Compilasian, The World of Indipop (Narada World, 2003)
The release of Narada World’s Compilasian (The World of Indipop) comes as more of a sign of changes to come in the record industry than as the cutting edge music it boast. For those readers not aware of the Indipop label, it is a cottage industry label created by producer Steve Coe who is also Sheila Chandra’s husband. Narada World recently licensed Indipop catalogue, including Sheila Chandra’s Indipop releases. And with the release of Compilasian, itself a compilation of unreleased tracks of the groups Monsoon, Sheila Chandra, The Ganges Orchestra, Jhalib and East West, comes with a piracy protection device, called Copy Control. Only time will tell if this device actually puts more money in the hands of recording artists or acts as a trigger for more paranoia in the world. The Copy Control actually comes with its own player and a symbol reflective of the big brother that is watching you. This could cause discomfort in even the most innocent record buyer, especially coming at a time when people believe that the government too is watching their every move. And by the way, as a journalist, I am here to get the word out on musicians and I do not condone piracy. However, I will also say that there is too much fear in the world and I am disappointed that so many establishments succumb to fear instead of spreading love on the planet. Trust is a derivative of love. Protection and security are derivatives of fear (a gentle reminder). [World Music Central News]
Not that I’m wishing failure for the artists, but I hope nobody buys this CD. We shouldn’t have to put up with copy protection devices. We need to let the record companies know we’re not going to stand for that.