This week is the first in a 2 part interview with friend of the label Phil Thomas. Phil is an acclaimed musician, songwriter, and long-time reviewer of music. He’s written an eBook which will be released soon called The Endangered Species about the role of the music reviewer today. The digital revolution has democratised music production and distribution: anyone with a laptop can record and release music. Record labels once served as curators and quality controllers, but there's less of us now, and their decline has arguably led to an unfiltered flood of music. As a result, the reviewer’s role as a guide or filter is perhaps more important than every, yet very much under threat...

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