When the new, highly acclaimed British R&B act Mamas Gun made their debut in Hong Kong this year, they did it with the knowledge that they have a number one single in the city, one of the top selling albums in Japan, and the backing of an investment company who supports them every step of the way. They’ve achieved all this despite being virtual unknowns in the UK and without the marketing support of a major record label.

In a sure sign of the times, their record contract dissolved due to the recession, yet the band were able to keep the masters for their latest album. Now, they’re trying to make it on their own terms, releasing the album country by country around the world in what they see as the kind of personal touch that will eventually result in a large following.

“The whole campaign is funded by a UK investment firm called Shamrock,” says 31 year old lead singer Andy Platts. “They need to see business plans and a 12 month campaign, but what it does give is all the creative flexibility to let you do what you want. It’s the wave of the future. It’s coming back to the artist having the power.”

Even then, the group realise that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Whereas many artists in the past were handcuffed by long term contracts and advances that eventually were deducted from sales of their music, Mamas Gun retains the rights to their album and have a 50/50 profit sharing split with Shamrock. They’re also using innovative means to keep their name out there in the public, including the creation of self made YouTube video shorts, making their own videos and maintaining their own individual blogs.

“People used to rely on major labels to pump money into it, and people bought into that, almost like they should like it,” says Platts. “We have a small team which is family-like. Everyone has more jobs to do as a result, but it’s not just a bland output like it would be through a record company that is run through millions of people.”

Of course, major record companies such as Warner Brothers, Universal Music, Sony and EMI are still crucial to many acts in a wide variety of genres. If they deem an artist worthy enough, they have the muscle to get those acts heard on the radio and have the marketing power to create high power campaigns that will ensure visibility and attention for their acts—hoping of course, that will translate into legitimate CD or digital download sales.

But today, an artist or group simply has more options. They can put their own videos on YouTube, as the Chicago based group OK Go did, getting 50 million views and winning a Grammy in the process. They can also stream their music on MySpace, offer free downloads via their own website and create revenue splits via digital download sites like Tunecore. The rock act Linkin Park, long recognised as pros when it comes to maximising their opportunities, have even been heavily involved in a new iPhone App game called “8-Bit Rebellion”, which will include an exclusive track not heard elsewhere.

The options extend right to the recording process, as a company called ArtistShare enables artists to finance their own music due to avid fans who can invest in return for future perks (backstage passes on an upcoming tour, for example).

“I genuinely believe that this is an especially propitious moment for artists to take control of their own destinies,” the New York based attorney Bob Donnelly, who represents several top artists today, wrote in an editorial to Billboard Magazine recently. “And I expect record companies, who have always been the artist’s partner in record sales, to remain an important part of the equation—but not at the artist’s expense.”

Read more on new forms of music sponsorship in part two of this story coming next month.

To learn more about music trends around the world click here.