Message Board Dynamics: Assessing the Plan-It-X Debacle

For a long time, I've done nothing but sing the praises of Plan-It-X records. Founded by Samantha Jane Dorsett (may she rest in peace) and Chris Johnston, it has been the home of various bands with varying levels of success, with the general idea being that no one should sell a CD unless they believe in the music and that if it ain't cheap, it ain't punk. A FAQ is available here, but let me quote a piece for ideology:

Q: WHAT IS THE POINT OF PLAN-IT-X?
A: we release music we love. music that we want other people to hear. plan-it-x records is not about making money. we are about getting punk music heard. punk rock is more than a business, or at least it should be. we sell all our cds for $5 postage paid. we still make enough money to feed ourselves and release more music. CDs only cost about $2 to make. think about that the next time you buy a $10 cd that's supposed to be d.i.y.

However, in the recent economic climate, CD sales are down, vinyls are up, and the death of Samantha has put a major hurt on the label. Still a powerful force in the indie music community, Plan-It-X has adopted a new strategy of releasing casettes and vinyls, to appeal to the retro aesthetic that can, for a reasonably cheap price and a vinyl premium, create new profits.

Except Plan-It-X is constrained by funding, rather than seeking active profit. Simply running the label and attempting community involvement in Cairo, IL has enveloped Chris in a deep debt, socially requiring him to run for profit if only to earn his basic needs. This has even turned into digital distribution, which Chris harbors an evident distate for despite its neccesity.

So then why is it a disappointment to a record label owner to adjust and arguably market to a new generation of consumers? The punks have grown up, in ways worse than others. The very people Chris founded the label for have been criticized for the way they've grown the official PIX message board. The founding ideal of cheap punk CD's is now, quite literally, gone. No more CD's will be produced or repressed, favoring the hopefully more profitable new forms of distribution.

And what of the people who loved the old Plan-It-X? Many still support it, but calls to arms are appearing on the official forum. In fact, many posts are not in regard to DIY or even music, but a large community has formed on the basic idea of liking PIX music and ideas. So where do you go from there, as a label owner? As an anarchist? Is a desire for profit neccesary for a label to succeed, along with the sort of marketing that controls other industries?

Chris has always been a hero of mine, so I apologize if this sounds like any worship. This record label exemplifies the crisis that an American Anarchist community faces to even stay afloat, with a saleable product. I will update more on the morning, but consider this a precursor to a discussion of Anarchist Ideals in the American Cultural Landscape