This year, Midem devoted an entire day (Saturday, 22 January) to MidemNet, a series of talks and debates where professionals were invited to imagine the future of the music industry. Topics broached at MidemNet raised questions such as "Can brand leaders use digital music as a marketing tool?" "How should peer to peer (P2P) systems be turned into paying exchanges?" "Can the Internet help small independent labels confront major record companies on an equal playing field?" Meanwhile, a number of artists were also on hand, keeping themselves up to date with the latest hi-tech developments (and keeping an eye on their future profits). Chuck D., from the American rap group Public Enemy, turned up at Cannes in person to talk about his personal experience of setting up his own on-line label, SLAMjamz Records. And Fatboy Slim's manager, Gary Blackburn, was also in town discussing the possibility of generating revenue for artists from ringtones.
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With a multitude of conferences on mobile phones, concerts, artistic copyright and 'illustrative' music (used in films, adverts and video games), Midem 2005 presented an intensely packed schedule. And the professionals milling around the stands had one common goal in mind: the "consumer" or the "public" (depending on whether you take a commercial or an artistic approach!) For there's no doubt about it, Midem is very much a marketplace not a festival and its watchwords are "promotion" and "buzz." Artistic talent is compensated, however, in the form of professional (and sometimes public) awards and these kicked off on Saturday night with the French radio station NRJ handing out trophies for the best international and Francophone acts. (Nominees included Corneille and Chimène Badi).
As for "Urban Nights", the special hip-hop soirée organised on Monday night, this brought together stars from hip-hop past and hip-hop future, turning the spotlight on (the omnipresent) Chuck D., comeback kings The Pharcyde, hot new arrivals TTC and industry outsiders Ayo. Monday was also the day industry insiders would find out which act would carry off the award for "best new British indie pop-rock band"? Would it be The Infidels or Grand National? Would the bands' sets at Midem win over the necessary tour promoters and distributors? Or had those particular dice already been cast (given that both bands have already made their mark on the UK and US charts in recent months?)
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The majority of record labels and countries presenting their artists at Midem were there for one reason and one reason alone: aiming for that precious "cross-over" and hoping to extend their audience abroad. No one has forgotten how a certain Céline Dion arrived at Midem in 1983, representing her native Canada. She was hailed as the "hottest newcomer" at that year's festival - and promptly went on to sell over 500,000 copies of her single
D'amour et d'amitié in France! With diva Dion's example in mind, Dreamshifter, Bureaux and Valenti were out in force, flying the flag for the Australian label Amped while the Baltic States had overlooked political differences and got together to promote The Hobos, Skamp and Slodoban River. Meanwhile, three Brazilian hopefuls – the multi-talented actor and musician Seu Jorge,
bandolim (guitar) virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda and hot new revelation Cordel do Fogo Encantado – were on hand to launch the official "year of Brazil" in France.
As for the Swiss, they remained in the sphere they knew best (eclectic chanson), fielding a number of major candidates, but two main contenders, Mich Gerber and Thierry Romanens. Lura, the new musical ambassadress from Cape Verde, and the Korean singer Maya were two other names to watch. But apart from these two young divas Africa, Asia, Central Europe, the Middle East and Hispanic regions were keeping a low profile at this year's Midem. But France managed to put in a strong showing, both on the production side (Lura, Seu Jorge) and on the turntables (DJ Philippe Cohen Solal from Gotan Project, Stéphane Pompougnac etc.) Then, of course, there were the hip French compilations "Nouvelle Vague" and "Playground."
Midem also had its fair share of classical concerts and jazz sets this year with some truly exceptional musical moments courtesy of violinist Gidon Kremer and La Kremerata Baltica, drummer André Ceccarelli's quartet and the ceremony for the "Victories de la musique classique" Awards. Classical music obviously has a more limited market than pop or rock – and million-album selling artists remain a rarity – but judging by the reception the musicians got at Midem there are still plenty of loyal fans out there. The only musical genre missing from the stage at this year's industry fair, in our eyes, was death metal. But, despite the fact that death metal artists sell records, they have yet to be programmed at Midem (and their presence is sadly limited to a few record label stands).
And talking of the stands, there appears to be one overriding paradox in the Midems organised since the dawning of the New Millennium – and that is that while the industry fair still invites professionals to gigs with live musicians, when you reach the record label stands there's not a trace of a live artist in sight. Salespeople greet you with computer screens and hook you up for a taste of sound and vision via Internet. Has the new virtual era already dawned?
