LABEL SPOTLIGHT - SLUMBERLAND

SLUMBERLAND INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER MIKE SCHULMAN BY CAMERON CARR T he most remarkable thing “I still think of it as our label,” SchulStereolab’s debut album Switched has helped to continue his passion about Slumberland Records’ man says. “My musical life is still reOn, which remains an essential of for running the label 30 years into 30th anniversary may not be ally tied up with those people.” the Slumberland catalog, signaled its existence. that it has sustained itself across a turning point in the growth of the three decades, or that it has put out Sharing equal admiration for janlabel. Released in 1992, Switched On “I kind of have this benchmark that foundational records by the classic gly indie pop acts like Aztec Camwas one of the first releases outside was always like, ‘are we putting out and modern vanguard of indie era and darker, noisy artists like The the label’s immediate network of records that wouldn’t find a home music including Stereolab, The Birthday Party, the label founders friends. It was also one of Slumberotherwise?’” he explains. “If all of Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Velocpooled together nominal music land’s first full-length albums, as our bands could just go find other ity Girl, and Black Tambourine. The industry knowledge from work at the label begin to shift away from labels right away, then maybe we’re most remarkable thing is that the record stores and college radio exclusively releasing its favored fornot serving the purpose that I set to label has done so while retaining a stations to release Slumberland’s mat of 7” singles. build up for the label.” singular aesthetic, one that seems debut 7”, What Kind of Heaven Do frustratingly close to offering a You Want? “I felt like we were becoming more of To celebrate the label’s 30th anniclear definition—indie pop, posta real label,” Schulman says. “Even versary, Schulman returned to his punk, twee, or shoegaze—but never “We were all in noise bands but we though I love singles, and singles love for 7” singles, with a subscripquite conforming, almost snickering all really liked pop music,” Schulwere more viable then, people altion series meant to highlight acts in resistance at times. man recalls. “When we started, it ways take albums a little more senot associated with the label. The felt like it wouldn’t be hard to find riously.” series includes Baltimore dreamAnother remarkable fact is that a niche at all.” pop band Wildhoney, Failed Flowers founder Mike Schulman has run the Throughout Slumberland’s history, - featuring Michigan solo artists Anna label almost singlehandedly since The early years of the label showthe label has maintained its indie Burch and Fred Thomas - and culthe beginning. After beginning as case the convergence of those two values (with a lowercase ‘i’, Schulminates in a bonus 7” from the vital a collaborative effort between sides. Take a listen to Swirlies “Didn’t man points out). While the promiSlumberland band Black TambouWashington, D.C.-area friends, inUnderstand,” a blur of noise-pop nence of the label has ebbed and rine. Like the rest of Slumberland’s spired to release their own music and shoegazey fuzz, for reference. flowed - including a hiatus from catalog, it’s a collection that’s as difby now-iconic indie labels like K, That period also saw Slumberland 2000 to 2003, followed by a reficult to pinpoint as it is familiar. Rough Trade, and Postcard, the lahelping to kickstart the careers of naissance of sorts - Slumberland bel would become the passion projfuzzy indie poppers Velocity Girl has maintained a commitment to “The records kind of speak for themect of Schulman in 1992, when he and avant-pop experimentalists the undiscovered and the underselves,” Schulman says plainly. “The moved to Oakland, California. Stereolab. ground. Schulman says that ideal catalog kind of speaks for itself.” ��

ANALOG

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DINGO: DINGO: STONED TO DEATH Dingo (not to be confused with the ’80s new wave Dingo from Finland) is from Prague, by way of the American Wild West. The art folk, country futurism of this quartet is unmistakable: sadness and joy drips from every pluck, every bridge. At times, it’s complete slapstick (almost Leningrad Cowboys-ish), but like every great band, the totality is a package of all human and non-human emotions, delivering as praxis. The songs are relatively quick (twoto four-minutes), emotional odes to the universe around us. The neo-traditional forms coalesce around lead singer Michal Drozen’s deadpan delivery, a post-punk gravitation spinning to-and-fro. “Charlie Cornflake” is pure western haze, a tale of a symbolic cornflake, life in constant flux. “After Cannon Shoot” is an aggressive number, with a clever chorus that juxtaposes itself in between “Intermezzo” (a touching classical interlude) and “I’ve Climbed Down the Mountain,” a heavy folk epic, with color and shape, booming perpetually. Dingo’s debut recording is as good as every song on the album, which is to say, it’s goddamned awesome!

RALPHIIE REESE: RESU(RR)ECT: THE FABULOUS ITCH CASSETTE CO. Philadelphia emcee Ralphiie Reese drifts through his new release, Resu(rr)ect, in trance, cubistic and full. A flowing path is carved and marked, his stories illuminated with guest appearances by Daniel Son, BlubRock, Estee Nack, and more. The production (beats by Reese himself) is master class, a continuous vibe of real-time flow mixed with underground grit. It’s a truly modern release, with a flowing energy that’s particular to its time, while echoing a methodology honed by legends of the past. “Salaat,” featuring The Dart Unit, is stripped down, industrial and sharp. Its magic lies in its variance and acceptance of multiple styles. “I Love You Baby 2K20,” featuring El Ay, is like a drive through the city at night, a narrator weighing the ripples of life, contemplating the x-y axis, the two-dimensional plane, backwards, leading invariably towards the fourth state, communion, relationships, continuance. The cassette features all the instrumentals of the songs as well, and that ride is just as glorious, a smooth ascent into the spirit of life.

JACOB WINANS: DELAWARE: NO RENT RECORDS I think noise music is mostly about visual aesthetic. Does the sound even matter? Well, it’s a strange thing. I think successful noise music is something you can listen to, almost forget that you’re listening to it, and find yourself still being able to think about something else (say, your day tomorrow; the way you're going to put that thesis together; or even thoughts of color, shape, and form) - but all the while you’re still able to hear the noise, and that noise is inspiring in some direction. I think we’re talking about objects here, and how objects can relate to quantity and consumption. Jacob Winan’s Delaware succeeds in many ways: a great cover will always get me to listen in – check; listening to the noise and drifting into some other, separate stratosphere while still being connected to the noise indefinitely – check; finding inspiration in between the noise and the thought-patterns arising from the noise, even though the thought-patterns form their own separate entities – check. There are two compositions on Delaware, the abrasive “Career Suicide,” and the tranquil “It Is What It Is.” Both songs have the foundation of great noise. Both are purely visual, and both find continuous juxtaposition.

ECTOPLASMA: WHITE-EYED TRANCE: CALIGARI RECORDS Ectoplasma is the clear outer layer of the cytoplasm, which is the jelly-like material that resides between the membrane and nucleus of a cell. So, we’re talking about psychic reverberations here, and ECTOPLASMA, the band, takes full pleasure weaving in and around that sacred temple which protects your inner-chamber. White-Eyed Trance is quick, old-school death metal, with vibrant hues and abstract tones, content on punishing whatever lies in its way. “Psychomanteum Immolation” aims its whims to the spirits of the darkness, wishing for communication and ascension. Its whipping fury is spinaround-the-pit-worthy, and the song breaks down into specific segments, so you’ll never forget the moment of pain. “The Oak Spewed Foul Whispers” is lulling, with mechanical brilliance and cubist shards, death metal with sparks and applied repetition. “WhiteEyed Trance (Enslaved in Devilry)” is moribund, the point of no return. ECTOPLASMA feels like green death. Like quicksand, you sink deeper and deeper into despair.