Coming this month from Tantrum Records:
*****HIP-HOP AFRICA - THE COMPILATION CD*****
Featuring a selection of the top African artists, artists you will hear a lot from over the next years!
Want to keep informed? Send a message and we'll put you on our list!
Thanks for visiting the Tantrum Records page!
Tantrum is a new, different record company.
Run by seasoned industry professionals, Tantrum has done away with all the crap associated with "normal" production and record companies, and established a brand new, fresh way of doing business.
Here we'll show you samples of our artists, some in demo form, some finished product. A variety of styles and genres of artists we signed because we believe in them. Want to know more? Ask!!
What makes Tantrum unique?
1. Tantrum works in true partnerships with its artists. That means we work with artists. We make decisions together, we plan career moves together, and we share in costs and profits. None of the "sell 300.000 CD's to cover our costs and then we'll pay you 90 cents per CD on 8 out of 10 CD's we sell" of the traditional record companies. Tantrum shares proceeds, from the start.
2. Tantrums recording studio in not a profit center. It is a tool for our artists, a place where they can come and do their work. Tantrum artists pay a nominal fee for using the studio, less than 10% of the commercial daily rate. In fact, it covers utilities, and thats it. A studio is a place where artists should be able to come and work, to be creative, without having to look at the clock.
3. Tantrums artists have full on-line access to their accounts. We practice open book accounting. All Tantrums accounts are handled by an independent firm of qualified accountants. As soon as Tantrum receives funds on an artists behalf, from whatever source (CD, DVD, merchandising, publishing etc.), a statement is entered, and the artist concerned will be able to view their account on-line, in real time. No inflated accounts, no hidden costs, none of the bull associated with traditional record company accounting. We keep it real, all the time.
4. Tantrum keeps its core small. The core = the people who make it all work. In Tantrums case, a small group of partners and associates with decades of success and experience in all aspects of the industry. The core helps the artist maximize his / her / their potential. From there, we contract third parties proven to be on top of their game, to undertake tasks for Tantrum and their artists. For instance; we use majors for what'a they are good at; marketing and distribution. This way we keep Tantrums overheads small, but are able to offer the artists the best services available.
5. You can read Tantrums contracts. None of the dozens of pages of crap incorporated in traditional record contracts. You can actually read and understand them. Tantrum has nothing to hide, yet the contracts are very carefully designed to protect Tantrum and its artists, so everyone is clear and there is no "we'll have to charge you this-and-that extra coz of clause 248 paragraph 1126 in the small print".
6. Just so you know, Tantrum is very picky about who they take on. Very often our artists are involved in that decision making process as well. Many of Tantrums artists like to work together, gig together, help each other out. Tantrum is a working family.
7. Tantrum does not steal your publishing. Unlike most production and record companies, Tantrum doesnt want to own your publishing, or 50% of your publishing. Tantrum will help you administer your publishing, will help you gain maximum benefit from it, or will help you place it. Tantrum will charge you a fee for the work done, thats it.
8. Tantrum doesnt want to own your masters for eternity. Tantrum sets a reasonable time after which ownership of masters returns to the artist.
Why does Tantrum do 1 to 8 above, against the standards in the industry?
Sjoko, Tantrums founder and president:
"Ive been fortunate in that I've seen every aspect of the industry; its good sides, its bad sides, success, failure, fun and misery.
Ive worked with many top artists over the last 4 decades, from Golden Earring and Focus (cloggies, like me) to The Who, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, Rod, Elton, ABBA......... the list is long, and I've learned from each and every one of them.
Experience is a good teacher. Ive learned to recognize what makes an artist have the potential to become one of those special people capable of making it big. But more than anything; keeping it honest and straight makes everything so much easier. If artists know they work with a company that has their back, they can focus on being creative. That is what makes good music.
As for the rest of the differences; I could write a book about it, but the simple fact is that the major recording companies function in accordance to an ineffective, outdated, dysfunctional business pattern (how many of them are left?). It is time for change. It is time for companies to take responsibility for their artists and their artists' careers. It is not always easy to follow the sometimes narrow path of ethical conduct, but for all within Tantrum, it is the only way. We don't think we're doing anything special. We're doing business the way it should be done in the first place.
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