While some lament the digital revolution as end times for the music industry, others see a golden opportunity in an era of artistic independence.
Take for example the marketing strategy concocted for San Francisco all-star funk producer Otis McDonald’s upcoming album, “People Music.”
Over the course of 15 weeks, McDonald, whose real name is Joe Bagale, released 30-to 60-second snippets of the raw recordings. The final 10 to make the album cut were chosen based on an mathematical analysis of total views, average views per week and likes versus dislikes.
Truckee Craw Thaw Music Festival
May 31
5 p.m. | DJ Bazooka Zac
6:30 p.m. | The Lique
8 p.m. | Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers
June 1
12 p.m. | DJ Bazooka Zac
12-4 p.m. | Family activities and games
4 p.m. | Farrow and the Peach Leaves
5:30 p.m. | Failure Machine
7 p.m. | Otis McDonald
8:30 p.m. | Jazz Mafia’s Heaviest Feather
June 2
10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Wildfire Refuge Brunch
12 p.m. | DJ Bazooka Zac
12:30 p.m. | Brass Mafia
2 p.m. | John Courage
3:30 p.m. | Frankie Boots
“Interaction on social media channels is just what I was looking for,” says Bagale, who will play at this year’s Truckee Craw Thaw Music Festival in downtown Truckee. “It’s fun because the fans are deciding what’s good and what isn’t.”
The preferred tracks are now being mastered in Hollywood by Bernie Grundman who worked on 1980s masterpieces such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Steely Dan’s “Aja.” With vinyl being the lone exception, record sales have plummeted since their early 90s heyday as the rise of audio-file sharing has diluted profits for artists who receive minute fractions of a cent on streams of their music. Yet, true to his opportunistic mindset, Bagale doesn’t equate streams to sales.
“I compare streaming to radio play,” he says. “It tells you more about potential. The narrative has to change.”
Bagale got his start voluntarily producing tracks for Facebook and YouTube’s free audio libraries. As folks accessed this treasure trove for the correct vibe of their self-made videos, the irresistible funk of Otis McDonald became a popular choice.
“I lot of the other tracks were kind of generic, so I think I stood out,” he says.
Some of those videos went viral thereby inadvertently sharing Bagale’s music with a much wider audience then he could have otherwise reached. When folks in the comment section began to ask whose music it was, they discovered the wide world of Otis McDonald. Although Bagale can’t discuss the details of the contracts, his royalty-free audio files are now being commissioned by Facebook and YouTube.
“I thought it was an interesting ground-floor opportunity,” says Bagale. “It’s like handing out millions of business cards hoping you get a bite from a few people.”
Bagale now works on television commercials and film scoring and his submission for the new theme song to National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” is up for final consideration.
“With my music, you hear one foot in the old with a fresh approach and still putting in that human element,” he says. “I think the rhythm is where you can get infinite possibilities. The purpose is to get people to move their bodies.”
By using samples not only as a background layer (as classic 90s gangster rap hits did with Motown classics), but rather playing around with these repetitive audio loops as a compositional tool though midi-controlled tempo and pitch modulation, Bagale is able to discover previously unheard musical ideas that take on a shape of their own.
“I got to a place of not giving a f***,” he says. “From having that attitude, not feeling like I have to fit in, has made a big difference in my success. It let me follow my instinct, my ear and my heart, making music that’s true to me.”
After working out of his home for many years, Bagale recently moved into historic Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco. This sacred space was ground zero for the creation of classic albums such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Déjà Vu” and Herbie Hancock’s iconic funk masterpiece “Head Hunters.” In the hallways hang gold records. The original sound-absorbing curtain with its dark blue-greenish hue still hangs there, unknown stories wafting from its magnanimous folds.
“It smells like the 60s — in a good way,” says Bagale. “I think of all the incredible albums recorded here that influenced me growing up.” | truckeecrawthaw.com
