Eman Laerton of YHBTM interview

by joseangeles@muchomail.com, around 2004-2005???

Before continuing on to the interview, make sure you go to the guy's site first and download his movies. Click here (opens in new window) Basically this dude pickets outside some lame mallcore concert and tells people they have bad taste in music. It's brilliant, that man is a genius and he's on a mission.

> 1. Do you think bad taste in music is a cause or effect? In other
> words, do corporations force music onto people and people just eat it
> up. Or do people just eat up bad music, forcing the corporations to
> put soulless garbage out in the market?
It's a relationship between terrestrial radio, celebrity culture and
the record labels. Radio, with its foundation based on call-out
research, plays music that fits a particular, homogenized sound.
Television values the image over the substance, not a a beneficial
formula for trying to find actual quality. Record labels are simply
supplying the two largest mass consumer exposure outlets with what
they're looking for -- bland, image conscience, quarter pounders with
cheese.

> 2. Since Rap Rock/Nu-Metal is starting to fade and Emo will soon
> share the same fate, what do you think will saturate the market next?
> I've noticed a lot of Swedish Metal and "Metalcore" getting
> bastardized by corporate whores these days.
I don't think about these things. They're irrelevant in my world.
Turn off your television and radio and they will be for you too.
Except when you go to Chevron to get gas and are forced to listen to
bad music on Chevron "radio", or the elevator, or the TVs positioned in
line at Ralph's, or at a sporting event, or at the snowboard park...

> 3. Personally, my taste in music matured thanks to the advent of file
> sharing. What do you think of Mp3 downloading? Do you think it's
> helping break bad music's monopoly by introducing alternatives?
The major labels have been the most corrupt, thieving beasts
imaginable. Record labels don't pay artists for CD Clubs (Columbia
House), and once an artists sues they settle for 50 cents on the
dollar, so they still win! How can they do this? You can't audit a
record label (even though as an artist you're given that permission in
your contract) because labels do not tell you how many CDs they print
of an artist's album. If you don't know how many widgets you've
produced, how can you keep track of how many have been sold? Major
labels still charge artists for what is called "new technology" -- that
was the advent of the COMPACT DISC over 20 years ago! Labels routinely
pay artists somewhere around 85% of the royalties they are due to cover
the costs of RECORDS breaking in shipping. And $18 for an CD? Are you
kidding??

P2P is the best thing that has ever happened for the artist. Really
it's such a black and white issue to argue the other side is to
demonstrate uninformed, propagandized views. To understand the depths
of scummery (is that a Don King word?) the major labels are capable,
check out the 2000 "works for hire" fiasco of the RIAA (which
represents all the majors):
http://www.livedaily.com/news/1619.html

P2P is a godsend. It's the only thing that could have brought down the
raping major label business model. $18 for a CD. The artist gets a
buck. And that's after the major label recoups ALL expenses. So what
you have is a major label that loans (like a bank) $300,000 to an
artist (conservatively) for recording costs, promotion, and
distribution. Now, once you've paid back the label (as you would pay
back the bank), do you own your masters (as you would own the car after
paying back the bank)? Nope.

I will translate into English those fans who claim file sharing hurts
artists: I don't know what I'm talking about, but I saw a TV
commercial (and/or preview at the movies) and it formed my opinion.
Thank you.

> 4. In your enlightening adventures, what has been the worse thing that
> has happened to you? From the videos on your site, I see backlash
> (hasty words, throwing signs, etc). Has there been cases where yuppie
> morons actually tried to swing their fists at you? What would you do
> if they did anyways?

I wear a helmet for a reason. And running shoes...

> 5. What got you into doing this YHBTM project? I've noticed these pop
> culture obsessions could mess up a kid's future, they end up
> worshipping their false idols instead of doing homework. And it even
> makes them impulsive materialistic losers. Was it a moral concern to
> make moronic "music" fans get their lives in track? Or did you just
> hate crappy music and wanted to mock it. Either way, I support your
> cause.

Many thank-yous for the support. Really, I just want to get all the
incredible information I found in the June issue of Scientific Proof
magazine out to the people who need to hear it most. I am just a
servant to a Greater Cause.

> 6. People approached about their crap taste in music usually have a
> knee-jerk reaction of going on the defensive and refusing to consider
> other perspectives. Have you ever broke through to anyone though? If
> so, how did you do it?!
I have received emails from those recovering from bad taste in music.
It's difficult at a young age to find your way through the bad music
road blocks that present themselves daily. As you get older, and
you've been exposed to different ideas and people, you're able to
better decipher what is good and bad. I am one of those different
people.

> 7. Some people would argue "it's just a matter of opinion" when it
> comes to saying something like Evanescense sucks. It seems to me
> though, these people don't genuinley prefer this garbage and just have
> a natural disposition to whatever is "Hot". Do you think there are
> people who sincerely like this stuff even if they're exposed to a wide array of music?
Music effects us all differently. For some it just doesn't have the
life impact that it does for you or me. For those type of people,
music is more like fast food to be consumed quickly and tossed aside
for the next bad music meal.

> 8. What do you think of "underground music" such as crustcore, death
> metal, grindcore, hardcore rap, avant-garde jazz, black metal, etc?
> Some anti-pop music people value this stuff greatly and hate anything
> remotley popular. They seem to be infatuated with the image more than
> the music itself, the same way pop fans are with pop. Are these people you despise too?
I don't pay attention to genre. Good music is good music, period.
Popularity is irrelevant, too. All of these things are extraneous to
the music itself and are therefore irrelevant. I should look up a
synonym for irrelevant...

> 9. How much work goes into setting up your appearances in public? And
> what do you do to prepare?
Most of the work goes into figuring out the angle. How am I going to
present the wonderful news found in the June issue of Scientific Proof
magazine? How will I get this information to the people in a creative,
fun way that will have the most impact? Once the idea comes, the rest
is easy.

> 10. What commercial "artist" do you hate the most? What would you say
> to them if they were right in front of your face?
I don't hate the artists. Celebrity culture is the real culprit.
Although, Scott Stapp...

> 11. Will the mainstream always suck? What can we do to change it? Or
> is everything based on relativity, meaning that, by default, anything
> that becomes mainstream becomes the new annoying thing to hate, kinda
> like the way that "good" cannot exist without "evil"?
Hopefully the mainstream will always suck. Can you imagine if all
those fools went to our shows, our concerts? Be thankful the
mainstream sucks. Just do a better job of ignoring it. Remove
yourself from the grid. Turn off your TV. The internet is on.

> 12. Okay, final question, since you do hate a lot of stuff, I'm
> wondering what do you like? What music do you recommend for others to
> open their ears to?
That which has been scientifically shown in the June issue of
Scientific Proof magazine to not be bad music. That's what I like; and
it's good!

> Thanks for the time man, keep the good fight going, it's very amusing.
Thanks for the support. Much appreciated.
-Eman Laerton