All true, but the envelope that Radiohead and chef Achatz have ripped wide open is that of publishing and distribution.
Last fall, Grant Achatz announced his plans to self-publish the Alinea cookbook in collaboration with Ten Speed Press. A chef of Achatz’s celebrity would be expected to receive a hefty advance for such a book, but his contract forgoes that in exchange for complete control over the book and the launch of his online Alinea community, Mosaic. A move like this is what separates raw talent from a true visionary.
Shortly after, Radiohead announced the release of their latest CD, In Rainbows. They flipped the bird at the music industry by exclusively releasing it on their website http://www.inrainbows.com. The price? They left that up to you. A true watershed moment.
I truly think there’s no going back from what Chef Achatz has done. The interviews and stories around the creation of the book are really inspirational. It’s fantastic that someone was able to both achieve national (worldwide even) distribution without having to compromise their product for a mainstream audience.
The comparison to Radiohead is an interesting one. I’m all about an “open source” approach to creative enterprise. I’d much rather be a humble cook with a voice in a community than a celebrity chef isolated at the top of a media empire.
Playing with Fire and Water 
They like to push the boundaries with new technology? well I gues that would be more EL Bulli. hmm I dont know I give up
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I also don’t know but I am a huge fan of both.
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I guess it’s because they both rock on a higher level.
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All true, but the envelope that Radiohead and chef Achatz have ripped wide open is that of publishing and distribution.
Last fall, Grant Achatz announced his plans to self-publish the Alinea cookbook in collaboration with Ten Speed Press. A chef of Achatz’s celebrity would be expected to receive a hefty advance for such a book, but his contract forgoes that in exchange for complete control over the book and the launch of his online Alinea community, Mosaic. A move like this is what separates raw talent from a true visionary.
Shortly after, Radiohead announced the release of their latest CD, In Rainbows. They flipped the bird at the music industry by exclusively releasing it on their website http://www.inrainbows.com. The price? They left that up to you. A true watershed moment.
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So basically in a nut shell they do what they want to do and doesn’t let anyone else tell them how to cook / play.
I like
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I truly think there’s no going back from what Chef Achatz has done. The interviews and stories around the creation of the book are really inspirational. It’s fantastic that someone was able to both achieve national (worldwide even) distribution without having to compromise their product for a mainstream audience.
The comparison to Radiohead is an interesting one. I’m all about an “open source” approach to creative enterprise. I’d much rather be a humble cook with a voice in a community than a celebrity chef isolated at the top of a media empire.
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