The 1975, ‘A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships’- Album Review.

The 1975, ‘A brief inquiry into online relationships’- album review.

By Mollie Campbell.

An accurate reflection of modern society and culture perfectly packaged within an album that provides an appropriate equilibrium between insight and inspiration.

Genre: Synth-pop, Indie-pop, Alternative.

Rating: 4/5

You will like this if you are a fan of: The Talking Heads, M83.

Highlights: Give Yourself a Try, TooTimeTooTimeTooTime, It’s Not Living (If It’s Not with You). 

Originating in Manchester in 2002, The 1975 have come a long way since their self-titled debut album released in 2013, they have even managed to enhance their musical capabilities since their breakthrough album ‘I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It’, released in 2016. ‘A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships’ sticks to the successful song- writing formula the band have acquired, yet it is given space to breathe and sets itself free from the entrapment of a cliché, introducing new concepts and meanings throughout, and establishing itself as a personal yet extensive portrait of life in 2018.

It begins with an accustomed intro of ‘The 1975’ meeting us on the cusp of our venture into the band’s third studio album, a minute and a half musical prologue designed to gently introduce the audience to a greater concept that goes far beyond the music they are about to hear. Opening with a haunting vocal rawness, you can feel a sense of emptiness in the room unequivocal of the ironic loneliness of a world with the internet at its centre. This is suddenly filled with overwhelming synth sounds, perhaps commenting on the constant confliction between two ends of the same spectrum, or just an attempt at intertwining the old in with the new… a classic trait of the band. The lyrics within the band’s single ‘Give Yourself a Try’ seems to encapsulate modern life and the trouble that comes with learning and developing in a digital setting. Healy’s provocative and raw vocals immediately seek out and capture the listener’s attention, the honest concept simply leaves them with no choice but to listen.

A highlight of the album, TooTimeTooTimeTooTime provides a glimpse into modern love, confirming how much the contexts of relationships have changed in correspondence with social media. It attempts to analyse, or comment upon the current relationship climate or structure, implying that the internet gives more opportunities to ‘two-time’, whilst justifying this nature as normal and socially acceptable.  The piano at the start of ‘How to Draw/Petrichor’ is mesmerising and for good reason, by making the intro almost a minute and a half long, it is keeping us at bay…leaving us on the cusp of greatness in terms of what is to follow, testing the patience of the fast moving music culture in 2018. When we eventually get there, we are treated to a monotonous yet important 3 and half minutes, the vision of this song is what gives it its eccentricity, the attempt at singing the same four lyrics whilst incorporating popular sounds results in a satisfying listen mentally, but maybe not in terms of musical variation, despite the experimentation in sounds. Certainly not a single but the message is received, it clings onto the idea that love is even more of a difficult subject to define in this modern internet-ridden world than ever before, questioning if any of these relationships will last due to the instant gratification and then throw away aspect of internet dating, undoubtedly projecting a sense of loneliness that is more prominent now than ever before.

‘Love It If We Made It’ is a representation of what modern societal expectations are doing to our generation, the lyric ‘modernity has failed us’ is a standout moment…if you are going to retain any of the concepts from this album, let this be one of them,  it resonates profoundly. It also gives a representation of the somewhat laid back and nonchalant attitude of such important things, almost an oxymoron: ‘ I’d love it if/ we made it’.’ Be My Mistake’ is reminiscent of an Eagles classic combined with the necessary shades of a modern anthem, the gentle guitar and raw vocals guides the listener into a place of profound thought whilst still retaining that tender emotion of a love song.  It is a solitary reflection upon the singer’s mistakes in love, almost as if it is a burden to even try at all. Instead he needs to get drunk in order for his lover to be a mistake as opposed to connecting on an emotional level.  This, along with ‘Sincerity Is Scary’, is a daring attempt to dictate the conflicting feelings between lust and love, and empty relationships in this post-modern world.

When we reach ‘I Like America & America Likes Me’, the focus of this album really starts to emerge, overtly yet somewhat surreptitiously.  This is a clear attempt to gain an insight into modern America, its divisions and the problems that come with it. Gun violence is probably a big influence here with the opening line being ‘I’m scared to die’ yet the title implies that his relationship with America isn’t as black and white as that, he still loves the idea of it and it is both rewarding yet devastating living within the centre of such conflict. The lyric ‘no gun required’ alludes to the fact that we are all scared of dying, so why add a gun to the equation? An interesting aspect of the continuity of this album is the fragmentation in which the music is presented to us, mirroring the somewhat fractured element of the modern societal no man’s land in which we find ourselves trapped in.

‘The Man Who Married a Robot/Love Theme’ is the lowest point of the album musically, but taking the time to listen to the concept is rewarding, it seems to embody the idea’s presented to us in the science fiction show ‘Black Mirror’ but within the realm of music. By using a ‘robotic’ voice, it adds authenticity to a very important idea, the concept of the Internet/Social media being a villain, simply lurking behind the mask of a friend. The music in the background is comparable to a lullaby, and serves as an oxymoron, representing the child like naivety of how we as a society use the internet. The powerful keys and distorted guitar acts as a buffer between concepts, a palette cleanser for the ears.  ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not with You)’ opens with a catchy and vibrant high-pitched riff, designed in the laboratory that is the 1975’s studio, a concoction of contradictory sounds. This song is a refresher course in terms of the band’s distinguished sound, with verses acting as Stanza’s and Healy’s narrative taking on the role of a tortured poet. Easily a highlight of the whole album, the acoustic guitar in the next track ‘Surrounded by Heads and Bodies’ strips away the confident voice of the narrator, leaving us with the honesty of a soul that has been exposed, this is very laid-back and an almost Elliot Smith style moment for the band, with a superior element of production value.

‘Mine’ reminds us that we are nearing the end of this contemporary voyage, bringing us back down to earth, where stereotypes of what we ‘should’ be doing with our lives comes back into play. The Piano is poignant and the Saxophone reminiscent of the history and society that precedes us, one that is still relevant, regardless of where technology has taken us. The singer reflects upon life in 2009 and the societal pressures that have been thrust upon him, something that he wants to escape. The penultimate track, ‘I Couldn’t Be More in Love’ refers to this concept of loneliness that undoubtedly haunts us throughout the whole album, a notion that even finds its way into our relationships…even if the feelings are inside of us, they aren’t reciprocated in the way that the partner desires them to be, adding to the idea that relationships are desolate and void of any significant meaning or longevity. This leads us into the final track on the album ‘I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)’, it is nostalgic in the most current way possible, an amalgamation of gentle acoustic guitar and the howling tones of an electric, gentle piano weaving its way into the synths and the stone that they are set in, giving a platform for the lyrics to make an impact. The choice to end this album with a somewhat negative concept is daring, it provides us with the tools to really go away and think about modern life, the pros and cons of the internet, the way we disregards lives and mental health, and the lack of sincerity that goes along with modern love.

Whilst it does start to melt into a trend of repetition, this is prevented by the constant reinvention and rejuvenation of the sound, creating a continuous stream of energy and potential for individualistic insight. This album is a handbook for a generation lost in technological fragmentation, a challenge to confront the modern world given to us by a band that continues to rock the boat within a music industry in turmoil, a stalemate of creative progression. It covers such a varied spectrum, touching on loneliness, modern love, regret, hope, fear and death, all within the realm of a pop album which has enabled an innovative leap into their mighty third act. ‘A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships’ juxtaposes greatly when compared to the identity it initially presented itself in, this inquiry is endless and utterly indispensable. This album is an up to date narrative on modern life, and certainly worth the wait.

Marketing Report- How to run a successful Marketing Campaign.

By Mollie Campbell.

The Aim:

The aim was to run a successful Marketing campaign for Summer Live. Initially I researched into Marketing techniques and how to run a successful marketing campaign.

The Research:

I researched Marketing Techniques, marketing is basically the promotion of services, a product or an event, it includes market research and advertising. Market research can include primary (the use of surveys, interviews or questionnaires), and secondary (internal records or data from previous events). I had a meeting with Rich the designer of the summer live poser, we discussed ways in which the flyer could stand out more and advertise thoroughly for the event. I also interviewed the organiser of summer live and a colleague from a business for my research, asking them questions about the marketing mix (product, place, price, and promotion).

A representative from Summer Live gave insight into how they market for the event and what works and what doesn’t. This was very helpful to the marketing campaign because it gave us tips on what to do and what not to do, and how to optimise its potential for success. Whereas a colleague from Absolute Music gave me details on how marketing differs between an event and a company. He said how they went about marketing, what worked and what didn’t. This gave me helpful information on how marketing campaigns work in different areas.

The Marketing Mix:

As I mentioned before the marketing mix is Product, Place, Price, Promotion. The marketing mix is vital in planning a marketing strategy as it covers all the areas you need to consider when marketing for an event or business.

Item of Publicity:

For the marketing campaign for Summer Live I created a publicity item, used as merchandise in which to promote the event. I designed Summer Live branded sunglasses, which are blue and yellow to fit with the Summer Live logo, the actual vibe of the event and the colours of Bournemouth itself. These help with the overall marketing campaign due to the fact that they can be used as promotion, and will be seen around the town during the event. The item of publicity contributed well to the campaign.

Feedback form: These questions can be used to determine what went well during the marketing campaign as well as the event itself, and what could have gone better, it gives the chance for the event goers to give honest feedback.

Do you think the event was successful?

Would you go again next year?

Is there anything that stood out, any highlights?

Is there anything that you think should be done differently next time?

Did you enjoy the event?

Did you think it was appropriate for the demographic of families?

How did you find out about the events?

Did you see any of the Summer Live branded sunglasses and did they make you come down to the event?

 There could also be different categories like feedback from different groups e.g. 16-21, 22-40, and 41+). Or different feedback of certain publicity items like the flyers or sunglasses.

Return on investment:

Return on Investment is the benefit to the investor resulting from an investment of some resource. The event itself had its most popular year this year, with the highest amount of footfall they’ve seen since the event started. Return on investment can sometimes be difficult to determine as it is hard to know exactly how many people saw advertisement, and promotion or publicity items before deciding to go the event, and if that was the thing to even make them decide to go anyway. One way to try and do that is by a Feedback Form. On the feedback form I have written, one of the questions is ‘Did you see any of the Summer Live branded sunglasses and did they make you come down to the event’ this gives the opportunity to try and find out how many people turned up because of seeing the publicity item.

Another way to try and determine the success on investment is the actual figures, the comparison between the turn out in previous years and the turnout this year. Also, if there are any items that can be bought at the event, you could compare how many were purchased this year compared to last year. Lastly, during recent years there has been a huge increase in the amount of feedback through Social Media. Facebook was a big factor in promoting the event and can also be used to determine Return of Investment and just how successful the event was. To do this you can look at many different Facebook comments either from people who went to the event or artists who performed. This way you get to analyse the reviews, decide what the successes and weaknesses are and use it in reference to the next event.

Successes and Weaknesses:

The successes and weaknesses can be determined through the ways I have already describes, either through feedback forms, word of mouth, return on investment and social media comments. You can also analyse successes and weaknesses through the marketing pitch and strategies you have already put together, for example by using the two week plan that I came up with before the event to use for marketing, you can decide what went well and what didn’t. If the campaign went to plan and the feedback was good, you can decide what the successes are and make sure to implement them during the next event. You can also spot any weaknesses and be sure to think of better ways of doing things next time.

Marketing Techniques

By Mollie Campbell.

 

Marketing Techniques:

I have been studying marketing and promotion and how they are used when planning an event, or when marketing for a business. I have researched marketing techniques used by Summer Live and Absolute Music.

 

What is marketing?

Marketing is the techniques used to promote and advertise products or services, this can include market research. Market research is the process of gathering information which can be useful in either figuring out how a business successfully sells their products, or it is used by a business in order to obtain consumer needs, product markets, product feedback and demographic information.

 

Market research includes primary (the use of surveys, interviews or questionnaires). And secondary (e.g. internal records, or data from previous events). Market research also includes the understanding of the marketing mix, which is Product (analysis of event/production), price (costs, production budget etc.), Place (venue/location) and Promotion (forms of publicity/distribution methods).

 

I chose Summer Live as one of my companies to research in terms of marketing. I researched the actual event and interviewed one of the organisers. I organised my questions into categories about Product, Price, Place and Promotion and used the responses to help with the creation of my own Marketing campaign.

 

Product questions: What is Summer Live and what does it have to offer? Why do you think it is successful?

Price questions: What is your budget and where abouts do you decide to distribute it? Why is it free?

Place questions: Is there anything that hasn’t worked well due to the location, or in general?

Promotion questions: How do you go about marketing for an event like this one? Are there any restrictions due to there being more of a general target audience as opposed to specific ones? Do you use merchandise at all? Where do you advertise? Do you have any internal record, or any form of feedback at all?

The second company I chose is Absolute Music. Absolute Music is a Music store located in Bournemouth which sells music equipment, instruments and has rehearsal rooms etc… I interviewed one of the colleagues at Absolute Music.

 

Product questions: Do you have any store merchandising?

Price: How do you structure your prices?

Place: How do you advertise and where?

Promotion: How do you market for events at Absolute Music? Are there any marketing restrictions? Do you have any internal records, or feedback system? Do you distribute flyers and posters etc?

 

After analysing both companies, I have learnt how they market their products/events, why their techniques are successful and what techniques they need to work on. I have also discovered the differences between marketing for a business, and marketing for an event.

 

Press Release – example

World Class product and demonstration comes to Bournemouth.

By Mollie Campbell.

 

Have you just finished your GCSE’s? Do you want to study music and begin your venture into the music business? Interested in World Class products and DJ skills?

 

Worldwide electronic manufacturer ‘Akai’ are bringing their new MPC Live product to Bournemouth, and you can be one of the first to watch a live demonstration of the brand new product. The new product has futuristic and top of the range features, and with a professional DJ demonstration, it won’t be something you’ll want to miss. Be a part of this free and exciting opportunity by coming down to the next BAMM open day at Absolute Music in Wallisdown, Bournemouth on Saturday 19th August.

 

Open from 10am-4pm, there will be plenty of time to have a look around the Bournemouth Academy of Modern Music, located in the Absolute Music store. You can look into the many different BTEC courses the college has to offer, ranging from Performance, Production, Songwriting and DJ skills (Brand new for 2017). The course is equivalent to 3 A-levels and is perfect for 16 year olds who want to gain a qualification whilst doing something that they love.

 

Absolute music is an award winning superstore that provides excellent opportunities for BAMM students, with unlimited access to multiple master classes from global brands such as Orange Amplifiers, Marshall and Mapex Drums etc., it really is the place to be for local musicians looking to begin their venture into the music industry. The partnership also gives students access to several rehearsal rooms which can be used for free, and allows students to surround themselves with experts from the industry. As well as rehearsal rooms, there are studios for recording, special events designed to help and enrich young musicians experiences and knowledge, and an onsite cafe (prices of which are subsidised for students).

 

BAMM is the perfect place for aspiring musicians, songwriters, producers and DJ’s, providing a direct link to the music business, and giving students a great support network in every aspect across music. Learn more about every exciting opportunity BAMM has to offer by joining us on Saturday 19th August at Absolute music. The event is free, and there is no need to book. For further information contact Absolute Music at 01202 597180.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gig Review- Bournemouth

Canvas gig- Review

By Mollie Campbell.

On Wednesday 13th June, young musicians from the Bournemouth Academy of Modern Music took to the stage to showcase their end of year gig in front of family, friends and industry VIP’s. As the bands filled the room with sounds old and new, it was difficult to not feel inspired. From the moment the up and coming talent of Bournemouth took to the spotlight, it was foreshadowing a very impressive night of live music to come.

The opening bands included first year students of the academy, and whilst ordinarily you might expect them to not have developed a ‘professional’ way of performing yet, this was not the case on Wednesday night as they graced the stage with confidence and a refreshing sense of familiarity. The second year 2 band to play featured very impressive musicianship, a level of expertise you might not expect from young adults, the vocals matched that of a seasoned musician, only adding to the excellence of the showcase. The splurge of funk sounds filled up the intimate venue with infectious energy and an accomplished level of skill. Whilst some speech extracts can feel forced and cliché in a music venue, these guys delivered their audience interaction with conviction and a sense of boldness that even some professional musicians find hard to muster. The audience response was energetic to say the least, especially for such a small venue. Breaking into a Bill Withers cover was an audacious move for a student – assembled band, yet it paid off, coming across as an undeniable parallel with the original, a feat hard to achieve. Whilst the replication was special, the musical interpretation was brimming with artistic flair and intuition, achieving a powerful measure of competence.

An unexpected interjection was the inclusion of BAMM principal Martin Bradford on saxophone, which not only contributed to this sense of unity from the small music college, but it also portrayed the inclusion of music role models who don’t shy away from music performance themselves,  something for students look up to and learn from. Next was an old school-infused band who opened their set with a soft-rock 70’s classic, Hotel California by The Eagles was never going to be an easy song to cover but they pulled it off. Musically very impressive, the sounds flowed throughout the venue, provoking a mystical sense of nostalgia. Specific praise should be directed towards the guitarist in this band, who provided an immaculate replication of Don Felder’s timeless sound. This audience focused band finished their set with a Guns ‘N’ Roses classic (Paradise City), encapsulating their hard-rock driven, glam-rock attempt in this post-glam modern world.

The passion surrounding the tutors and students of BAMM is evident from the moment you walked into the venue, and when onstage this passion manifests into pure energy, making it nearly impossible to look away. Their infectious sounds and an undeniable hunger for success ensured that the audience was experiencing a glimpse of the future of music, and based off this gig, a future that will hardly disappoint.