I never could help seing the very beginning of a new year to come like the first page of the first chapter of a new book and I guess those of you who feel familiar with the art of writing should understand what I'm sayin'. I dunno about you but as far as I'm concerned, I do consider those first lines as the opener to what is going to follow. And what comes next and how it comes is pretty much dependant on the aforementioned. So back to this precise period, I tend to perceive it as a sort of virgin era or shall I say an empty space the decoration of which to be the result of what and how we're gonna get into it, having in mind that wishing the usual Happy New Year to our relatives at 12:00 am is a thing but concretizing this hope is by far another one…

How was the previous year ? Blimey, could have been better, right ? Yes ! We all know it could have… But there again, the whole thang is based on the addictions of each single one of us's. behaviours. The way we make our beds, the way we sleep.. C'mon, we all have legitimate hopes and dreams and nothing comes from nothing, so there's no other deal on offer – except a miracle – than putting ourselves in the position of having them possibly fulfilled rather than staying without moving a single finger and keeping on rejecting the fault to the boy next door.

Experience, as we're talking about it, is the supposed fruit of observation. If complaining about a situation, then what we have to do is to avoid putting ourselves in the situation to reproduce it unless being a fool or an absolute egomaniac. So let's simply not re do the same mistakes again and again and again…

Some of you may object that it's easier said than done, but it's just elementary. Let's stop thinking with a short term view. Build oneself a name takes time, energy and hard work as opposed to that bunch of prefabricated starlettes made for lasting along the cycles of trends. C'mon, most of us here don't have the budgets of the majors, so believing that we can compete with'em is absolute non-sense. Let us have them playing that game and, as a matter of fact, see how it goes with them progressively absorbing themselves as time goes.

We want to make ourselves some name, then let's face the reality, starting with the analysis of the situation. Who are we, what do we have, what can be made and how could this be achieved ? Those being nothing but the basic Q's to be answered as far as communication is concerned, like who ? what ? why ? whose ? when ? where ? and by which means ? The responses to which being the elements we'll rely on to define our strategies. And believe this, it's in most of the cases, first and mainly a question of DIY.

Alright then, judging by the responses we've gathered here and there, the main goal is to have our scene properly identified. Then what about that stack of anonymous 12" sleeves as sole visual presentation of the weekly newies delivered at the record stores ? What about the global unexistence of pictures (images) regarding the actors of the scene ? What about that globalized trend from the DJ's consisting of providing their fans with playlists full of unavailable pieces of music at the time of their print ? And these are just a few of the many reasons why most of the considered as masses can't/don't get into it then provide the scene with subsequent incomes.

If in the will to conquer some fan base whatever our activity is, what we   have to do is to make ourselves sure to feed them properly. Once again, it's nothing but a matter of observation then motivation. Wanna make yourself a brand new day ? Then simply make yourself ready for it while adopting the right behaviour and do the right things in the most appropriate conditions in regards to your own situation.

The future starts now…  MFSB