The rise of music's industrial nostalgia complex

The podcast delves into the phenomenon of music's industrial nostalgia complex, where business-savvy individuals acquire the rights to well-known intellectual properties in pop music. Primary Wave, one such company, strategically purchases iconic artist catalogs, often from deceased artists, allowing them to maneuver with more ease. Their approach involves using the catalog as an artist development tool, exploring opportunities beyond traditional song sampling. For example, Primary Wave orchestrated a successful lottery tie-in campaign with Aerosmith's 'Dream On.' However, this increasing focus on commercial exploitation raises questions about the impact on creativity and the art form of sampling, as well as the monopolization of cultural attention.