The Interventions Philosophy

Sachimay Interventions is a CDR series for improvised/creative/new music, marrying DIY manufacturing with the marketing benefits of a small record label. All disks are burned by the artists and packaged in recognizable numbered sleeves that can be printed cheaply on the artist's home computer. In addition to the artist's own sales initiatives, Interventions disks are all marketed through e-mail press releases, mailings to reviewers, and posting on the Sachimay website. Orders can be placed in two ways: either through a standard shopping cart (for orders of more than one disk) or by contacting the artists directly and mailing payment. By keeping both manufacturing costs and profits low, we’re able to offer all Interventions CDRs for only $5 apiece, including shipping: good karma to get new sounds out to the world.

FAQ

1. Why $5?

One of the most irksome things about capitalism is that it judges an idea’s or object’s worth not on its inherent value, but on the amount of money it can bring in the marketplace. That philosophy tends to produce skewed thinking, such as “If a CD can bring a price of $18, it must be good” and the correlative “Since my disk is good, I should charge $18 for it.” This is a particularly inappropriate model for improvised and other “out” forms of music and art, which generally appeal to a small and open-minded -- but frequently cash-strapped -- audience. Interventions was created to address this problem, both karmically and practically. The series’ $5 price point is a lure, making it more affordable for listeners to experiment with musicians and styles with which they may be unfamiliar.

2. What kind of music does the series encompass?

Sachimay Interventions, like its parent label Sachimay Records, concentrates on improvised/creative/new music -- free improvisation, electronic/turntable/computer music, free jazz, ambient, musique concrete, composed New Music, tape compositions, spoken word, and other "out" forms. The series encompasses live recordings, studio recordings, older recordings from musicians' archives, and recordings made by musicians in their homes in the middle of the night.

3. Why would an artist join Interventions rather than do it all on their own?

Several reasons: (1) There's strength in union. By "branding" their recordings with Interventions, the artist is part of a family. Customers who enjoy one Interventions CD are more likely to purchase the next, and the next, and the next -- especially when it only costs $5 a pop. (2) There's free promotion. Subscribers to the Sachimay Interventions e-mail newsletter will be advised of every new Interventions release, with links to past releases and other news. (3) It's a place for recordings without a home. Nearly all musicians have recordings they'd love to put out but don't want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on. With Interventions, a musician doesn't have to keep a stock of disks on hand; they can be burned and printed one at a time, as orders come in. And finally, (4) It's a blow for art. The corporatization of music (and of life in general) has been nothing but bad. Individual initiative in support of art, and the spread of art, is nothing but good. By working together, and by making the music available for a rational price, we're almost certain to get new sounds into new ears.

4. What does Sachimay Records get out of the deal?

Not much. The series grew out of a desire to do good in the world, following the bad-karma results of the 2004 U.S. presidential elections. Sachimay keeps $1 of every disk sale that goes through our shopping cart system, but all of that money goes toward paying our credit card processing fees and hosting costs.

5. What happens when an artist submits a disk to Interventions?

Artists submit their finished recordings for consideration. If the work matches Sachimay's commitment to quality improvised/creative/new music, the artist will be informed by e-mail and asked to provide complete information for the disk's cover. Within a few days they'll be e-mailed a high-resolution jpeg of their Interventions cover that can be printed on any home printer using minimal ink. Musicians also receive recommendations for optimal paper weight, disk style, disk printing, and plastic outer sleeves, though they aren't bound by these. The disk is then added to Sachimay Interventions' online catalog and to the next Interventions press release. Whether or not orders come flooding in depends on your definition of "flooding," but as the series grows and gains a following it becomes ever more likely that artists will see their work reach a wider audience.

6. I'm a musician. How do I submit a disk to the series?

Click here for more information.

7. I'm a listener. How do I learn about new Interventions releases?

Drop an e-mail to Interventions administrator Matt Hannafin at matthannafin@earthlink.net and ask to be added to our mailing list.