It's 15 years today since Flatspace II was released, so long ago and so much has changed. One thing I've changed today is updated the album art for both soundtracks. Here is the new Flatspace II soundtrack artwork:
I designed a full 4-page CD set of art for the soundtrack back when it came out but, in the end I didn't print any CD copies. I did a quick check and discovered, quite surprisingly, that in 2008 I sold 50 albums but now I'm lucky to sell five in a year, by CD or download. Yet, as far as I can tell, my music is more popualr now than then. This illustrates the changes in the way people listen to, and own, music. Things are still changing, squeezed by the tech giants of Google, Apple, Amazon etc. I feel that these companies want to charge people per-listen (or per-watch for films), rather than have anyone own anything, because it's more profitable to rent than sell. I can understand the model, but it can mean the creators getting what those vendors dictate. If a someone else controls how people watch or listen then creators can't sell their work any more.
Still, no monopoly or power system lasts forever. The system with technology companies is probably more open now than when Microsoft was dominant. Its dominance it killed Microsoft by lack of innovation and competition; this has always been and will alwyas be the doom of the monopoly on anything, whether economic, political or religious doctrine. All things need others to thrive and all things must change and adapt or die. Without rivals monopolies don't know what to change to until it's too late, which is why the greatest monopolies crash in the most destructive ways when they end. I expect that in 15 years we will have totally new and unexpected power brokers in the realms of technology, music, film, data.
My work on the album art continues and I've made lots of changes today to the Arcangel soundtrack and Bites of Greatness covers. Perhaps I ideally need some new music videos for Fall in Green, but I also ache to compose and record more music.
