TW #118 — Tracking the Format (Jesper Pedersen)
Blayd Zro (#116, 18 December 1997) proposed distributing songs as MP3 so nobody could rip samples or patterns; Pedersen argues the module format itself is what makes the scene worth having.
Key claims#
- Song theft is rare by 1998: "that whole thing about PMS and MuzikMan back in 1995 pretty much ended such lameness"; only a minority refuse to upload because of it.
- On sample ripping: crediting is the point — "isn't that one of the things that this entire scene is all about? Sharing" — he never used others' samples without saying so and would not mind his being used with credit.
- The loss with MP3: "When I get hold of some new tune I want to see it … 'Wow! Great use of that effect', 'Oooh, nice hihat track being used here' … I want to be able to solo every single channel … Not to rip the damn thing, but to admire it. And yes, of course, to be inspired. To learn from the work of others. But please note that learning by no means is the same thing as stealing." Also: MP3s are bigger and download time, not server space, is the problem.
- Choosing a format because it is "theft safe" lets "those damn lamers dictate the way we spread our music".
Relevance#
Early (January 1998) statement of the module-as-open-score idea that underlies tracking-workflow's "study other people's modules" advice, and a data point for the sample-ripping debate and for tracker-scene-history (MP3 arrives in the scene, 1997–98).