news of last year musically may have
been the emergence of the chant-style vocal, where repetitive phrases
(often mantras) are sung over and over, usually in English, Sanskrit,
Native, or African tongues. For years Robert Gass was the main Chant
artist; then Nada Shakti. Now Deva Premal, Rasa, Krishna Das, and
many others are taking it to a whole new level, artistically and
musically. Vocals in general have shown lots of growth in market
share, and quality, level of acceptance and critical acclaim are all
on the rise. Last year there was Miriam Stockley, the "voice"
of Adiemus, with her own release. This year I think Suzanne
Sterling's Bhakti will have great appeal for the chant audience.
Singer-songwriters with staying power include Sophia, Patrick
Bernhardt, Steve McDonald, Kathy Zavada, Kirtana, Joanne Shenandoah,
and Sheila Chandra, many of whom are currently producing the finest
music of their careers.
Where in the World?
World music cross-cultural hybrids are also
growing as a market share in the retail world. Broad mainstream
success by the Buena Vista Social Club, B-Tribe, and The Gipsy Kings
has made it all more visible and easier for the average listener to
relate to. The world cracked open by Jai Uttal, Sheila Chandra,
Mickey Hart, James Asher, Nomad, and labels like Putumayo and Real
World has pulsed its way into countless collections, with Festivals
like WOMAD bringing it live to enthusiastic audiences. Current
trend-setters in World music include Zap Mama, Cheb I Sabbah, Lucia
Hwong, Professor Trance, Steve Roach & Byron Metcalf, and
Afro-Celt Sound System, as well as vocal groups like Vas, Axiom of
Choice, and Third World.The African continent also continues to show
great strength as a source for pleasing, salable world music. Oliver
Mtukudtzi, Vieux Diop, Geoffrey Oryema, Salif Keita, Ayub Ogada, and
Henri Dikongue are just a few of the silky-voiced, pop-influenced
artists who have released top-notch CDs in the last year or so.
Always Room For More Space
The area that I see with the greatest potential
for adding titles is Space Music, now more commonly called Ambient.
Typically, store owners have shied away from Space Music, for reasons
ranging from "it's too quiet for in-store play" to
preconceptions about the music being too floaty, weird, and "spaced
out."
I believe that sales would be stronger if both
distributors and retailers would set aside some of those biases.
Listening stations address the concerns about in-store play. Even
without headphones, simply offering the main artists and bestsellers
in this important area would probably result in more new sales than
you'd expect.
Some of the most innovative and influential
artists in our niche are purveyors of Space Music. Consider the music
of Constance Demby, Jonn Serrie, Michael Stearns, Steve Roach, David
Parsons, Giles Reaves, and Robert Rich--just to name a few.
Collectively, their body of work comprises some of the most enduring,
timeless, moving, and deep music produced. At Backroads, Space Music
remains one of our core offerings, and consistently ranks as one of
our top three genres in sales.
The Latest Lifestyle Trend:
Health & Wellness
Closely related musically is the fast-growing
realm of massage and healing music. It's on the cover of national
magazines, and products are even showing up in supermarkets as yoga,
Reiki, and even Pilates are becoming ever more widely practiced.
Though some of this music falls into the "concept-only"
or "lifestyle" trend, there are artists who turn
out really fine music, designed specifically for use within the
healing arts. We consult with massage practitioners regularly to help
them expand their music library, with great results. New artists or
groups like Liquid Mind, Weave, Kip Mazuy, Mercury Max, Xumantra,
Brian Caldwell, and Deborah Martin are perfect suggestions, and
provide equal satisfaction as relaxing yet inspired listening.
Classic titles such as those by Robert Haig Coxon, Anugama, Raphael,
Bruce BecVar, 2002, Deuter, Michael Hoppe, and Klaus Wiese's El Hadra
are now considered essential recordings for these healing
environments and nurturing settings.
A Rose by Any Other Name
It's funny how the artists who were opposed to
being referred to as "New Age" are generally happy
to be called "Ambient," and that Ambient used to be
defined as "no rhythm" a la Brian Eno and his seminal
Ambient 1: Music for Airports. About five years ago, Ambient began to
mean "lots of rhythm," and I now refer to it as "Nu Ambient,"
though many stores group it together with "Electronica"
(usually referring to more techno/rave groups like The Chemical
Bros., Orbital, BT, etc.). The Waveform label, founded by Musical
Starstreams host Forest, has been instrumental in developing this
area, from the ground-breaking series of One A.D., Two A. D., and
Three A. D. to recent hits like those from Sounds from the Ground or
Zero One. Other key titles like John Stanford's Deep Space (which
should be called "Deep Rhythms"!), and artists like The
Starseeds, Global Spirit, Banco de Gaia, Makyo, Monica Ramos, and
Aria have followed on the road first paved by Enigma, Deep Forest,
Delerium, and Sacred Spirits.
Make Your Own Recipe
Create a mixed bag of old and new titles in each
category to maximize your ability to serve music lovers, casual
browsers, and impulse buyers alike. Many customers are only now
discovering these emerging musical styles, and the essential
back-catalog titles are very important. Other shoppers are right up
to date, so having the "latest and greatest" is
essential, too. If you can envision a mix of 1/3 older titles, 1/3
recent titles (from the last year-and-a-half), and 1/3 new releases,
that would be a good starting point.
Part of the beauty of this music is that it's not
built on hits, and does not ride pop music's steep bell-curve. If you
look at the bestseller lists from retail outlets and distributors,
you'll always see a healthy dose of Carlos Nakai, Shaina Noll, Dave
& Steve Gordon, Anugama, Enya, Steven Halpern, Loreena McKennitt,
Robert Gass, Gabrielle Roth, etc. And the earlier titles of these
veteran artists often sell as well as or better than their latest efforts.
Tried and True
Other areas to include are the
"staples"--ongoing styles of music that will always be
available and viable. They appeal, for the most part, to the safer
middle ground of music buyers, and are starting points where
customers can begin their musical shopping experience with you before
branching out into some of the other styles already mentioned.
First there is Celtic music, and what a ride this
has been! The Celtic wave of the past 3-4 years has exceeded all
predictions, but it finally seems to be ebbing. Burst open by the
worldwide success of Enya and Loreena McKennitt and the Riverdance
craze that followed, this market has posted major sales figures of
late, whether from such traditionally oriented artists as Davey
Spillane, Clannad, and Phil Coulter; collections like the Celtic
Twilight series; or hybrid offshoots like Dagda, Ceredwyn, or the
Afro-Celt Sound System.
You will also find that sections for Guitar,
Piano, Contemporary Instrumental, and Classical music will serve your
goals and the needs of your customers. The first three are all
holding steady, while Classical music seems to be on the rise,
evidenced by the Sound Health series, the Mozart collections, and new
or older works by Anugama, Peter Davison, and Daniel Kobialka selling
as well as ever. Such titles add to your selection, credibility, and
atmosphere when given a certain proportion of your in-store play.
Awash in a World of Hits
If you choose to offer Andrea Bocelli, Charlotte
Church, Buena Vista Social Club, Luciano Pavarotti, Jim Brickman, and
Yanni, I will agree that it serves your customers to some degree. But
it also takes up space at a margin and return considerably lower than
the norm. It's difficult to compete with the online outlets that are
low-balling prices and getting thousands of "hits" on the
hits, and I sincerely doubt that your customers will find them to be
the "distinctive" aspect of your music department. This is
no knock against these mega-platinum artists; it's just that they are
available literally everywhere--and often at lower prices.
Concentrate on the uniqueness of your music section, and it will
result in greater rewards, higher profits, and increased job
satisfaction for you and your staff. It's a reliable way to build a
deeper foundation of appeal for the customers who are in the process
of discovering your store's personality and establishing their own
relationship to it.
Lloyd's Picks: 21 for 2001
Ambient/Space
Constance Demby Faces of the Christ (Sound
Currents'). A welcome return to recording for one of Space music's masters.
David Parsons "Parikrama" (Celestial
Harmonies). A true space music virtuoso returns with a 2-CD
travelogue evoking the high reaches of Tibet through a series of
musical tone-poems with far-reaching impact and depth.
Steve Roach "The Serpent's Lair"
(Projekt). A pulsating journey into the depths beyond the doorway to
the underworld; with Jorge Reyes, Jim Cole, Vidna Obmana, and others.
Michael Stearns and Ron Sunsinger "Sorcerer
"(Spotted Peccary). A tribute to Carlos Castaneda: intense music
with shamanic elements and conjured images underlaid with space music elements.
Chants and Vocals
Jonathan Goldman "The Lost Chord"
(Etherean). Follow-up to the popular Chacra Chants--wonderful music
for meditation or deep listening.
Suzanne Sterling "Bhakti" (Bhakti).
Chant/world music with original songs sung in English. Suzanne's
sensational voice and the tremendous supporting cast made this my #1
vocal pick of 2000.
Zingaia "Dancers of Twilight"
(Sequoia). Another great combination of exotic vocals and engaging
world music takes Zingaia to a whole new level.
Contemporary Instrumental
Janie Campbell "A Gift from Janie"
(Metaxy'). Piano music of pure unadulterated spaciousness, this is a
relaxed, introspective, and emotional debut.
James Wilkinson "From a Distant Shore"
(White Cloud). Guitar music extraordinaire; Wilkinson sounds like the
second coming of Michael Hedges.
Massage/Healing
Anugama "Shamanic Dream II" (Open Sky
Music). One of the finest examples of healing music to date. A
near-perfect CD with every detail in place, ideal for bodywork or movement.
Nu Ambient/Electronica
Bella Sonus "Enamoured" (Neurodisc).
Like an inspired combination of the best of B-Tribe and Enigma all
rolled into one. Great cover, too!
EJ Cryan "Transformations" (Inspiring
Snow). Debut of the year, with appeal to fans of Delerium: Nu Ambient
grooves, whispery vocals, and sheer creativity--pure art!
Delerium "Poem" (Nettwerk) Opens up a
new direction for this pioneering project from Canada.
Karunesh "Global Spirit" (Etherean). A
new style, blending global/ambient/world elements with exotic vocals
and carefully constructed, compelling beats.
Sacred Spirit "Sacred Spirit II"
(Higher Octave). Five years later, the sequel is here, with the same
power and reach of the ground-breaking first Sacred Spirit.
Soulfood "Wingmakers: Chambers 11-17"
(Soulfood). The latest CD from Soulfood is another A+ effort with
great rhythms and melody lines.
World/Contemporary
Dolphina "The Goddess Workout" (Sea
Siren). The ultimate belly dance music/World music workout, with Greg
Ellis from Vas and John Bilezikjian, the world's most renowned oud player.
Lorenza Ponce "Lorenza Ponce" (LMP).
Known for her touring with Kitaro and others, this extraordinary
violinist has recorded a fantastic world music CD complete with
sensual vocals and ace sidemen in support.
M Path "Meeting Rivers" (Triloka)
Top-notch World music with some of the finest musicians from India
participating in a true East-meets-West project .
Suzanne Teng "Mystic Journey" (Mystic
Journey). This solo debut is a beautiful World music release with a
great cast of musicians.
World/Traditional
Irshad Khan "Awakenings" (UAM).
Virtuoso performance on sitar with many Western influences. Some of
the tracks are beautiful beyond belief.
Lloyd Barde is the owner and founder of Backroads
Music, the Source for music since 1981. He produces and writes the
Heartbeats catalog, has written music reviews for Common Ground since
1993, and has fifteen years of experience as a radio show host. He
currently resides in Fairfax, CA with his 14-year old son Robin, and
is readily available to make music recommendations by contacting him
directly at Backroads Music. For a free Heartbeats
catalog, to reach Backroads, or
to visit our Marin County warehouse:
Call 415-924-4848, or
e-mail: mail@backroadsmusic.com
Web site address: http://www.backroadsmusic.com |
