This article was co-written by WRR editor Tyler Hubin
The Noise vs. Beauty release date is less than a week out. The pre-ordered album is safely tucked away on your phone or computer, anxiously awaiting that fateful Tuesday, June 24th. You’ve burned through the first five NVSB tracks at least a hundred times, sold your plasma to finance the cross-country trek to witness the return of the king of the sound from hiatus, and your anticipation for the Madison Square Garden show is more so than all the birthdays and holidays you’ve ever had combined. You’re a die hard basshead who has taken all the necessary precautions to ensure that you are properly equipped to receive this next chapter in Bassnectar history, so what do you do when there in your inbox is the leaked NVSB album sitting right at your fingertips?
“Everyone who torrents can get it now!” they said. “Why wait when it’s here now?” they said. Temptation, it caused the fall of mankind and now was about to challenge my integrity as a basshead. Enter the ethical dilemma of the year for Bassnectar fans far and wide, why should I wait for Noise vs. Beauty?
Society’s “I want it all and I want it now” mindset has taken respect for musician’s art as collateral damage.
“SHOW SOME RESPECT. when an artists works their soul to the ground don’t steal their album, don’t leak their album, don’t distribute links.”
— Lorin (@bassnectar) June 3, 2014
When confronted with a tempting leak from any artist, we are presented with a test of respect. We need to decide if we respect said artist enough to obey his/her wishes and not foil a meticulously laid out execution plan when it comes to the album release. Hours upon hours go into laying the groundwork for an album roll out. Meetings are had, social media is set, even generous free downloads are sometimes given to fans out of appreciation.
“Seems like it would be so obvious. With any artist I love, support is a natural reflex. Whoever leaked that needs a BITCH SLAP”
— Lorin(@bassnectar) June 3, 2014
By listening, or worse yet distributing a leak, you have effectively done your best to ruin the artistic goal for your favorite artist. What you just did is peek into the attic on Christmas Eve so that you can find out what presents you got before you’re supposed to know. The landmark moment of an album drop is lessened, and the anticipation is gone. If you’re a true fan you will wait it out until the 24th knowing full well that it will sound a little bit sweeter waking up on release day and checking your iTunes library to show what Lorin had in store for us all along.
“So if you’re the one who did, no beauty for you. ONLY NOISE. For real: R-E-S-P-E-C-T”
— Lorin(@bassnectar) June 3, 2014
How would you feel if you were working on the biggest project of your life and the world got to see it before it was finished? All the blood, sweat, and tears put into the marketing strategy, all the slow building hype, all the dedication to a loving fan base, all for nothing. Hold your breath for another three days. Stop looking around and begging for low quality rips and leaks, they won’t do a justice to the music anyway. We’ve made it this far, there’s no need to tarnish the feeling when the sun rises on June 24th. I know how easy it can be to click the download link, especially in today’s day and age. What we’re saying, though, is that if you really respect the artist who made it for you, you’ll stop the leak in its tracks and respectfully decline. Now repeat after me, “self-control…self-control…self-control.”
Rise above the leaked downloads and pre-order Noise vs. Beauty here.
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