INTERVIEW: "From the cradle to the grave": In Conversation with Maurice Eggenschwiler of Blues Funeral

By: Aaron Pickford

Blues Funeral, a proto doom band from Houston, formed in late 2014 and play a unique brand of 60’s and 70’s infused music with a metal twist. The band name, inspired by the 1969 Groundhogs cut, “Blues Obituary”, is an ode to many of the group's influences including classic bands like: Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult, Mountain, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, 

Through many email exchanges over many weeks between myself and guitarist Maurice Eggenschwiler, his enthusiasm and passion for his band shown through, moreover his dedication to his craft and his unabashed determination to get his band heard is a measure of the DIY scene that has produced so many great bands over the years.  Maurice's commitment to encourage the scene to take notice certainly won me over and after recently being voted "album of the day" over at Roadburn.com, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the band scored a record deal before the end of the year, not to mention a bunch of new followers in the process.

So, today it is my pleasure to present a short interview with Maurice, not to mention a full stream of their superb debut album “The Search”.  Welcome to the procession.... Blues Funeral 

SL:  Can you give us a brief history of your playing career to date leading up to the formation of Blues Funeral and release of your current record?

Maurice Eggenschwiler: Absolutely.  3 quarters of Blues Funeral (Jan, Cory, and I) have played together for several years in another band called Sanctus Bellum.  In November of 2014, Sanctus Bellum went on hiatus for a period of time which allowed us to shift our attention and focus to Blues Funeral.  Cory knew Gabe from way back as they both went to Carnegie Mellon, and luckily was able to recruit him into the fold.  The idea was to form a band that would allow us to incorporate some musical influences that wouldn’t have been at home in Sanctus… but that are very much a part of the fabric of our musical being.  The prominent inclusion of the Hammond organ sound (which we achieve through the use of a Nord Electro 3) is probably the most important aspect of that thought process.  Blues Funeral is essentially the apex at which our metal influences and our deep love of the 60’s and 70’s converge. 

With Blues Funeral we’ve had the chance to share the stage with bands like: Venomous Maximus, Night Demon, Royal Thunder, Black Tusk, The Obsessed, Sierra, Karma To Burn, Helstar, Deadhorse, and Marty Friedman.  The year and a half that we’ve spent playing live shows has given us the opportunity to write and refine the 6 tracks that ended up on the record (as well as a few others that are already in the works). 

SL: What can you tell us about your debut record and where do you feel it sits within the context of the current doom scene?

Maurice Eggenschwiler: Having played together for more than 5 years, Jan, Cory, and I have developed a natural rhythm when it comes to song writing.  We’ve always been huge fans of harmony (both instrumental and vocal) and that plays a vital role in these songs.  The sound we were able to achieve on this record is the product of using more complex chord extensions with the instrumentation and then layering that over a rock solid rhythm section.  Gabe’s bass tone, which is nice and punchy in the mix adds another dimension to that.  Lyrically, the album deals with a range of topics that are both introspective as well as reflections on aspects of the human condition that we observe in the current state of our world.

In the context of the current doom scene, I think we bring something to the table that certainly sits well alongside many of the stalwarts in the scene because we share common influences.  Simply put… we all owe Black Sabbath (and several bands that came before them) a debt of gratitude for laying the foundation for this kind of music.  And if we’re being honest… the most direct line you could draw between Blues Funeral and the doom scene would use Candlemass as the connector haha.  Where Blues Funeral separates themselves from the pack, however, is with the aspects of our sound that owe more to jazz and prog.  This goes back to the comment about chord extensions.  To my knowledge there aren’t a lot of bands in the doom scene that play major 7 chords or minor 13 chords.  The organ sound is something else that I think creates a dynamic that connects us to bands like Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Atomic Rooster, and Procol Harum that I’m sure resonate with fans of doom, but that aren’t inherently a part of the sound that’s most common to the scene.  The net effect is that I think we are able to give fans something that they’re used to sitting squarely next to something that’s maybe a little more of a surprise.

SL: How was the mood in the camp going into the recording of the record?

Maurice Eggenschwiler: Pure unbridled excitement!  For the last year and a half, we have been incredibly humbled by the positive response we’ve gotten to our music in our own local scene.  The biggest point of feedback that we’ve gotten at every show we’ve played is that people were clamoring for recorded music that they could take home and digest.  Some people might have rushed to get in the studio just to get something out, but we really wanted to take our time refining the songs so that what ended up on the record was pure meat, no filler.  We really think we got that.  It had a lot to do with focus and preparation.  We spent a lot of time before going into the studio on pre-production (this was a process that I think was a bit newer for us) to make a lot of decisions on the front end about tempo, layering, effects, and harmonies.  Before we even set foot in the studio, we had pages of notes for our sound engineer and we had strong ideas about the direction of every song.  With all of that front-end prep, the studio process was actually fairly relaxed and allowed us to spontaneously give rise to some new ideas in studio without pressure over time constraints. 

SL: Finally then, what can fans look forward to from you over the next 12 months? How is your schedule shaping up?

Maurice Eggenschwiler: Well our next show is slated for 9/3 at Rudyard’s British Pub in Houston alongside Destroyer of Light and Witchcryer.  We have some other events planned locally through the end of this year and beginning of next year.  We’re also working on arranging some newer songs that we’ll be unveiling at these shows over the course of the next few months.  From there, we’re really setting our sights towards some sort of a European festival.  It would be amazing to share the stage with some of the great bands that frequent the annual renditions of Desertfest, Roadburn, and Freak Valley.        

Band info: Facebook | Bandcamp

Kalamata - 'You' (Album Review)

By: Chris Tedor

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/09/2015

Label: Pink Tank Records

Channelling the sounds of 70's space rock and the 80's/90's underground stoner/doom scene, they cover an exciting amount of ground and seamlessly fuse their influences into an intense journey.  What really impresses me about these guys is that they just started a year ago, which is a great sign.  A band who’s sound is this fully realized, this early on,  should move from being really good to exceptional.

“You” LP  track listing:

1). You (07:04)

2). Have (06:33)

3). To (07:17)

4). Die (07:36)

5). Soon (03:57)

6). Mother (03:31)

7). Fucker (07:14)

Kalamata is

Guitar | Peter Jaun
Bass | Maik Blümke
Drums | Olly Opitz

The Review:

Hildesheim Germany's Kalamata come blasting out and taking off with their first release “You.” Channelling the sounds of 70's space rock and the 80's/90's underground stoner/doom scene, they cover an exciting amount of ground and seamlessly fuse their influences into an intense journey and confirming our hatred of Europe for having cooler new bands than us. On to the review!

A long open lead line with just a bit of slap back delay begins the first track “You” while setting the tone for the rest of the album. Preparing you for when the rest of the band kicks in full gear. It's pretty cool song writing how Kalamata waits to kick the drums in after the rest of the band comes in heavy giving them that much more impact when they hit. The highlight of this track is the guitar solo which is a wah drenched tonefest with some tasteful playing.

The second track “Have” begins with a huge opening section which reminds me of a lower tempo “Age of Winters” era The Sword a bit. Dropping into the slow burning groove that dominates the rest of the song with some nice melodic guitar work. What brings this track together is an interesting tremelo picked lead guitar on the chorus which is not something often heard in stoner/psych instrumentals but really fits the mood.

The third track “To” opens with a riff that reminds me of some of Joe Walsh's slower tempo work on the James Gang's seminal 1970 album “James Gang Rides Again.” This is my favourite track on the album as it moves through some cool dynamic changes, starting with a very 70s vibe and moving into a heavier Kyuss-esque section. The song writing on this track is very smooth as all the parts flow together particularly well.

The fourth track “Die” starts with a deep drum and bass groove setting a nice mood for the rest of the track. Ripping into a short open section with splashy chords and some nice bends. The plodding riff right before the guitar only break in the middle of the song, is a really cool transition which touches on some more unexpected influences (King Crimson's Red perhaps?). These little dynamic cool sections are the rug that really tie these songs together and prevent “You” from falling into the common pitfalls that instrumental albums make, everything sounding the same.

The fifth track is a strange left turn in riffing, channelling some early 80s doom riffs and alternating with some interesting chromatic bass lines under some dissonant guitar chords. This is the song where you can really hear the King Crimson influence they list on their facebook page with some of the crazy fun style changes.

“Mother,” the second to last track, is the most rocking of the songs with a heavy 70s hard rock four on the floor feel. The wah infused guitar on the bridge is a really fun section. This is the shortest track on the album and it ends a bit abruptly and feels like it could be a little bit longer.

Closing the album, “Fucker” starts with a doomy opener over stomping drums. This is the most open feeling and doomiest song on the album. They don't quite reach Electric Wizard level of doom but this is a solid track and relies heavily on some nice rhythm section playing and the bass sounds noticeably fuzzier. I feel like I should mention here, that to non-musician's it might seem weird to compliment the rhythm section on the lowest tempo and least busy song on the album, but in a lot of ways being able to swing a slower tempo and make your fills propel the song without muddying the groove can be just as difficult as shredding, and Kalamata exhibit some very tasteful choices throughout. Also the bass seems fuzzier and less overdriven on this track and as anyone who is going to read this site agrees. MORE FUZZ = BETTER.

My only real critique of the tracks is that parts of the drum kit could be a touch higher, particularly the cymbals and occasionally the kick drum, as they seem to be noticeably quieter than the rest of the kit during some sections, and the fuzz bass would probably benefit from being fuzzier and less overdriven in parts. That being said there is some great musicianship on this album particularly in the guitar work and tone department. What really impresses me about these guys is that they just started a year ago, which is a great sign.  A band who’s sound is this fully realized, this early on,  should move from being really good to exceptional.

FFO: King Crimson, Kyuss,

Vinyl info:

300 copies total

75 copies blood red incl. Poster and Download Code ( Pink Tank exclusive edition)

100 copies opaque white incl. Poster and Download code (Band exclusive edition)

100 copies standard black

All on 180g high quality Vinyl pressed in Germany

350g heavyweight Cover

Poly lined inner sleeve

Early Bird pre-order for the limited Edition is online:

Pink Tank exclusive Edition

http://www.pink-tank-records.de/vinyl-shop/kalamata-kalamata-blood-red-12-vinyl-exclusive-pink-tank-records-edition/#cc-m-product-9982832794

Standard Edition

http://www.pink-tank-records.de/vinyl-shop/kalamata-kalamata-standard-black-12-vinyl/#cc-m-product-9982829394

 

 

Band info: Bandcamp | facebook

"Beyond Good & Evil": An Interview with Jeff Owen from Goya

Goya are a band not needing of an introduction ‘round these parts. The Sludgelord swamp has become their home from home in many ways as we have followed and championed every single one of their booming, Sabbath worshipping steps. So here we stand side by side once more as the Phoenix, Arizona three piece readies the release of their arresting new album, ‘Obelisk.’ Phil Weller, who once described their sound as being “as characteristic and as impossible to ignore as the Bat-Signal blaring into a cold, dead night sky,” muses with the Jeff Owen over the new album, Spanish romantic artwork and surprising influences. 

SL). Jeff, you guys release your new record, ‘’Obelisk next month through STB Records. It'll be your first full release with the label so how have they been to work with and help get the Goya sound out to as many people as possible? 

Jeff:  Really great. They have absolutely bent over backwards for us to accommodate all sorts of crazy requests. Haha. Since STB picked up this album, we have seen a lot of new fans take interest. STB always has really nice-looking releases, so it’s been great getting that treatment. We’re really looking forward to seeing how the vinyl looks in October!

SL) 'No Place in the Sky' closes the new record which is a song you used with your split Wounded Giant last year, was that a song written especially for that release?

Jeff: Absolutely. Every song on Obelisk is very directly connected to every other song on Obelisk. Additionally, the version on the split is a little different. It was an early mix, and we ended up retracking some guitar and vocal stuff for the final version, which we are much happier with.

SL) The guitar tones on ‘Obelisk’ are absolutely killer, what gear are you currently using? 

Jeff: Currently I’m running a Sovtek Mig 100 through a 400 watt Orange 412 and a 240 watt Randall 412, and a Marshall DSL100H through an Orange PPC412, though I did not have the Marshall when we recorded Obelisk. On my pedal board, I run through a Magick Fuzz from Magic Pedals, and I feel that that has become an integral part of my tone. I also run through a Cry Baby Wah, a Phase 100, and a Roland Space Echo RE-20, each of which also play a large part in our sound.

SL) You were in a punk band before you formed Goya, does that style of music influence your writing in any way? Tracks like ‘The Sun’ have a quick tempo to them which, considering the nature of the band comes as a really excellent curve ball for me. 

Jeff: When a fast song comes up, it usually is just what happens. I’ve tried to consciously make fast songs before, and they generally end up sounding like garbage if they’re forced. Whatever happens happens. That being said, I grew up listening to punk, and playing in punk bands, and I’m sure that will always be an influence on a subconscious level, at the very least. It’s refreshing for us to play those faster songs!

SL) The band is named after the Spanish romantic painter Francisco Goya, whose 'Black Paintings' you've previously stated captured your imagination. Looking at those paintings, they have a very dark, almost oppressive feel to them and your music seems to reflect that, is that the idea?

Jeff: It took us quite a few months to settle on the name Goya. That was one I brought to the table because of the painting Saturn Devouring His Son, which wouldn’t be a terrible band name, but I think we all wanted something more succinct. All of the Black Paintings are great, as is all of his work. I think the thing that sold us on the name is that it isn’t very restrictive. Yes, Goya painted the Black Paintings, and made all of the Caprichos. He did some very dark, unsettling work. But he also did some very beautiful work. Ultimately, it is his diversity as an artist that makes it a fitting name, to me. But, to directly answer your question, there is an atmosphere about Francisco Goya’s darker work that we also strive to create, so in that sense, yes, that is the idea.

SL): And on the topic of artwork, the cover for the new album is fantastic. Could you tell me a little bit about its creation and concept please?

Jeff: Laney Oleniczak did all of the artwork for this release, and it was not a short or easy process for her. STB, her, and myself all went all over the place with the cover art. There were a few sketches and a couple of versions. There were a lot of influences for this album (which I will go further into in one of the following questions), and they certainly played a part in the final decision as far as what would actually be on the cover. Originally, the art was going to be a gatefold, so I came up with the idea for the “burning obelisk” cover. My vision for it was quite a bit different from, and nowhere near as awesome as what Laney came up with. Then, some other ideas came up from the label for a different style of cover (I’m not sure how much I’m at liberty to discuss that, with vinyl release still months off), so I talked to Laney about going a different direction with it, and using the obelisk for something other than the front cover. Then, insane vinyl delays came up, and we were forced to do some other kind of release to not push the album back another four or five months, so we ended up able to use the original gatefold idea for a CD, and a variation of the art on cassette. I’m most excited about the final cover for vinyl, though. It will be great to see that whole package when it’s done. Laney fucking killed it on that! It’s gonna be the sickest shit ever!!!

SL). '300 Eyes' is another standout track on the record for me, it's a slow and moody acoustic song. How did that come about? 

Jeff: At home, I try to have at least one guitar readily accessible at all times, and that guitar usually ends up being an acoustic. One day, I just picked it up and played some around a little before I landed on the opening notes of 300 Eyes. I really liked that, and knew I wanted it to be on this album, so I started working on fleshing it out a little more. As I recall, it took a couple of days to really pull that one together lyrically, during some of which time, I was still writing the music. 300 Eyes is obviously a weird one for us. We don’t play it live, and I’m not sure we ever will. On the surface, it is one of our least “heavy” songs, but I consider it to be the darkest track on Obelisk.

SL) Obviously the spirit of Sabbath, Electric Wizard and Sleep is strong on the new record - but not overpowering. Are there any more left-field bands, songs, books or movies etc. that played an influential part in the making of Obelisk that people might not expect? 

Jeff-One of the greatest things I find in music is the ability for it to mean different things to different people. What I mean by that is that a song can sometimes be related to on such a personal level by the listener, even when the song is about an experience personal to the performer. Because of this, I don’t want to explain Obelisk too much. Anyone who really sits down with it and picks it apart can start to have a pretty good idea about what the story underneath it is.

That being said, there are definitely a lot of influences on it, and I am absolutely willing to provide a little background. The biggest influence on the album is the comic book “From Hell” by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. Reading that book will help to make sense of some themes on Obelisk. The AC/DC album “Highway to Hell” is an influence, as is Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”, though those two are more subtle in their influence. There are a number of people that strongly influenced the content of this album, as well.

SL) What themes lyrically inspire you? 

Jeff-Disappointment with our species and general misanthropy are probably the two biggest lyrical inspirations to me, with Satan, marijuana, and oblivion not too far behind. On Obelisk, however, my biggest lyrical influences were murder, religion, women, and the afterlife.

SL) Thanks for taking the time to speak to The Sludgelord 

Jeff: Thank you!

All the best and congrats on a wicked album, 

Phil

Words by: Phil Weller 

‘Obelisk’ will be release on CD/CS via STB and the band on 1 August 2015, with the vinyl due in October


For more information:

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Label Intensive: An Examination of Poisoned Mind Records

Poisoned Mind is a specialist DIY label based out of New Jersey and Connecticut, born and bred by self confessed analog addicts and VHS aficionados; Tom and Mike set forth with a mission to turn their obsession for music and trashy 80’s horror VHS, into a limited pressing vinyl only entrepreneurial venture. In many ways the combination of horror and the stoner rock scene go hand in hand, with imagery of psychedelia, tales of black magic, and the occult featuring prominently in numerous low budget movies, but also in the imagery and lyrics of well known stoner bands too, with sound bites of movie featuring heavily in music by Electric Wizard, and inspiring lyrics to numerous others. 

Having two vinyl releases behind them, a debut 7inch pressing for the soundtrack to Chester N. Turner’s BLACK DEVIL DOLL FROM HELL, a revered 1980’s horror movie in which a kindly woman is raped by a ventriloquist’s dummy. Poisoned Mind, followed that up with a debut 12inch limited vinyl pressing from Crypt Trip, a band hailing from Dallas Texas, who play an addictive blend of psychedelic fuzz rock.  With the label on the brink of issuing their latest releases, I took the opportunity to fire some questions at them, in order to get low down on this unique and high class vinyl only label

(SL) Guys, thanks for doing this, for those people who are not familiar with your label, could you tell us a little about yourself, your label and why you decided to start Poisoned Mind Records?

Tom:  Thanks Aaron! For a while I’ve wanted to start a label. Records have always been my first love and it’s the format I grew up with and still buy and collect to this day. Mike and I met each other through the vhs and record groups on facebook and finally got to hang out a couple years ago. We realized we shared a lot of the same interests and threw around the idea of starting a label.  We started Poisoned Mind together and had the idea not to limit ourselves as far as the music we put out.  We wanted to create a label that was different, not just strictly a soundtrack or doom label.

(SL) Looking on your store page, you seem to have a number of releases in the pipeline, What can fans look forward to from your label in 2015? How is your schedule shaping up? Any exclusives you can tell us about?

Tom: Going from 2 releases last year we have about 5 albums on tap for release this year so far. A little something for everyone and that’s the vision we had when we started. We have the Fistula 7” coming out in the next couple of days and the Crypt Trip repress, Merlin’s Christ Killer LP which is like a cinematic doom psychedelic trip, The new Wolfmen of Mars LP titled Gamisu, if you dig horror films and soundtracks then Wolfmen is right up your alley, We also have a couple soundtracks that we can’t announce just yet, but sit tight!

(SL) Admittedly, I had an ulterior motive for featuring you guys, having purchased the Crypt Trip die hard, I am also a massive fan of Fistula.  You’re set to release ‘Never Trust a Cop’ on 7inch by those guys, what can you tell us about that, when can we expect that to hit your store and how did you get involved with those guy?  

Tom: Its looks like the Fistula 7’ will hit our site on May 30^th.  Mike was talking with Dan at Patac records and the singer of Fistula and he asked us if we would be interested in releasing it for them. Of course we said yes!

(SL) Given that music and movies can be streamed now on our computers, on TVs, there seems to be less of need to go to a store, to a cinema or to invest time buying the physical product, do you place more importance on offering a great package to your customers, given the emergence of digital age.  What is the ethos behind what you’re trying to do with the label? 

Tom: Of course it’s a different day and age but I love seeing new generations get into

records, cassettes and VHS. I think more and more people are discovering and enjoying these formats.  It was only a matter of time before this happened.  A lot of times I won’t even listen to digital tracks, ill order an album and wait to get it in the mail before I listen to it.  We are just trying to create a nice package for the music and give the fans something special and the bands something that represents them the best we can.

(SL) What, if any bands or labels may have inspired you to start the label or was there a specific reason you felt you wanted to support the art you have?  For example what motivated you to put out Black Devil Doll From Hell as your first release?

Tom: At the time when I was thinking about starting a label there weren’t any soundtrack labels yet. I have been collecting soundtracks since the 90s and I knew it was just a matter of time until they started to tap into that market again. Then Mondo re-released the Maniac soundtrack and then Death Waltz came out and everyone went nuts ha-ha,

A few years later I was talking with Steve at STB Records, him and I go way back as friends and we are from the same area in NJ. We were throwing around the idea of doing a label together but in the end he went out on his own and created such an amazing label, from the bands to the layouts and packages he offers. He was definitely a huge inspiration for us and we continue to help and inspire one another.  Early on I always looked up to labels like hydrahead, hyperrealist and robotic empire. Then it shifted towards, southern lord, tank crimes, rise above, A389, Teepee. Nowadays Hevisike, bilocation, Ripple, Patac. So many great labels out there.

Mainly I think for mike and myself a lot of our friends inspired us to do something, like Louis at Massacre Video, Matt at horrorboobs  Josh at lunchmeat magazine, Uneasy Archive, King Of The Witches. These are all DIY movie labels and it’s great to see all of them growing into something special.

As for why we started with Black Devil Doll From Hell, mike and I both knew Louis at Massacre Video and are fans of this underground classic. It was right around the time Louis actually found the director Chester Turner after trying to track him down for years. Mike and I were outside at a horror convention and mike said to me “hey wouldn’t it be cool if we were able to do a Black Devil Doll From Hell 7” or  something”? I knew right then and there we had to do it and we had to get started on the label together. Up until that point there really wasn’t a soundtrack out there on record for a film Like BDDFH and that was the appeal for us as well. 

(SL) I used to be big a movie fan when I was younger and used to get a kick out of watching trashy horror movies, latterly in my early 20s stuff from Japan such Takeshi Mike movies etc, because I was kinda obsessed with how extreme the boundaries of cinema could be pushed.  Where did your fascination with movies start and why the fascination with VHS? 

Tom: I guess the fascination came from having an older brother who would take me to the movies.  Him and his friends used to rent movies all time and when he went out id sneak into his room and watch the ones I wasn’t supposed to. I remember sneaking into his room one day and watching Make Them Die Slowly/ Cannibal Ferox. Up until that point I never saw anything so brutal, it all looked so real to me and it scared the shit out of me. Kind of like the same feeling I got listening to the song Black Sabbath when I was kid.

Growing up, my Mother worked right next to a video store, so I would spend countless hours in there looking at the covers of all these movies. I was always drawn to the scary and gory covers and even back then I knew that they weren’t just films but these covers were works of art. When DVD hit I switched off like a lot of people did. About 6 years ago I was watching videos on YouTube and discovered that a whole new generation had found love for this format and appreciated these wild covers and movies just like I did growing up and it amazed me. I got bit by the collector bug and started buying them again. It’s a combination of nostalgia and seeing films in their original state or maybe that rare film that doesn’t have a DVD release. Maybe I can download it or watch it on YouTube but for me I want to own it, it’s just a different feeling for me.

(SL) In your experience, how easy/difficult was it to sell the idea of your label and what you hoped to achieve, in the sense of releasing something like Black Devil Doll on vinyl, which many would deem as obscure? Was the first release any more of a gamble than say, releasing Crypt Trip, given there is such a thriving stoner rock scene. 

Tom: We had an idea BDDFH would do well given the cult following it has and the whole mystique of the film. Did we expect it to sell out in a day? No we really didn’t, I think that release surprised a lot of people and just showed what is possible when it comes to releasing soundtracks.

With the Crypt Trip album it was somewhat of the same feeling. I guess expect the worst and hope for the best right?  These days everything is a risk when it comes to releasing music. You just never know. You just try to build a following with your label and hope people dig it. What we hoped to achieve with these releases, we just wanted to do something we both were into and have fun. Sure we had the idea of more releases after BDDFH but I don’t think either of us actually knew if it was gonna go beyond that but we were gonna try to!

(SL) What do you look for in order for you to get involved in releasing something on vinyl?

Tom: If we like something and feel good about it and there isn’t an LP release then we will look into releasing one. We aren’t really concerned with repressing stuff other labels have done before. When it comes to soundtracks and bands our goal has always been to release things that aren’t on record and the same goes for bands we enjoy.

(SL) There is much talk about the ongoing backlog at the pressing plants, which has caused a bottle neck in production and big delays in releases, what are your thoughts about the emerging scene and what are some of the difficulties/frustrations of running a label, because there are many other commitments such as family, work etc that perhaps restrict the amount of time you can dedicate to your label?  Not to mention the financial pressure? 

Tom: The frustration all comes from the wait time for pressing 100% ha-ha. It’s like man I wish we had these records in our hands right now to get em out there! It’s just not how it works though and you just have to be patient and remain positive. 

With the wait times and everything mike and I decided screw it lets just put even more of our money up and send everything we have lined up right now to press instead of spreading it out and this will be the way we operate from here on out.  We both have day jobs, mike busts his ass all day long at his job but I have a job where I can actually work on label stuff in my downtime.  It’s a tough balance and we are both learning what works best for us as time goes on.

(SL) How valuable are blogs and social media? What are your thoughts on changes in the music/movie industry over recent years?

Tom:  Blogs and social media are a huge part today; no way would we have been able to do what we did with our first 2 releases if it wasn’t for it.  It used to be just magazines and music videos but now there are so many more outlets and people who are passionate about things they are into be it music, movies or whatever. Both of our releases were just through word of mouth, social media and Crypt Trip of course playing shows and touring. Bands and social media help us get our name out there just like we help them out. It all comes together in the end.

I do see a huge shift in people wanting to own physical copies now. I think it’s safe to say that all formats are back and here to stay. I mean there are bands that I own the record, cd and cassette. Not only once but 3 times over ha-ha. The same goes for films as well.

(SL) Given that you have a number of releases (2 at present) under your belt, how do you measure the success of each release, are you reliant on selling units in order to release the next one? 

Tom: Whatever money we do make goes right back into releasing more albums and we just put more of our own money up again to try and get ahead of the game and get more releases out there this year. The way we measure success is we are happy just breaking even. We were fortunate enough to have our first 2 releases sell out and hopefully with each release we can keep it going. 

(SL) Some labels place a significant importance on the releases having a sense of being a collectable, with Standard and Die Hard Editions.   What do you feel is the significance of releasing such a package (s)?

Tom: From a record collector and fan standpoint, I feel the significance of doing these

releases is offering something for everyone. You have someone who just wants the die hard version and if they don’t get it they may not even buy anything else and would rather pay more on the secondary market because that’s what they want. Then you have the people who just want it on color vinyl and don’t care about a box set with extras. Oh its only left on black vinyl I want color im not buying it!  Then of course the one who just wants to own the album and doesn’t care what color its on etc. Then the collector who must own every version under the sun and wants them all. 

(SL) If you could have released any movie soundtrack or record past or present, what would it be and why?

Tom: It would definitely be Phantasm and I think I can speak for Mike on this question also since it’s both our favourite series of all time. Mondo actually just released it for the first time in 35 years. That soundtrack sets the tone to the film as well as any out there.  We both just love it.  As for a present soundtrack release we just got the rights to one but you’ll have to wait and see!

(SL) Finally, do you have any final comments/word of wisdom you’d like to bestow upon us?

Tom: Thanks so much for taking the time for this interview Aaron and all the work you do there at Sludgelord. A lot of time and effort goes into what you and your contributors do and it shows and is much appreciated. As far as our releases coming up you can expect a different mix of bands, soundtracks and surprises. Thanks to everyone who made our first year a success and bought something from us and everyone who helped us out along the way. We are just getting started!

The Fistula ‘Never Trust A Cop’ 7inch and repress of Crypt Trip Debut full will be available here from Saturday 30^th May 2015

Words and Interview courtesy of: Aaron Pickord and Tom @ Poisoned Mind Records

 

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