Lately I've had the on-off urge to purchase a portable DAT recorder for the purpose of recording some of the shows I attend. It would be mostly for personal enjoyment, but the probability exists that, in coordination with the artist(s), said recordings could be given/sold to labels. I've also had thoughts of one day putting a small label together, and I assume the same thoughts have crossed the minds of enthusiasts similar to myself. Fact is that I don't have the time, money or energy to do such a thing, so those wishes will remain on the back burner. In thinking about it though, isn't it mindboggling how many labels are out there? It's easy to think that these "companies" are struggling, but I tend toward the idea that a good sum of them are labors of love and that the label people are comfortable with any lack of profits from their productions. As long as they break even! Others are clearly trying to be more. They are undoubtedly immovable lovers of the music they document, but they also take their work seriously as a business and as a secondary (sometimes primary) source of income.
I had a nice, brief email conversation with Marcus Liebig of Absinth Records yesterday. In his own recognition that his new, very small enterprise is not going to make him rich, he said something that really stuck with me. In trying to define his own purpose, he referred to his interest as "creative archiving." I really like that. I guess creative in the sense that he has artistic rights, and thus an avenue for his own creativity, to the presentation of the music he documents. But I also feel there is something noble about "archiving" certain strains of music that somewhat larger labels won't touch. In a sense, the small labels are performing a huge service in documenting the very development and immediate history of an artistic thing. It makes no matter to me whether or not areas of music are classified as a "movement". Hindsight is what says a certain musician or a certain music broke free of its contemporaries. And it is fortunate that -- whether or not the label business is currently thought of as clogged or overstuffed -- years from now, hindsight will have tons of reference material, much of it gems and key moments in a musician's creative evolution, thanks to so many music lovers who decided one day to create their own outlet for those and that with which they sympathize.
Posted by al on November 26, 2003 11:47 AMWell, to take just but one example, the recent Jimmy Lyons box set issued on Ayler would never have existed had Lyons not been just such a documentarian of his own work.
Even if Lyons more than likely committed these performances to tape largely for the purpose of furthering his own study.
Posted by: Joe Milazzo at November 26, 2003 12:52 PMHey, if you start a label, let me know!
Posted by: walto at November 26, 2003 3:10 PMI agree that archiving music is a very good idea. But I also think record labels should often think a little harder about what they put out on CD & how much they put out at once. A lot of 2CD sets should be one CD; a lot of 70-minute CDs should be 45 minutes. It's good to know stuff's being recorded for future reference, but that doesn't mean you have to rush out & release it two months later.
Posted by: Nate Dorward at November 26, 2003 3:12 PMtwo examples I know from portland
rasbliutto recordings: organized and run by bryan eubanks & jean-paul jenkins, is pretty much a "vanity label," existing to make "permanent" work that they've been doing. They make endless recordings for documentation, but only put something out when there's a reason, like a new direction or grouping that they want to share with 20 or so people. The recordings mainly exist to sell and barter on tour. This is a cdr-only label as far as I know.
urantia recordings: john krausbuaer, guitarist, runs this one. He's explicitly told me that he's doing it to "document" the current music movement in Portland (which is pretty much his peer group). Many of the recordings involve John, but others don't. He invites musicians or groups to do a recording specifically for him. He doesn't seem to have any real way of distributing his discs (as far as I can tell), although I've heard that they've peddled a few on tours. John's not interested in any of the business or marketing stuff, just the music. Someone (I don't know who) invested some cash in John, so his releases are "real" ceedees.
Both these labels are essentially designed to operate at a loss, and none of the owners has a very dependable source of income (hell, j.p.'s homeless right now). It's a lifestyle, like their music is. Covers are screen-printed by hand, and, lots of love is included.
Posted by: Jenny Foster at November 26, 2003 6:09 PMThere's also Louie Records out of Portland, which is run by drummer Dave Storrs to document the music of him and his friends; he's the one who puts out those Rich Halley discs I was talking about in the "Hometown Heroes" discussion.
Posted by: Phil Freeman at November 26, 2003 6:43 PMI'm starting A by order cdr label to disribute cds for free. People send a s.a.s.e, and a blank cdr or dollar to buy one and I will burn the music onto it and return. I figure it is a direct and easy way to get music I want people to hear heard without having to worry about scractching out publicity and distribution room. Hopefully people will be interested and can then make copies for their friends or spread the word and then maybe some pub will come my way, or maybe an anoymous patron.. anyway Email me at saltwatersnow@yahoo.com for address info if you would like one or both of these first two disks.
Odette001: John Clair- Early August exposed wires
Odette002: John Clair- processed Harmonica
the first is a 45 minute improv on exposed wires setup, the second is a recording of some chromatic harmonica processed into a 50 minute piece field of sound which tones ranging from low organ like pulses and sine waves.
I really like that ‘creative archiving’ phrase too. Frank Rubolino has an ample archive of live recordings dating back at least a decade and started his own personal (non-commercial) label- Rustic Maiden. He takes it very seriously, going so far as to design packaging that makes use of his equally substantial photo archive. With the healthy ‘tape’ trading communities that exist, I think it’s a practice that happens quite frequently. And it’s a pursuit I respect as long as the musicians’ permission is obtained.
I’ve been entertaining label schemes myself for quite awhile. But always seem to stop short of taking the finanical plunge. The latest idea was a percussion-centric label called Piga Ngoma. I envisioned bankrolling solo drum discs by Hamid Drake, Susie Ibarra, Kahil El’Zabar (emphasizing thumb piano), etc. Even spoke to Hamid about it & he seemed interested. But the narrowness of my chosen musical focus caused me to doubt its viability. That, and talking at length to Jon Morgan (of Meniscus) about the trials he goes through regularly with production, distribution, etc. Hell, I’m already strapped for time as it is ;).
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