attn: motw fans re: new album

[FuSoYa]

So apparently there is some stolen work floating around the internet now of our new stuff. I wouldn't care if they were finished, but these are UNFINISHED, STOLEN tracks. It's really not OK to listen to or share these, even though it may be out of happy anticipation. The shit is unfinished. I can only image the person who got these went through the dir on our site, snooping for stuff. That is kind of infuriating and not OK at all.

 

[FalseTodd]

So apparently there is some stolen work floating around the internet now of our new stuff.

Yeah, if you've listened to the pre-production stuff on this board, you'll see that those roughs won't even resemble the final product, and you're really cheating yourself by listening to them. Seriously, I think hearing the roughs will lessen your appreciation for the final product, there's a lot of warts in there that we very purposefully are not leaving in the album.

As Toby said, if they were finished and we were happy with how they were, that would be one thing. We're not going all Metallica-Napster here, just saying that finding an unfinished sketch and showing it to everybody as representative of the new album is bad for everybody. So please don't seek these out - the new record is almost done. You'll hear it soon.

 

[screwdriverqueen]

gah.

what a fucking asshole.
they actually snooped around on the server and STOLE it?

that's SO wrong?!!!!?

sorry, toby.

 

[FalseTodd]

To be honest, alot of the blame falls squarely on Toby and I as we left some stuff lying around in there. Which was dumb. Stole might be too strong a term, but it was clearly not up there for the public. I can understand being giddy and finding it there and grabbing it, but sharing it with others is what bums me out.

I'm not angry with the person who did it, I might've done the same thing, I just hope that those roughs don't enter wide circulation.

 

[screwdriverqueen]

hahaha on the server....

there was a joke photoshopped picture of me crying with a huge porno cock shoved in my mouth .

i bet they thought toby was pretty weird.

 

[FuSoYa]

It also sucks because there were some pretty dirty personal pics in the website dir, too.

 

[FuSoYa]

yeah that's what i'm talking about

 

[chupe666]

doing albums makes you more in tune with this sort of process, and there are certainly some rough mixes i've been on that i'd HATE for people to hear. when you're in the middle of working on the project, those involved are very anxious to hear their vision becoming fulfilled, but to those outside the creation process, it comes off as merely a crappy rendition of something they don't know the full potential of yet.
and spreading stuff around that is not really sponsored as "released" by the band is just wrong. if you don't know for a fact it was put on the internet for you, you shouldn't d/l it.

although i must admit that hearing the album in stages would be interesting, to see how it develops over time. especially since you guys take your time in completing records- rather than cram it all in a 2-week session, it's more spaced out & there's possibly more stages.
maybe once the record is done & released, a step by step completion (rough mix by rough mix) of a song put up on your website would be interesting. at least then the development would be in context, since the finished version would be there to compare to.

 

[OrganicImage]

Okay, I know this is targeted at me. I guess it was kind of stupid idea to compliment the new material, to say the least. However, a few things:

First of all, there was no server snooping. I'm almost completely computer illiterate, and, anyways, the files were under VERY obvious names. What basically happened was I had downloaded another, more legit MP3 on the motW website, and then, in the heat of boredom, decided to change the MP3 name to antique.mp3, which was the song of the new album which I had seen performed at ProgWest. I have no idea WHY I'd try something like that, but I did. And it started downloading, so I did similar things with the rest of album. That's it. There was never any server dump or anything like that. It's not as if I go around searching through websites for hidden pages -- this was just a really unusual matter of luck. However unbelievable and weird that sounds, it's completely true. It is inviting this kind of odd coincidence to name something directly after the song title.

I did not see any personal pictures; I did not see any other hidden files that may have been there. All that I got that is not normally accessible was the new demos.

Secondly, there will be no leaking. At all. I imparted the demos on 3 other motW devotees before receiving Toby's message, all of whom I know well enough to trust and who will not leak the MP3s. There are four copies of these demos out there, and there will not be any more. I can totally and completely guarantee that. For some reason I doubt this will be believed but it as well is absolutely true.

It will not be spread out there. The select few people I DID give it to were given it strictly because I was certainly giddy with excitement. This is not something that people will just find on filesharing programs. There are four copies. No more, at least until the final album is released. Ever, if you want.

I'm quite sorry for causing all of this trouble, in short. I hope you'll believe me when I that this was entirely unintentional. I don't necessarily expect you to (and can understand why you wouldn't), but everything I have said is entirely true.

So...yeah. Sorry.

 

[VangelicSurgeon]

Frankly I think it's cool that you posted that.

I'm curious as to how toby found out you downloaded the antique mp3 though!

 

[VangelicSurgeon]

also (just to play devil's advocate, mind you) I would say if you really don't want anyone to have access to something, a hard drive on the internet probably isn't the best place to put it, even if there is no link to it.

 

[OrganicImage]

Toby found out because I, in my excitement, PMed him about how excellent the new tracks are (especially Wayfarer, which I quite dig...that 'WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYFARER' part is true motW-style neatness).

 

[Xtokalon]

that's one smart motW fan.

 

[FalseTodd]

Yeah, thanks for posting that. I wanted to tone down Toby's message a bit, because while I can totally understand why he was upset, I can also understand why you grabbed the tracks. As I said, I probably would have done the same thing, and it's flattering that pre-release stuff of motW is an exciting commodity to you. (And others, apparently)

I'd like to thank you, Organic, for being so discreet about who you let hear the tracks. I'm sure many other people in your position would have had that stuff on Kazaa in seconds. You didn't and that rules.

And of course, I'm very psyched that you like the roughs so much! In a way, it's cool that after hearing them, you felt the need to share! I guess that means you thought they were pretty cool.

So, in short, I wish it hadn't happened, but since it did I'm glad you're being cool about it. Didn't want you to feel attacked.

 

[VangelicSurgeon]

now delete those files!

 

[FuSoYa]

Well look, I am upset about it because to me, it feels like the equivalent of if you walked by my bedroom window, saw a CD on my desk marked "new roughs", came into the house through an unlocked door, and copied the CD. It's taking advantage of someone's wish to exist without need for paranoia. It doesn't matter if it was a bad idea to name the CD/files obviously, or even keep them where they were kept. By no means does that justify it.

It's just one more blow to idealism, and whenever that happens, it's pretty upsetting.

Anyway I don't want to be kicking you when you're down, so to speak. Just wanted to express myself once again in this thread.

 

[VangelicSurgeon]

idealism died in the 60's didn't you hear?

 

[FuSoYa]

1980, i think.

 

[VangelicSurgeon]

right right

(devil's advocate)

 

[Novembers Paul]

Now to make this fair, you need to share all those mp3's with the rest of us... or.... or.... or i'll post all of the roughs of Eric!

All kidding aside, I agree with toby 100%. Only difference is, i'd be on a plane, on my way to fuck em up. You're right when saying "it feels like the equivalent of if you walked by my bedroom window, saw a CD on my desk marked "new roughs", came into the house through an unlocked door, and copied the CD." People don't realize, unless you write and record music, how much of yourself goes into this, and in your mind, it has to be "worthy" for people to hear. Even posting about it, and saying sorry, and confessing to doing it doesnt make it right. That's like saying "She was dressed like a slut, so she deserved to be raped". When people confess to a crime, and say "sorry", they still pay the price. Now, this isnt the same as a murder, or a rape, BUT, to the band, and Toby, it may as well be, because this material is personal to them. Being on a web server (unmarked) or on a CD in your house, bottom line, they were taken without permission, and that's pretty low from a "fan".