Tricks (album) explained

Tricks
Type:studio
Artist:ohGr
Cover:Tricks_(2018)_cover.jpg
Released:June 18, 2018 (digital)
Producer:Mark Walk
Prev Title:UnDeveloped
Prev Year:2011

Tricks (stylized as TrickS) is the fifth studio album by electro-industrial band ohGr. The album was funded via a PledgeMusic campaign and was released on June 18, 2018 after a number of delays.[1] The band raised $20,000 within a few days of announcing their campaign. The band embarked on a North American tour alongside Paul Barker's Lead into Gold and Omniflux.

In January 2019, producer Mark Walk told Billboard that PledgeMusic had owed the band $100,000 and that they had been unable to manufacture merchandise and fulfill orders since the album's release.

Background

Work on Tricks began as early as 2011, directly after the release of the band's fourth album, UnDeveloped,[2] and continued through 2018.[3] The album was officially announced on May 13, 2017[4] [5] and was originally intended for release in October, 2017.[6] When it became clear that the album still needed post-production refinement and would not be ready for October, Ohgr announced a tour co-headlining with fellow industrial band KMFDM.[7] Ultimately, the album was released digitally on June 18, 2018. It was immediately followed by the announcement of a full North American tour with Lead into Gold as the opening act.[8]

PledgeMusic controversy

Producer Mark Walk said that they chose to use PledgeMusic because it appeared to be "a safe place for supporters’ funds to be held while the project was being produced". They raised $20,000 within the first few days of the campaign and delivered the finished album to the company, who remained silent regarding payments.[9] In a January 2019 article for Billboard, Walk explained that PledgeMusic owed the band $100,000 of their funds and that, due to the lack of money, had been unable to manufacture merchandise that had been promised during the campaign.[10] They had only been paid $40,000.[11] The band was forced to release the album digitally and go on tour without physical media to sell.[12] When Walk threatened that he would take the issue to the press, a company employee reportedly asked "if anyone would care."

The band suspended their campaign and told fans that they were looking into alternative platforms and refunds.[13] In February 2019, Sound Royalties, a music-finance firm, announced they had devoted $3 million in loans to help the dozens of artists affected by PledgeMusic's financial issues.[14]

Track listing

All songs written by Nivek Ogre and Mark Walk.Notes

Personnel

All credits adapted from Tricks liner notes.[15]

Ohgr

Additional personnel

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ohGr: Tricks on PledgeMusic . . June 18, 2018.
  2. Web site: Yücel . Ilker . ohGr InterView: Tricks of the Trade . ReGen Magazine . 23 August 2017 . June 18, 2018.
  3. Ogre . Nivek . Nivek Ogre . Elliott Fullam . Ogre of Skinny Puppy on New Records, New Role on Teen Wolf, Animals or People? More . Little Punk People . September 14, 2016. June 28, 2018.
  4. Web site: Yücel . Ilker . Ohgr Announces PledgeMusic Campaign for Fifth Album . ReGen Magazine . 13 May 2017 . June 28, 2018.
  5. Web site: Alexander . Chris . ohGr Preps New Album 'Tricks' . 15 May 2017 . . June 18, 2018.
  6. Web site: Trick or Treat: Support Ogre of Skinny Puppy in the Production of a New Ohgr Album . . June 28, 2018.
  7. Web site: Marotta . Michael . KMFDM and Ohgr (Skinny Puppy) Announce North American Dates After Cold Waves Festival . Vanyaland . 24 April 2017 . June 28, 2018.
  8. Web site: Pryor . Terrance . Ohgr Announce 2018 North American Tour . . June 28, 2018.
  9. Web site: Trapp . Philip . Crowdfunding Platform PledgeMusic Owes Its Artists Thousands (January 24, 2019) . . 24 January 2019 . 25 February 2019.
  10. Stutz . Colin . PledgeMusic, Once a Crowdfunding Haven for Artists, Now Owes Them Thousands of Dollars (January 24, 2019) . . 25 February 2019.
  11. Stutz . Colin . PledgeMusic's Failed Promise Leaves Artists in Limbo and the Future of Music Crowdfunding in Jeopardy (February 8, 2019) . . 25 February 2019.
  12. Web site: Jones . Byron . Report: PledgeMusic Owes Its Artists Thousands of Dollars (January 25, 2019) . . 24 January 2019 . 25 February 2019.
  13. Web site: Walk . Mark . Refunds/Unfulfilled Orders/Mailing List (February 5, 2019) . . 26 February 2019.
  14. Cirisano . Tatiana . Sound Royalties Commits $3M in Loans to Artists Impacted by PledgeMusic's Financial Troubles (February 25, 2019) . . 26 February 2019.
  15. Tricks . Digital liner notes . Ohgr . 2018 . self-released.