The Future is calling...

Eurock began as an FM radio show in 1971 and morphed into a print fanzine in 1973. Over almost 40 years now it has evolved into an odyssey through life enriched by many friends all around the world and more amazing music than I could listen to twice in my lifetime. As 2010 arrives it has become obvious to virtually everyone that the world has fundamentally changed in ways previously unimagined. In lieu of that it naturally follows that people need to re-think many things and make their own changes. The ability to evolve and adapt are two necessities of life. This goes for Eurock as well.

In particular two major developments have created a new world order. Fundamentally the entire global economic spectrum of activity has become systematic chaos. The US dollar rises and falls hourly while financial mega-institutions unilaterally control “the Market” making our lives in the global economy subject to one giant Ponzi scheme after another. Following the news today is an exercise in surreality. This situation has immeasurably altered every area of our lives and business as we once knew it.

In addition, a quantum leap in technology has taken place making the planet a much smaller place. Yet at the same time in many ways even more infinite and impenetrable. Everything is at the touch of your fingers, with precious little being much more than an ethereal image on a screen any longer. The synergy of both these events has revolutionized the way we live and work.

The “tech upgrade” has left us paradoxically and unfortunately with less time for human contact and appreciation of the basic things in life we used to cherish. Can you remember the last time you spent a quiet evening in conversation with close friends enjoying some great new musical discovery? Those old days seem but a dim memory today. We've traded away our simple pleasures and replaced them with new toys. We can hardly make time in our busy lives to take a deep breath and reflect. If we could maybe clarity would enable all that’s happened to come into focus. The lesson we should have learned by now is that life should spent appreciating the truly meaningful things, small joys and people that matter while we are here.

Reflecting on all this it became very clear that it's time for Eurock to return to first principals. My raison d’etre” as always will be to continue exploring and promoting the most interesting music the world has to offer. One change however will be that the scope of music covered will become even more wide ranging. The other big change is that from now on Eurock will be done for fun, not for profit. Instead of engaging in commerce, it will serve as a media portal spreading the word in a different way. As it was in the beginning, so it shall be once again - a labor of love inspired purely and simply by love of the music!

As providence would have it fate has brought me together with another kindred spirit who is on his own quest for creative fulfillment as well as a little fun in later life. My Eurock podcast collaborator and creative right arm for the past few years Doktor Bob and I have brainstormed the beginnings of a new working model.

Initially that includes making the FREE Eurock podcasts much more frequent, more musically divergent and available via as many channels as possible. There are 15 programs now available online via iTunes and eurock.com. In conjunction with this eurock.com will undergo a process of redesign and reincarnation as a webzine featuring reviews of new music & interviews with various artists designed to coordinate with the podcasts. The intent is to create a more modern and all encompassing way in which artists can more effectively promote their work. To facilitate this incorporated into both podcast and webzine will be a direct link to artists so their audience can communicate with them and vice versa.

This combination of multimedia promotion and virtual information source will serve as a vehicle for all music lovers and artists to directly explore the many possibilities of sharing their creations and love of music via the Net. The old model of centralized distribution is out dated and broken down. A new paradigm is called for in the marketplace. The world has begun changing in ways we never imagined, and there is an even more profound cultural and economic shift on the horizon. Now more than ever before it’s up to people to embody the change that needs to happen.

Early in 2010 we will kick this new era off with a brand new interview with Derek Shulman formerly of Gentle Giant in which he talks about the past, present and brand new band reissues. They are now available digitally for the first time, and will soon be released on CD, re-mastered for the first time from the original tapes. That will be complemented by a new podcast featuring Derek’s thoughts on the band, his work since they broke up and the previously unreleased material on DVD coming out soon.

I invite all artists to get in touch and send your materials for consideration - Audio & Video. All music lovers as well should send your email contact information to be put on the e-news list so you will receive updates on all the new music and information. There are lots of other interesting innovations and special projects being planned as well. So Tune in & Enjoy!

Achim Roedelius ~ Dieter Moebius ~ Tim Story ~ CON ~ Manuel Gottsching

Damo Suzuki ~ Attila Grandpierre ~ Giorgio Gomelsky ~ Luis Paniagua