Is Bandcamp Friday Still Worth It?

I created the image above early in 2022. It was done in jest, showing the DJ comforting/protecting the fan as the Bandcamp Friday onslaught came ashore. DJ’s scour through all the new releases and play the ones they think their fans should hear. There is no denying that it’s subjective (and a bit of gatekeeping), but it’s a screening process that reduces the load the fans get (and kind of the point of DJs).

Bandcamp Friday started as a way to increase revenue to bands during COVID. Bandcamp kept it going, and that’s awesome. The first Friday of each month, bands get 100% of sales from the site: a site that already pays more than most sites do on any regular day. It may seem like a small token, but it’s a great benefit to the bands and the fans. However…

If you’ve seen the movie that image is from, both of them die. It doesn’t matter how much the DJ comforts or protects the fan, the tsunami kills them both. Bandcamp Friday was already an onslaught back in early 2022 and now has gotten to the point that it’s untenable for DJs and fans alike.

This last Bandcamp Friday (March 3rd) I had 79 new releases I had to promote and process. That’s only in the synth-heavy genres like Synthpop, Futurepop, EBM, Industrial, Dark Electro, etc. Seventy-nine after I screened all new releases to remove remix albums, instrumentals, etc. I can’t even imagine what DJs who play rock or pop go through on Bandcamp Friday!

It took me over four hours to do all the promos and initial processing. That processing narrows it down for me, but it still left me with over 60 songs to put on my show. It took me over five hours to put together, upload, process, and then promote Tuesday’s show. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about promoting new music (it’s what I love) or even the time, per se (I’m lucky enough to have the time). What I am complaining about is that it’s all at once now and it’s way too much for anyone.

I believe Bandcamp Friday has lost its secondary point of promoting music (primary point is still about bands making 100% of sales) to the fans because it’s too much to go through for them. They’re getting inundated with emails from Bandcamp, bands, labels, promoters, and social media promos from the bands and labels. It’s very common for me to get an email from the band, label, paid promoter, and Bandcamp all announcing the exact same new album or single. I’ve heard quite a few people say Bandcamp Friday is now spam. I’m not willing to say it’s spam, as it’s not unsolicited, but I get their point.

The primary reason Bandcamp Friday may not be worth it anymore for bands? Your new release is likely getting lost in the tsunami. While I DJ a bit different and do a show dedicated to new releases regardless of how many or how few there are, and include all of them that fit the rules I have in place for the show, that’s not how most DJs operate, and generally speaking, it’s not how fans find out about new music.

I’ve come to the conclusion that bands are better off releasing their new music outside of Bandcamp Friday so that it’s more likely to be seen and heard. Then on Bandcamp Friday, instead of promoting a new release, promote your entire Bandcamp page or setup a deal to get 30% off if they purchase your entire discography or 10% off any individual album/EP/single purchase with promo codes (this won’t address the tons of email issue, but it will address new music getting lost in the onslaught).

I honestly hope Bandcamp Friday sticks around for a long time, but given the nature of the beast, I think bands need to rethink how they use Bandcamp Friday and seriously consider it as a sales day and not a release day. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that no one release music on Bandcamp Friday. We don’t want it to be a dead release day, either. What I am saying is that if you have a new single and you’re holding onto it just for Bandcamp Friday, consider releasing it beforehand and then promoting your discography on Bandcamp Friday. But if you’re just releasing stuff on Fridays and it happens to be a Bandcamp Friday, then so be it. In other words: balance.

Balance. Balance. Balance. Let’s give the fans and DJ’s a chance at surviving that Bandcamp Friday tsunami.

Keep the awesome coming! Keep supporting the bands, the music, and the various scenes related to them!

Synthentral Top 30 Albums of 2022

From 100 to 30! First step was to get down to 100 for the Top 100. Then down to the Top 50, and finally down to the Top 30 (here we are). Normally I would do a live countdown show, but my vision is all screwed up and I just cannot see the small print in my DJ software. I waited two weeks to see if it would clear up, and while it’s gotten better, I still cannot see the fine print clearly enough to go live. So unfortunately, there won’t be a live countdown show and I’m just posting the Top 30 here.

As a reminder, here are the rules and guidelines I work with:

• I only rate albums. There are tons of “best of” lists out there for singles and EPs.
  • An album consists of at least 7 original songs. Remixes, intro/outro, instrumentals, versions, compilations, etc. do not count toward the “at least 7.” Covers do count as long as it’s not an album of all covers.
• I must have the album in my collection to rate it. If a band or label didn’t get it to me, I didn’t buy it, or get it from a DJ resource, then it’s not on my list to rate.
• Song are rated individually and the album is rated overall for listenability, danceability, whether I wanted to skip any tracks, was I engaged from start to finish, etc.
• Rating is weighted so an album with 7 songs does not have an edge (or handicap) to an album with 17 songs.
• I post the Top 100 and Top 50 lists alphabetically and not in “countdown” style. The Top 30 will be in countdown style.
• I post my list after the year is over so any album released late in December 2022 still gets a chance at making it on the list.

As I noted in the Top 100 and Top 50 lists, I hope you disagree with my list and post some of your favorites that I didn’t include or I may have missed during the year and hope you’re as passionate about your favorite bands and albums from 2022 as I am mine!

I have “LISTEN HERE” links below each album cover, so go and listen and give each band and album a chance, and support the bands you like!

The Synthentral Top 30 for 2022:

#30: e:lect – Disoriented Illusion (LISTEN HERE)

#29: Voicecoil – Strange Days (LISTEN HERE)

#28: Reflection – Anima (LISTEN HERE)

#27: Blood Handsome – A New Calm (LISTEN HERE)

#26: RROYCE – RROARR (LISTEN HERE)

#25: Deep Down Wise – Deep Down Wise (LISTEN HERE)

#24: ÆON RINGS – Enemy (LISTEN HERE)

#23: Solitary Experiments – Transcendent (LISTEN HERE)

#22: Any Second – Enemies (LISTEN HERE)

#21: Dreamkid – Dreamkid (LISTEN HERE)

#20: VVMPYRE – Neon Night Fright (LISTEN HERE)

#19: Am Tierpark – Forevermore (LISTEN HERE)

#18: Alex Sindrome – Eject (LISTEN HERE)

#17: Blackbook – Confessions Of The Innocent (LISTEN HERE)

#16: Lucca Leeloo – Prosperous (LISTEN HERE)

#15: Sydney Valette – Home Alone (LISTEN HERE)

#14: In My Despair – Last Mirage On The Earth (LISTEN HERE)

#13: Causeway – We Were Never Lost (LISTEN HERE)

#12: 1984 – Sharp Dressed Men (LISTEN HERE)

#11: Mental Discipline – Nothing To Die For (LISTEN HERE)

#10: Risk Risk – Blue Science (LISTEN HERE)

#9: Eisfabrik – Life Below Zero (LISTEN HERE)

#8: Current One – Praeludium (LISTEN HERE)

#7: CZARINA – Arcana (LISTEN HERE)

#6: Zynic – Best Before End (LISTEN HERE)

#5: Xenturion Prime – Prisma (LISTEN HERE)

#4: Vanguard – Spectrum (LISTEN HERE)

#3: Vandal Moon – Queen Of The Night (LISTEN HERE)

#2: Corlyx – Blood In The Disco (LISTEN HERE)

And the number one album for 2022 was….

#1: Sacred Skin – The Decline Of Pleasure (LISTEN HERE)

Synthentral Top 50 Albums of 2022

From 100 to 50! First step was to get down to 100 for the Top 100. Then I wittle it down to 50 for the Top 50 (here we are), and finally remove an additional 20 for the Top 30. The Top 30 will have a corresponding show with one song from each album.

As a reminder, here are the rules and guidelines I work with:

• I only rate albums. There are tons of “best of” lists out there for singles and EPs.
  • An album consists of at least 7 original songs. Remixes, intro/outro, instrumentals, versions, compilations, etc. do not count toward the “at least 7.” Covers do count as long as it’s not an album of all covers.
• I must have the album in my collection to rate it. If a band or label didn’t get it to me, I didn’t buy it, or get it from a DJ resource, then it’s not on my list to rate.
• Song are rated individually and the album is rated overall for listenability, danceability, whether I wanted to skip any tracks, was I engaged from start to finish, etc.
• Rating is weighted so an album with 7 songs does not have an edge (or handicap) to an album with 17 songs.
• I post the Top 100 and Top 50 lists alphabetically and not in “countdown” style. The Top 30 will be in countdown style.
• I post my list after the year is over so any album released late in December 2022 still gets a chance at making it on the list.

As I noted in the Top 100 list, I hope you disagree with my list and post some of your favorites that I didn’t include or I may have missed during the year and hope you’re as passionate about your favorite bands and albums from 2022 as I am mine!

I have “LISTEN HERE” links below each album cover, so go and listen (if you didn’t on the Top 100 list) and give each band and album a chance, and support the bands you like!

The Synthentral Top 50 for 2022 (in alphabetical order):

1984 – Sharp Dressed Men (LISTEN HERE)

ÆON RINGS – Enemy (LISTEN HERE)

Alex Sindrome – Eject (LISTEN HERE)

Am Tierpark – Forevermore (LISTEN HERE)

Any Second – Enemies (LISTEN HERE)

Blackbook – Confessions Of The Innocent (LISTEN HERE)

Blood Handsome – A New Calm (LISTEN HERE)

Causeway – We Were Never Lost (LISTEN HERE)

Chinese Theatre – Unfinished Business (LISTEN HERE)

Claustraphobia – Vita Et Mors (LISTEN HERE)

Code 64 – Broken Rhythm (LISTEN HERE)

Corlyx – Blood In The Disco (LISTEN HERE)

Current One – Praeludium (LISTEN HERE)

CZARINA – Arcana (LISTEN HERE)

Dagon – Owen Sebastian (LISTEN HERE)

Deep Down Wise – Deep Down Wise (LISTEN HERE)

Die Robo Sapiens – Robo Sapien Race (LISTEN HERE)

Dreamkid – Dreamkid (LISTEN HERE)

e:lect – Disoriented Illusion (LISTEN HERE)

Eisfabrik – Life Below Zero (LISTEN HERE)

Electro Spectre – Stereo Dreams PT1 (LISTEN HERE)

Exsect – Opéra Mécanique (LISTEN HERE)

EXTIZE – MonStars (LISTEN HERE)

In My Despair – Last Mirage On The Earth (LISTEN HERE)

Incirrina – Lip Led Scream (LISTEN HERE)

Jason Alacrity – The Criminal Class (LISTEN HERE)

Kim Lunner – From Dusk To Dawn (LISTEN HERE)

Kondratie – Москва (LISTEN HERE)

Lucca Leeloo – Prosperous (LISTEN HERE)

Matthias & Marss – Plus One (LISTEN HERE)

Mental Discipline – Nothing To Die For (LISTEN HERE)

The Midnight Computers – Romantic Disaster (LISTEN HERE)

No – Domestic Pulse (LISTEN HERE)

Poison Point – Poisoned Gloves (LISTEN HERE)

Priest – Body Machine (LISTEN HERE)

A Projection – In A Different Light (LISTEN HERE)

Propter Hoc – History The Operator (LISTEN HERE)

Reflection – Anima (LISTEN HERE)

Reichsfeind – Darken (LISTEN HERE)

Risk Risk – Blue Science (LISTEN HERE)

RROYCE – RROARR (LISTEN HERE)

Rue Oberkampf – Liebe (LISTEN HERE)

Sacred Skin – The Decline Of Pleasure (LISTEN HERE)

Solitary Experiments – Transcendent (LISTEN HERE)

Sydney Valette – Home Alone (LISTEN HERE)

Vandal Moon – Queen Of The Night (LISTEN HERE)

Vanguard – Spectrum (LISTEN HERE)

Voicecoil – Strange Days (LISTEN HERE)

VVMPYRE – Neon Night Fright (LISTEN HERE)

Xenturion Prime – Prisma (LISTEN HERE)

Zynic – Best Before End (LISTEN HERE)

Synthentral Top 100 Albums of 2022

Incredible amount of new music released in 2022! In previous years, I’ve had to start with 500+ albums and go through them all at the end of the year. This year I did it different: I only added albums to my “to be rated list” if I thought it had a chance to at least get in the Top 100. This narrowed my starting off point to just above 250 albums. Still a lot, but half the time to do the rating.

First step is to get down to 100 for the Top 100 (here we are). Then I go down to 50 for the Top 50, and finally remove an additional 20 for the Top 30. The Top 30 will have a corresponding show with one song from each album. Once I start removing albums from the 50 to the 30 that’s when it gets painful for me as an album I really loved gets removed because it had a rating of 8.62 and the album above it had an 8.63. Yes, it’s often that tight.

Here are the rules and guidelines I work with:

• I only rate albums. There are tons of “best of” lists out there for singles and EPs.
  • An album consists of at least 7 original songs. Remixes, intro/outro, instrumentals, versions, compilations, etc. do not count toward the “at least 7.” Covers do count as long as it’s not an album of all covers.
• I must have the album in my collection to rate it. If a band or label didn’t get it to me, I didn’t buy it, or get it from a DJ resource, then it’s not on my list to rate.
• Song are rated individually and the album is rated overall for listenability, danceability, whether I wanted to skip any tracks, was I engaged from start to finish, etc.
• Rating is weighted so an album with 7 songs does not have an edge (or handicap) to an album with 17 songs.
• I post the Top 100 and Top 50 lists alphabetically and not in “countdown” style. The Top 30 will be in countdown style.
• I post my list after the year is over so any album released late in December 2022 still gets a chance at making it on the list.

I expect people to disagree with my list because it’s subjective. In fact, I hope you disagree with my list and post some of your favorites that I didn’t include or I may have missed during the year. I hope your list is different and you are passionate about your favorite bands and albums from 2022!

Most importantly, I hope you discover new bands from my lists.

I have “LISTEN HERE” links below each album cover, so go and listen and give each band and album a chance, and support the bands you like!

The Synthentral Top 100 for 2022 (in alphabetical order):

1984 – Sharp Dressed Men (LISTEN HERE)

ÆON RINGS – Enemy (LISTEN HERE)

Alex Sindrome – Eject (LISTEN HERE)

Am Tierpark – Forevermore (LISTEN HERE)

Angry Pete – Misanthrope (LISTEN HERE)

Any Second – Enemies (LISTEN HERE)

Avarice In Audio – Our Idols Are Filth (LISTEN HERE)

Ayria – This Is My Battle Cry (LISTEN HERE)

Blackbook – Confessions Of The Innocent (LISTEN HERE)

Blaqk Audio – Trop D’amour (LISTEN HERE)

Blind Passenger – Teamwork (LISTEN HERE)

Blood Handsome – A New Calm (LISTEN HERE)

Buzz Kull – Fascination (LISTEN HERE)

C-Lekktor – New World Disorder (LISTEN HERE)

Causeway – We Were Never Lost (LISTEN HERE)

Chinese Theatre – Unfinished Business (LISTEN HERE)

Claustraphobia – Vita Et Mors (LISTEN HERE)

Code 64 – Broken Rhythm (LISTEN HERE)

Corlyx – Blood In The Disco (LISTEN HERE)

Current One – Praeludium (LISTEN HERE)

Curse Mackey – Immoral Emporium (LISTEN HERE)

CZARINA – Arcana (LISTEN HERE)

Dagon – Owen Sebastian (LISTEN HERE)

Das Leiden – Chapter I, Dies Irae (LISTEN HERE)

Deep Down Wise – Deep Down Wise (LISTEN HERE)

Die Robo Sapiens – Robo Sapien Race (LISTEN HERE)

Dina Summer – Rimini (LISTEN HERE)

Dreamkid – Dreamkid (LISTEN HERE)

e:lect – Disoriented Illusion (LISTEN HERE)

Eisfabrik – Life Below Zero (LISTEN HERE)

Electro Spectre – Stereo Dreams PT1 (LISTEN HERE)

Electronic Frequency – CON:TRAST (LISTEN HERE)

ElektroTerapi – Diagnose: Liebe (LISTEN HERE)

ELM – Penetrator (LISTEN HERE)

Encephalon – Surfacer (LISTEN HERE)

Exsect – Opéra Mécanique (LISTEN HERE)

EXTIZE – MonStars (LISTEN HERE)

Fractal Age – Another Way (LISTEN HERE)

Francesca e Luigi – Dirty Disco – The Ultimate Album (LISTEN HERE)

Ginger Snap5 – Make Me Bad (LISTEN HERE)

Give My Remains To Broadway – My Will Is Not My Own (LISTEN HERE)

Harsh Symmetry – Display Model (LISTEN HERE)

Headless Mannequins – Shadowland (LISTEN HERE)

Hidden Souls – All That We Destroy (LISTEN HERE)

Humans Can’t Reboot – No Tomorrow (LISTEN HERE)

IDEON – Forever Can Wait (LISTEN HERE)

Ill Humans – New Light (LISTEN HERE)

In My Despair – Last Mirage On The Earth (LISTEN HERE)

Incirrina – Lip Led Scream (LISTEN HERE)

Jason Alacrity – The Criminal Class (LISTEN HERE)

Kim Lunner – From Dusk To Dawn (LISTEN HERE)

The Kolour Kult – Reception (LISTEN HERE)

Kondratie – Москва (LISTEN HERE)

LAU – Circumstance (LISTEN HERE)

Liquid Modern – Circle & Light (LISTEN HERE)

LMX – Habits & Addictions (LISTEN HERE)

Lucca Leeloo – Prosperous (LISTEN HERE)

Martiné – My Mind – The Hand Grenade (LISTEN HERE)

Matthias & Marss – Plus One (LISTEN HERE)

Mental Discipline – Nothing To Die For (LISTEN HERE)

The Midnight Computers – Romantic Disaster (LISTEN HERE)

Miseria Ultima – In Colors Of Void (LISTEN HERE)

Movie Camera – Memory / Display (LISTEN HERE)

My Own Burial – Breathing Sorrow (LISTEN HERE)

No – Domestic Pulse (LISTEN HERE)

Noise Resistance – Stripped (LISTEN HERE)

Panic Priest – Psychogoria (LISTEN HERE)

Peppy Pep Pepper – Decline (LISTEN HERE)

Perel – Jesus Was An Alien (LISTEN HERE)

Poison Point – Poisoned Gloves (LISTEN HERE)

Prager Handgriff – Das Letzte Gefecht (LISTEN HERE)

Priest – Body Machine (LISTEN HERE)

A Projection – In A Different Light (LISTEN HERE)

Propter Hoc – History The Operator (LISTEN HERE)

Pure Obsessions & Red Nights – Let Your Obsessions Run Wild (LISTEN HERE)

Rebel Empire – Street Art (LISTEN HERE)

Reflection – Anima (LISTEN HERE)

Reichsfeind – Darken (LISTEN HERE)

Risk Risk – Blue Science (LISTEN HERE)

RROYCE – RROARR (LISTEN HERE)

Rue Oberkampf – Liebe (LISTEN HERE)

Sacred Skin – The Decline Of Pleasure (LISTEN HERE)

Saft – Dansar Med Satan (LISTEN HERE)

She Hates Emotions – Happy Pop Music (LISTEN HERE)

Solitary Experiments – Transcendent (LISTEN HERE)

Stereoskop – Silk (LISTEN HERE)

Sweet Tempest – Going Down Dancing (LISTEN HERE)

Sydney Valette – Home Alone (LISTEN HERE)

Tempers – New Meaning (LISTEN HERE)

Tragic Impulse – Distant Worlds (LISTEN HERE)

Undine – Ether (LISTEN HERE)

Unidad Obscura – Entre La Agonia (LISTEN HERE)

Unify Separate – Music Since Tomorrow (LISTEN HERE)

Vandal Moon – Queen Of The Night (LISTEN HERE)

Vanguard – Spectrum (LISTEN HERE)

Voicecoil – Strange Days (LISTEN HERE)

VVMPYRE – Neon Night Fright (LISTEN HERE)

X Marks The Pedwalk – New/End (LISTEN HERE)

Xenturion Prime – Prisma (LISTEN HERE)

Zynic – Best Before End (LISTEN HERE)

Synthentral Top 30 Albums of 2020

There was so much amazing music in 2020. 2020 saw more singles/EP’s than albums. In 2019 I had 612 albums and this year I only had 447. I narrowed that down to the Top 100, then Top 50, and now it’s the Top 30 albums of 2020!

I have several rules I work with when getting to my Top 30 list:

• In order for an album to qualify, the album must be in my library, either through purchasing it on my own or given to me by the band or label. There were quite a few albums released in 2020 that were not provided to me by the band/label or I was not able to purchase.
• To qualify it must be an album. There are plenty of lists out there for “top songs” that cover singles and EPs.
• To qualify as an album it must have at least seven original songs. Remixes, new versions, cover albums, compilations, and “best of” do not qualify. Intro and outro songs as well as brief intermission style songs do not count toward the total of original songs. This year instrumentals no longer counted since I stopped playing instrumentals on the show.
• All albums are weighted so that an album with 7 songs has the same point system as an album with 12 songs.
• I judge each song individually. Then rate the album overall based on the individual song scores, the listenability of the entire album, etc.
• I post the lists alphabetically and do not list or post them in a “countdown” style.

I fully recognize that my list is subjective and that others will have different lists or disagree with my choices. I love that others have different lists and are passionate about different bands and albums! Regardless, listen to the music and give it all a chance. I have “LISTEN HERE” links next to each album title, so give each band and album a chance and listen and support the bands you like!

While I don’t list the albums in a 30 to 1 list, I think the highest rated album deserves to be recognized: my Number One Album of 2020 is “Singularity” by Voicecoil.

The Synthentral Top 30 Albums of 2020 (in alphabetical order):

11Grams – Humanicide: LISTEN HERE

Alanas Chosnau & Mark Reeder – Children Of Nature: LISTEN HERE

Alphamay – Conformity: LISTEN HERE

Ashes ‘N’ Android – Razors Edge: LISTEN HERE

Assemblage 23 – Mourn: LISTEN HERE

BlakLight – Music In A Time Of Uncertainty: LISTEN HERE

Brutalist Architecture In The Sun – The Sadness Between Cities: LISTEN HERE

A Covenant Of Thorns – Black: LISTEN HERE

Croona – Nobody Loves You: LISTEN HERE

Daniel Hall – Dark Horse: LISTEN HERE

Ego Bliss – What The Future Holds: LISTEN HERE

ES23 – Only Melodies Remain: LISTEN HERE

FCH – Synaesthesia: LISTEN HERE

Frozen Plasma – Gezeiten: LISTEN HERE

Kim Lunner – This Is Me: LISTEN HERE

Kiss Of The Whip – We’re Not Here: LISTEN HERE

Klonavenus – Motion:Less: LISTEN HERE

Klutæ – Queer For Satan: LISTEN HERE

Korine – The Night We Raise: LISTEN HERE

N-Frequency – Signs Of Evolution: LISTEN HERE

Neuroactive – Minor Side​-​Effects: LISTEN HERE

The New Division – Hidden Memories: LISTEN HERE

Noise Resistance – Insights Of Ego: LISTEN HERE

Pandoria – Clean: LISTEN HERE

Pitch Yarn Of Matter – Legacy: LISTEN HERE

Provision – Hearts Turn Dark: LISTEN HERE

Technophobia – Some Of Us Are Looking At The Stars: LISTEN HERE

Vandal Moon – Black Kiss: LISTEN HERE

Vaylon – Legacy: LISTEN HERE

Voicecoil – Singularity: LISTEN HERE