Kaiser Chiefs Release Surprise Fourth Album The Future Is Medieval, Let Fans Compile the Album's Ten Tracks

For £7.50 ($12.27), fans can download ten out of a possible twenty tracks, create their own album art and then sell the album -- earning £1 every time their particular version is downloaded. Every one of the twenty Tony Visconti-produced tracks can be listened to before being chosen.Drummer Rick Wilson...

By Michael Lopez

June 3, 2011

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For £7.50 ($12.27), fans can download ten out of a possible twenty tracks, create their own album art and then sell the album -- earning £1 every time their particular version is downloaded. Every one of the twenty Tony Visconti-produced tracks can be listened to before being chosen.

Drummer Rick Wilson had this to say about the whole ordeal:

"Is it the future of music? We can't tell you that. If people want to compare it to Radiohead, that's their business. But we hope it might be a catalyst for other people to try similar things. Mix it up a bit."

The Radiohead comparisons are the obvious first choice when an album is presented in a way such as this, yet Kaiser Chiefs are onto something a level above what Radiohead had offered with their 2007 album In Rainbows. With both albums, the fan was given a certain amount of power -- In Rainbows allowed the fan to pay as much as they wanted for the album, while The Future Is Medieval lets the fans compile their own, unique album. However, fans didn't have the chance to make money off of In Rainbows -- something that makes The Future Is Medieval all the more fascinating.

Is this the future of music? That's hard to say at this point in time -- who knows if this will catch on and bands will become diplomatic to the point that they will allow their fans to make money off their efforts. This move by Kaiser Chiefs, however, is one that is as intriguing as it is exciting. What fan hasn't ever thought of compiling their own, specific "totally badass" playlist for a favorite band? With The Future Is Medieval, that once far-fetched daydream is a stark reality.

The Future Is Medieval is out now. Put together your own version via the Kaiser Chiefs' official website.

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