The Re-Up: Tev95 Talks Album Promotion
Posted by Justin Boland on Feb 17, 2012 | 0 Comments
We’ve featured NYC producer TeV95 twice before — Crime Loops and Crime Loops 2, specifically — and this post is the first time we’ve talked about the Dark Arts of promotion and marketing. His upcoming project, Delorean, is a perfect example of an effective, low-cost independent promotion campaign. I’ve written about the concept a lot, but this is analyzing a real world example. Here’s how to make it happen.
The Application
Shottie is a Florida-based emcee who, like most rappers, has fluid identities and conflicting branding. TeV has focused the promotion around the project itself, which is a smart & admirable approach for a collaborative project. Last November, he picked up DeloreanAlbum.com and the site serves as a great template for effective promo. The site is a Flavors.me production, a skeletal landing page that outlines each part of the platform: Youtube, Bandcamp, Tumlbr and Facebook. Other artists might have included Twitter, Turntable.fm, and lots of mogs in 2012 are still repping Myspace — the point here is to identify only the platforms you’re both comfortable using and getting results with.
Of course, setting up social media pages is easy — and exactly as far as most “promotional plans” will ever get. The step that matters is execution, and there’s been a steady stream of promo/teaser videos on the Youtube channel, also named DeloreanAlbum.
Dig the simplicity — these are all around a minute long. The production is simple but also quality — you can’t just be talking into a webcam and expect to engage people, but good title screens, multiple camera angles and clear footage will hold anyone’s attention. It’s also important to note that this series has worked in the real world, netting blog coverage and getting views. These aren’t going 7-figures viral but they’re at least getting ROI and building buzz with measurable results.
Meanwhile, Shottie and TeV95 keep working on final tracks, new music videos, and the 10,000 Details that go into a finished product. I wanted to spotlight this approach because it is simple, scales to any size project, and best of all, it will still be good online promotion long after the project is finished.
TeV95 Talks Delorean
Audible Hype: What are the most important changes you’ve made to your promo and planning in 2011?
Tev95: We established the collective and started to work with talent artists in different genres. We set goals and deadlines and committed to putting out new material consistently. This has helped us grow our following. People are starting to take notice and trust the variety of music we put out. They know everything were doing is raw DIY shit. Truly indie music. They support the movement and want to see us win.
AH: Have there been any major surprise lessons since you started 95labs?
TeV95: You know, in life everyday is a surprise, without variability there’s no creativity. I’ve worked at several spaces and studios before so starting 95Labs sort of a natural progression. We’re really blessed to be in a great and location and neighborhood amongst an awesome movement in here in Bushwick. The vibe is right so truly anything can happen.
AH: You’ve got a diverse body of work and you’ve never been afraid to promote against the grain. What platforms and sites get the best results for you?
TeV95: Diversity is something that’s very important to us, if your not willing to be open minded and try different things you run the risk of becoming outdated very quickly. We stay up on what’s going on as far as the interwebs and all that but Twitter is a place where we’ve made some real valuable connects. We also enjoy Bandcamp’s platform. There’s not too many sites that allow you to sell your music in FLAC or ALAC format that’s something that streaming services and iTunes do not offer and for audiophiles its really important to have the best audio quality possible.
We also appreciate the coverage we’ve received from sites such as Audio Hype, The Recommender, Bushwick BK, DJ Jazzy Pants, Elevator Hip Hop, Culture King, and Rap Reviews ….. amongst many others who actually write articles about us and our releases as opposed to just posting a link.
So as far as platforms there’s plenty. What’s important is that our story is being communicated through all the networks both on and offline. We want our followers to be able to witness and be a part of our growth so in the near future to they can say, “I was fucking with 95Labs before they had major success and I’m part of the movement that made it possible”’
AH: Do you plot out promo campaigns based on the results you want, or does the project itself inform the process?
TeV95: It would be cool to say we thought about it that deeply but in reality we just go with the flow and let things develop naturally. Our goal is to engage and inspire our audience while also challenging them to consider different points of view.
We’ve had limited access to resources primarily because we’ve yet to receive the financial backing that other successful companies may have, so this has forced us to work harder and more creative than average. At the same time this is part of our story and is the reason we do what we do. We represent a truly independent movement and our followers know we are honestly creating something out of nothing.
We expect to grow and partner with other like minded companies and organizations in the future so even when we begin to work with larger enterprises within the “entertainment industrial complex” we expect people will trust our authenticity and integrity.
Be sure to stay tuned to 95Labs and our latest project the Delorean album with Miami MC Shottie entirely produced by myself. Shottie is best known as member of the rap group Idee4. He’s widely respected as one of the most talented MCs from Miami. He does not write rhymes but rather listens to the beat for about thirty minutes, memorizes his lyrics, and records them on the spot. He also is a talented film maker and writer who’s was recently nominated for an Emmy for his work on Sobre Mis Pasos a documentary about life in Cuba.
We have more videos and music in store for 2012, CDs, products, and are currently working on tour dates in both the US and Europe. We also have a few surprises in the works, new artists, and affiliations we’re excited about. So stay tuned in to the networks and thanks for your support!