"But maybe play them like a videogame"

I was really ready to dismiss the article on Beck's newest release as another write-up on an almost-interesting, "boundry-pushing" release. Not because I dislike Beck, but because the RIAA and the record companies they represent have demonstrated time and again that they are not willing to make any substantial changes to their business model, especially in regards to new forms of content distribution.

It seems like Beck, however, had the foresight to have his contract written in such a way that's allowed him to experiment with his releases. As the article explained, his most recent release was available in a multitude of forms that allowed a broader creative license that's difficult to capture in a traditional CD release. So far it seems like it's "the album plus some stuff" most of the time (Beck's DVD release included video and a surround-sound mix, according to the Wired article), but Beck clearly is interested in really taking advantage of what's available to him as far as low-cost technologies go to produce a more open-ended music experience. I was especially pleased that he was making low-budget YouTube films not because I especially enjoy YouTube (or Beck's music, really), but because it seems to me to be a great way to break out of the strict Record Lable-mediated fan interaction.