Albums vs EPs vs Singles

[The_G]

Clearly techno is oriented toward singles, but where do your purchasing habits lie? Do you buy a lot more singles than albums or EPs? How about as a producer? Do you mostly release singles, or also albums and EPs? What drives the decision?

I ask because I've got 9 songs ready for my Concrete Island project, and I'm wondering if it's worth pitching it as an album, or if I'd be better off breaking it up into, say, 3-4 shorter releases?

[surface]

When it comes to techno, mixes are my main way to listen to/find new stuff.
Been so long since I bought anything but that's not out of being scabby, just that mixes serve their purpose for me.

If it was me, I would think 3 singles and maybe 2 ep's.
It gives your stuff a chance to find it's way out there over time.

Depends on what you want from it though.
Nice to say you have an album out I guess, but it's a different ball game ..

[surface]

Nice to work on the artwork side of it too, linking each release and refining the visual side of it.
Good luck with it either way ..

[Barfunkel]

If it somehow makes sense as an album, not just as a collection of nice techno tracks, then sure, release it as an album.


Good techno albums are rare though. Very few are such that you enjoy listening to them from the beginning to the end. Sometimes a techno album might even have many good tracks, but still pretty boring to listen as a whole album.

Of course, if you release only digitally, then it's pretty meaningless. People are mostly gonna buy just the tracks they like anyway. But if it's a vinyl release, then in most cases releasing it as separate singles/EP's makes the most sense.

My cents on the subject.

[parents]

I think most of techno music doesn't really fit in an album. I agree with Barfunkel that it really needs to be one to make an album. The aesthetic, the idea, the sensation and the progress from first track to the last. I would like to buy an album that has all these in line. If released digitally then it will be better to do it like Barfunkel said.

[WOLF!]

In these digital times when releasing a techno album people will (often) only buy the tracks they like.
That was different when buying vinyl albums (or mainly compilations in techno), because you then bought the whole album just for 2 tracks (when those 2 were only released on that specific album).
It's a lot cheaper now in these digital times when people only buy the track(s) they want and not the full EP.
This way of thinking also gives a answer to the question.

[terryfalafel]

I listened to Solens Arc by Kanding Ray last night for the first time in ages. That's a piece of work which truly is an album rather than a collection of tracks. It's absolutely lovely.

For quite a while I was buying techno albums or (unmixed) compilations simply because I didn't have time to hunt out enough good singles / EPs to mix with. Buying a compilation or album or two was an easy way to get a load of new tracks in one go and have plenty of new stuff to mix with. The added bonus is that you end up with a lot of stuff that other people aren't playing so much.

To answer your question, I think if your name is known, perhaps releasing an album is a good way to go. If you're at the beginning of the process of building a reputation, my gut feeling is that you can create more of a buzz with a couple of very strong singles releases.

Of course, that's ^^^ entirely dependent on the type of material. Are the tracks single type material?

[collide]

I like albums and EPs.

I never buy certain tracks from a release.

All or nothing.

[Aurongroove]

Techno to me seems to be a "singles, EPs and mixes" type of medium.

I would say with a genre as specific as techno, it's hard to justify an "album" as such (not that there aren't any, it's just not common).
About the longest release that makes sense to put out as a producer is a AA (two track single) or an EP (3-4 tracks).
And leave the 0:45-2:00 things to mixes.

I personally, have released almost no techno.
I put out an EP last year (correction, two years ago) that was essentially the digital rip of a vinyl AA single "plus one track". I would imagine if, God forbid, I ever make it as a musician and have a comfortable life that I would put out techno singles.
Singles, or EP's during more productive times.

[Aurongroove]

when I release other stuff, it's usually EPs or Singles

[Amøbe]

This might come off as a bit obnoxious, but I find that a lot of techno artist aren't capable of making an album.

Now let me explain. Loads of these artists are people I admire, but it seems that a lot of people have devoted their music (rightfully so) to the dancefloor. For this reason I find 90 % of the album releases to be 2-3 great tracks for the floor, and then 5 other tracks, which are just mediocre dancefloor material. For these artists I prefer that they just keep their output to singles and EPs... BUT if you are capable of going through very different moods, so that I won't be skipping a lot of the tracks, then I really do love techno albums. I think the genre as so are capable of producing etheral atmospheres that's inherently techno without being a floorfiller.

So for your question - I mostly buy singles and EPs.

[Lost to the Void]

This might come off as a bit obnoxious, but I find that a lot of techno artist aren't capable of making an album.

Now let me explain. Loads of these artists are people I admire, but it seems that a lot of people have devoted their music (rightfully so) to the dancefloor. For this reason I find 90 % of the album releases to be 2-3 great tracks for the floor, and then 5 other tracks, which are just mediocre dancefloor material. For these artists I prefer that they just keep their output to singles and EPs... BUT if you are capable of going through very different moods, so that I won't be skipping a lot of the tracks, then I really do love techno albums. I think the genre as so are capable of producing etheral atmospheres that's inherently techno without being a floorfiller.

So for your question - I mostly buy singles and EPs.

This, most techno "albums" are a collection of tracks. The concept is normally tacked on afterwords in some pretentious short essay.
There have been some good ones, but they are few and far between.

And if it is just a collection of tracks it is probably better to just release them as EP`s, in exposure terms.