Some Words About Roios

Recordings of Illegitimate/Indeterminate Origin are the topic of much of the discussion that goes on, on the 'net, and so it seemed wise to make some comments about them...

"Why use the term 'RoIO'?"

There are various reasons for this, but the foremost is that, even if your mail is secure, when you post to a mailing list or newsgroup, your words are being broadcast all over the world, to places that are potentially far from secure. Mail involving certain illegitimate items could get you and the recipient of your message into a fair amount of trouble. Also, using the ``b'' (footwear) word on the various 'net forums (Echoes or the newsgroups) could attract unwanted attention to them, to the detriment of everyone.

Also, it is important to use ``RoIO'' on echoes because it is run out of an independent company. Using the more common term could present liability problems for meddle.org that they would rather avoid; using ``RoIO'' allows both the company and bear to legally cover themselves.

"Where can I get RoIOs?"

Local stores are a good place to try first. Avoid the larger chains, such as Tower, Music Plus, Wherehouse, Sam Goody, etc. Instead shop around at the smaller, independent shops. Stores in large cities and college towns are good places to look, as that's where much of the demand is. Try also asking for ``rare'' or ``concert'' recordings, ``imports,'' and that sort of thing.

The other main method of acquiring RoIOs is through tape trades. You'll find many people willing to trade tapes with you -- just ask people to send you their lists. And, for those beginning collections, some nice folks will even take blank tapes in payment, if you have nothing to trade.

For a set of guidelines to tape trading put together by Echoes members, send the commands 

 send trading.guidelines echoes
 quit

to the address ``echoserv@fawnya.meddle.org''

NOTE: While we're on the subject, please do not post lists of RoIO dealers and their locations to the 'net. This is a very easy way to make them ex-RoIO dealers -- they are, in general, uncomfortable with a lot of attention. Plus, posting their location could attract the wrong sort of attention (it's rare, but it happens more than you might think). Likewise, if you want to mail a response to someone asking for RoIO dealer locations, a certain amount of circumspection is in order.

"What are some good RoIOs?"

While the Echoes database is good for checking out particular RoIOs, it's cumbersome to use to find a general list of good-quality recordings. With this in mind, Herwig Henseler has put together a nice guide to some of the better RoIOs, for those starting collections or looking for recordings from a certain tour.

You can get this guide by mailing the following to ``echoserv@fawnya.meddle.org'' 

 mail roio_guide.062795 roio
 quit

Or, using a WWW browser, you can access it in full hypertext format at http://www.pf-roio.de You can contact Herwig at ``Herwig.Henseler@Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE''

"Where can I find lists of RoIOs?"

Check the ROIO database at http://www.pf-roio.de

"What are these 'Trance Remix' albums?"

They're RoIOs -- but rather than offering live or unreleased ``Pink Floyd'' music, they feature Floyd songs remixed to sound more ``ambient.'' Such music is difficult to describe -- think of the child of a ``Saucerful of Secrets'' and ``Another Brick in the Wall, pt.2'' union...

Trance remix versions are available of many Pink Floyd albums: Meddle, OBC, DSotM, WYWH, Animals, The Wall, and AMLoR; as well as remixes that mix and match Floyd albums, such as Welcome to the Remix.

NOTE: Some of these albums are rumored to have been done by such groups as The Orb, The KLF, and Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. About the only evidence for such claims I know of is that some trance remix albums feature samples from songs done by these groups. And, as some people have pointed out, the quality of these albums isn't altogether what one would expect from the people mentioned.

"How do I know if a RoIO is any good?"

Thanks to the efforts of the folks on the Echoes mailing list and others around the net, there has been compiled a database of many of the more popular RoIOs. For each item listed, information is (usually) given regarding tracks, playing time, relative quality, and anything else appropriate.

The database can be accessed in two main ways: via the World Wide Web and via the mail-based ``echoserv'' database. To use the WWW database, you need the appropriate software, such as Mosaic, Netscape or Lynx. The address of the database is: 

   http://www.pf-roio.de

For those without WWW access, the echoserv RoIO database functions via e-mail. For a list of all the RoIOs available in the database, send the following commands to ``echoserv@fawnya.meddle.org'' 

 filelist roio
 quit

(commands should be lowercase and left-justified) This will send you back a list of files, with each file describing a particular RoIO. To retrieve information on that RoIO, use the ``send'' command, followed by the filename, and then the word ``roio'' You can ask for as many files as you like at a time, one ``send'' request per line. The last command should be ``quit'' 

 send <filename1> roio
 send <filename2> roio
 ...
 quit

The mail-based list processor at the heart of echoserv will then mail you information on the RoIOs you requested.

If have a RoIO that is not in the database, please obtain the ``blank'' file from the database, which is a blank form. Fill out the form and send it to 

   roio-maint@fawnya.meddle.org     or     roio@fawnya.meddle.org

If you have additional comments you'd like make about a RoIO already in the database, use the same address.

A word about CD-R RoIOs

With the advance of technique, the CD-R RoIO becomes more and more popular. Everything that holds for RoIOs holds especially for CD-R RoIOs as well. Listen before you buy, never trust any information on the RoIO any further than you can throw it, and do not pay any more for the RoIO than you think is worth it. Especially since you can most likely obtain the same music through trading (see the next 2 questions)

NOTE: Naturally, none of this should be taken as condoning the actual purchase of this sort of thing where it is deemed illegal -- simply consider all this as just a further collection of Floyd trivia.