// History

Clever Music is the brainchild of Mark-Henning and Alex Stephen. The 1st version (v1) launched in 2001 as a platform for underground electronic dance music artists making what could be loosely defined as techno, to promote themselves and their work within an international environment. The site allowed artists to upload their material directly to the site where it was available to download free of charge.

The site particularly encouraged artists using technologies such as Final Scratch and Ableton Live to download the music for the purposes of playing material live to audiences across the globe. In this manner Clever Music v1 became a resource for forward thinking artists embracing technological advancement, celebrating a new musical transparency and attempting to utilise the vast distribution potential of the medium. In addition, the site provided regular news, listings, reviews, features, links and a forum, developing a truly open discourse with the international scene.

// Today

The netlabel has in recent years become an increasingly viable release medium, gaining more coverage from the press and wider usage from an increasingly web-literate audience. Whereas the vinyl format has faced difficulties with serious repurcussions for its creative culture - depleting sales, bad distribution and inflation, the netlabel, in contrast has blossomed, unencumbered by commercial concern; breeding cutting-edge, idiosyncratic music and encouraging hybridization of genres.

In reference to Clever Music v2, the netlabel format has obvious synergy with the Clever Music ethos. As the site costs for Clever Music v1 grew exponentially alongside the content, it has become clear that the netlabel format is the most suitable way in which to develop the site. By adopting the format Clever Music v2 is able to better focus its energies to promote its artists in an increasingly fragmented market. We have a release schedule planned for the next 12 months, with a release approx. every 4-8 weeks. Each release will receive bespoke promotion, both online and offline.

Finally, a quick note concerning the creative commons license (link on the right side of the site) which governs all music on the site: Clever Music explicitly allows downloaders of tracks to play/perform the said tracks at events that they receive payment for.