The battle between labels and musicians is a prominent issue within the music industry, often spoken about yet with not much changing over the years. Labels can be infamous for their controlling behaviour for those who have signed, with restrictive contracts affecting the artist’s music production and income, with stressful and sometimes unrealistic expectations placed upon creatives.
Aside from their professional careers, this can place a huge toll on the mental health of those working with different labels, and in turn hinder their creativity. Feeling pressured to create in a certain way in order to please a label is a reality, and can turn the passionate process of making music into cumbersome work.
This isn’t always true, of course – unfortunately, for electro-pop, chillwave artist Slow Magic, this became a reality. The excitement to hear of the musicians return after quite a long period of silence is real, yet hearing of the masked artists struggles balancing working with a label and creating music is disheartening.
In a conversation with Billboard Dance, the artist outlined the struggles he faced when his previous Indie label Downtown was bought out by Interscope Records. Initially unaware of the change, he stated:
“The label wanted to control more than we had initially discussed back when I signed…I felt I was being strung along until they could figure out what they were doing or until I had a radio hit.“
In lieu of these struggles, finding new management allowed the artist to break free from the deal in which he found himself stuck thanks to Milk & Honey. Feeling frustrated by his previous situation, his new situation has allowed him a new freedom which he recognises in his brand new work entitled Dreams Pt.1, the first of what will eventually be six tracks. Opening up with Billboard Dance on his new music, the artist shared:
“Dreams represents this new beginning and new freedom… I have been able to work the way I want to and create songs that capture the feeling of being free.”
With all tracks being released on his own terms independently, we are ecstatic to see the artist back in action.
“At one point, it honestly felt like releasing music again was just a dream and now it is a reality.”
Preview Dreams Pt. 1. on Slow Magic’s Souncloud below:
