The unpredictable predictability of the hivemind

Thanks to the internetz it's so much easier getting attention nowadays, especially (and specifically) for independent artists, smaller companies, and your average Joe who happens to have a video camera (or just mobile phone) and an average knowledge of how to work a computer, all you need to put that stuff on youtube! Is it a good thing, though? Are we sacrificing quality for quantity? I don't think so. I say keep it coming, people will select what they like, despite the powerful influence of the allmighty hivemind. People have been given user-friendly tools which allows everyone a shot at getting their 15 minutes of fame. Question is, will you impress the x factor panel consisting of THE FUCKING WORLD?

Guess I'm just thinking out loud about the "virality" of internet phenomena. To prove my point I want to share a video with you, Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To know" which I think most of you must have seen by now because it has blown up on youtube getting (as I write this) over 45 millions views. When I first saw it, it had under a million views. I remember thinking "Wow, this is a fucking good song, more people should hear this". By the time I started sharing it with friends it had gotten over 2 million views and from then on it just sky rocketed. This little indie artist from Australia who had been diligently working on music for years was embraced by the internet and awarded with internet superstardom. (He definitely deserves it, fucking awesome music) 

And here's another thing (rather wordy blog post this time, shouldn't be blogging in night time), with this being a blog about house music I'm posting a rather good remix of the song that I found. It's a predictable thing in this time of electronic music that every big hit song seems to be remixed to death. When I started digging house music I thought I was tapping into some underground music scene, that I would have to attend gigs in dingy, sweaty close down factories and warehouses to "get my dose of the good stuff". But instead house music exploded all over the scene and became mainstream! Here I was thinking I was being alternative and then I'm just like any other little hipster kid, loving what is trendy. Was this just a coincidence or was my mind subconsciously following the unspoken commands of the hivemind? I wouldn't like to think so but I'm just not sure damnit! 

But what I can say is this: It doesn't matter. I like house music because I like house music. I like what I like because I like it (that makes sense, doesn't it? Again it's the middle of the night). And I know I like this (predicted) remix of Gotye's brilliant song. Hope you do too.