Dev, bummer deal on the label being a debbie downer, though I'm sure you're more unhappy about it than we are. I'm sure you and them can work something out regarding those releases, even if they have to come packaged as extras in "special edition" versions of future albums

Or perhaps maybe you guys can work out a big "Devin Townsend Live Bundle", with the Ziltoid DVD, Acoustic EP, and that Live EP all packaged as one epic bundle? Maybe you've already tried that, I dunno.

There's gotta be some way to get them out

[The Dev]

Well actually, Inside Out and CM license from me, and they're both great.

The thing is, I'm small potatoes in the scheme of things, but Thomas at IO, and some folks at CM are really really supportive, and they don't want to blow their wad on 15 projects when they have the budget for one.

Doing the dtp 4 record thing is a bitch for them in the first place, consider this:

The advertisement budget that CM and Inside Out allotted for Addicted in the usa was (ready?...) 5 thousand dollars.

yep.

So the fact that it did well enough to warrant me touring and being my douch-ey self was because of the 'signed covers' etc and you guys...

So when I say to them... 'by the way, I've got 6 more things on my harddrive, ready to go'... they're saying 'we don't have a budget to produce and promote it bro, sorry. Lets stick with the 4 albums, and do a smokin' box set'

I asked if I could put them out myself, all 'renegade-like' ... and they politely asked me not to. They think the public perception for many years has been confused by my lack of one style, and a bunch of d.i.y project offshoots does nothing to strengthen the 'brand' ... and actually I see their point.

Anyways, I have it done (for the most part), and I just keep amassing stuff.

Well it's going to be one hell of an impressive box set then!

Can't wait to hear all the new stuff. I love that you're splitting them up into the different flavours; it allows you to really follow through on each vibe rather than immediately shuffle it away to a different style completely on the next song. This way they become more complete and involving experiences.

Dev, while I know you have enough to think about now, but is there still plans for a Ziltoid Rock Band? I'd buy it for that lulz.

Well Dev, thanx for the update!

It sucks that you can't release such rich and amazing stuff for budget reasons. In my humble opinion, it would do the label great good to promote your "multi-verse" style as your music and styles touch a lot more poeple than it did a few years ago.

Then again I guess we can all understand their worries especially in times such as these when the artistic and press sectors are generally fucked up by financial crisis. I guess it all comes down to business once more.

Let me tell you, what has struck me as genious in what you do is precisely the variety of the styles you use and own. It's a shame that this is part of the reason you can't release stuff that would make thousands and thousands of poeple very, VERY happy.

But I'm confident there will be some way we can get a taste of all that, just like the Peavey Tuska release. It's a great idea if nothing else works.

Anyway, don't get too sad about it and don't worry about us fanboys we'll find a way to deal with frustration. Just don't get sick about it and keep creating amazing things.

That's what I really hope for.

Loads of love!

This is so fucking amazing and sad at the same time!

But, if Devin keeps on producing music at this rate, he WILL be the Omnidimensional (Music-)Creator!

Ah, I gotcha man. Makes sense, the labels do have budget limits (despite me never thinking about it), and they gotta use their budgets in the most effective way they can. Putting out new things "all the time" might indeed seem to water-down the "brand" a bit, at least from an outsider's perspective, and in this day and age, not everybody buys everything, so creating a pull between records (say, the 2 years between addicted and decon/ghost) is definitely important to the financial success of each record. Putting out something new every 6 months could end up burning a lot of people out (though, its tough to get burned out with your music haha).

I can imagine balancing the release of the record between the artist's, the label's, and the fans' views of the whole scenario can be rough sometimes, as they all have their own ideas of how the releases should happen. Each position is important in its own right, and I'm very thankful that being a fan is as easy as waiting however long, then shelling out a small bit of money for the physical product.

Regardless, I still hope that you're able to put some of this stuff out at some point in the future, especially the Ziltoid DVD!

BTW, when you mentioned that the Tuska show would be on the Peavey website when your signature guitar comes out, did you mean the ziltoid set, the DTP set, or maybe both?

^Yeah, I'd say that's pretty much it and it does make sense for the label. Splitting their promotion budget to half a dozen different things just isn't going to be very efficient in terms of getting the money spent back. That's just the business side of things.

My wallet is going to hurt.

[swervedriver]

So when I say to them... 'by the way, I've got 6 more things on my harddrive, ready to go'... they're saying 'we don't have a budget to produce and promote it bro, sorry. Lets stick with the 4 albums, and do a smokin' box set'

I can live with that.

Devin, I've only just discovered you and your work (past and present) , in say the last 6 months. From what I've seen and learned in that time, I'm confident that, like most of your stuff, this handful of treats will appear on the net for ALL to enjoy at some point in time.
Further more, your willingness to share processes and insight on a personal level with your fan base, is a quality that (for me at least) draws me to, and to follow your work more than the work itself. As we discussed before, art is a very personal and selfish thing, and although you've produced some amazing stuff, you've also produced some total shite (no offence), but the bottom line is...YOU FUCKING ROCK DUDE!!!

although you've produced some amazing stuff, you've also produced some total shite (no offence), but the bottom line is...YOU FUCKING ROCK DUDE!!!

Strangely though, I have not found any of Devin's work to be shitty. Not one song! But that's just me!

Also I have to correct myself: Despite the global financial crisis and the opportunity for poeple to download music and movies for free, these industries have never been so productive and, for that matter, profitable. Truth is, poeple are buying records and DVDs more than ever before. Partly because there are such huge amouts of money poured into promotion and advertising.

On the other side of that chain the artist doesn't get much profit at all, and that's a shame imho. Therefore I'm extremely glad Devin's got his own label up but even then it doesn't always seem to help.

Does it?

I hope the label isn't able to nix Z2; I actually didn't know that they had as much control as they do.

Anyway, still very exciting! Perhaps those extras that are already recorded can be released in a couple decades from now; archive material for 2031 sounds marvelous!

*wonders what the Devin discography will look like in the '30s*

Truth is, poeple are buying records and DVDs more than ever before. Partly because there are such huge amouts of money poured into promotion and advertising.

uh, what? No, people are not buying records and DVD's more than ever before. It's a common fact that the CD sales have been cut into half in the 2000s. And no, legal online downloading does not compensate... No offence, but check your facts... Geez...

Be honest to one's self and others, and happiness will ensue.