Yeah But, Which Pressing is That? by pputra

YEAH BUT, WHICH PRESSING IS THAT?

POISON CITY RECORDS LACKLUSTRE RECORDS RIGHT MIND BORN FREE

CONTENTS Intro

Andy Hayden //Poison City Records

Jordan Leekspin //Lacklustre Records

Tyronne Gietzmann //Right Mind

Akira Asahina //Born Free

INTRO// Hi, thanks for checking this out. This is kind of an accidental zine, since these were all answers from email and face-toface interviews done for a uni subject. I couldn’t fit all the answers in, and they were insightful and relevant so I can’t possibly let them go to waste. But yeah, for that reason, I apologise for not having enough pictures. Anyway, it’s kind of an archive for things related to vinyl records: why people like them, do they have a collection, pros/cons to owning and/or releasing these things. There’s a bit about tapes too. Those interviewed here have strong, direct ties to the music industry, so you’d know they’re legit. In the end, you can decide on your own if records really are worth the hype. Hope you have a decent time reading this though!

pdk.putra@gmail.com

ANDY HAYDEN

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POISON CITY RECORDS

Hi! Could you tell me a bit about Poison City? We’ve had our record label (PCR) for just over 10 years, and we’ve had the shop, which is half a record store and half a skateboard store for 6 years. When we first started the record label I would say 90% of our record releases are just in CD and I guess in the last say 3-4 years, that’s really changed a lot, and now everything is released on vinyl and CDs… Probably the last 2 years out of our retail store vinyl has been much stronger than CD sales. Would you say that CDs are dying out though?

and through record label its quite a niche kind of music, you know, underground punk rock and indie rock, that’s kind of our specialty, and I think the people who are into those kinds of music still want to buy physical copy and that just happens to be vinyl at the moment instead of CDs, it’s a more true format, you can argue about the sound quality—for both, but the vinyl record is a pure form of music, and you get the larger format artwork, and now with the free download mp3s, especially younger people are purchasing records, they might put the records on to their iPod, listen to it on that way on their computers, but then they also have the enjoyment of having a record collection and having something physical that they can put on a turntable. The vinyl record and the free download coupon: that’s the perfect format.

From our record label though when we sell to other stores, and the bands that we deal with taking stock on tour, we still do sell a lot of CDs, so I don’t think cds are dead by any means, but we’ve definitely noticed a strong growth Are there any difficulties in in vinyl over the last 4 or so years. producing more vinyl records, in comparison to CDs? Yeah, it seems that more and The main difference between CDs more kids these days are and producing vinyl is that it’s a lot buying vinyl than ever bemore expensive, we’re talking 3-4fore, younger kids too. 5 times more expensive to do a vinyl I’ve noticed just the customers pressing… it’s a good problem with through our store there’s definite- our record label releases, we’re ly a lot of younger people that are selling out of pressing and have picking up vinyl, but with the type to get it repressed, but it’s quite of music we sell through our shop expensive to repress the records.

Alright, would you say that this new interest in vinyl could potentially reduce the harmful impacts related to piracy?

It’s great that people are still buying something physical, but the profit and the cost and risk associated in doing vinyl are much greater than CDs, which are quite cheap to produce.

Illegal downloading is just gonna be a part of our lives, whether or not it’s music or movies, videos, its gonna be a part of our lives. A few years ago I was more concerned about it and how it would affect our label, our shop, our bands… It still can be frustrating to see people have no care about how they get their music. There’s not really much we can do about it… There’s something to be said about people being able to download something illegally, and finding a way of listening to it first, and obviously if they really like it, they go and buy a physical copy, or at least going to see the band live, or contributing in some way.

But, we’re lucky to be on a busy street like Brunswick street, so we have a lot of foot traffic, but also expensive rent, so the biggest problems we face is the cost of getting everything running, which is the same with any small businesses. We’re really lucky, we have really loyal customer base, we do a lot of mail order now, we send a lot of stuff overseas, our US distributor takes a lot of our stock now, we have some really good bands on the label… we definitely cant complain too much, we’re doing okay. So with collecting vinyl, kids are so obsessed with getting all the colours, pressing…

For our demographic, it’s not a big issue, people will listen to music however they can get their hands on it. If they’re passionate enough about the band, or the album, that’s when they might buy a vinyl copy. The popularity of vinyl at the moment is a positive thing, a lot of ways of getting music these days; ille-

Yeah, it’s a big part of attraction to vinyl, it is quite collectible, we like that people get really obsessed over different colours and pressings (personally, I don’t get caught up with that.) I’ve especially noticed with the younger generation buying vinyl now, they’re keen on finding variety, different colours, pressing, and that’s cool, it’s another aspect of being interested in music.

gal downloading is here to stay. People who aren’t as passionate about music, maybe the broader mainstream that are listening to

photos from Poison Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bandcamp & Instagram

flyers from Poison Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website

Top 40 radio music, they maybe don’t have the connection with the actual artists, tor the appreciation of watching local music live and supporting that way… maybe they just don’t understand, that’s how it works, it keeps labels going, shops going.

the lyrics, putting on the record, turning the side over, a lot of people still like that aspect as well. How did Record Store Day go for PCR?

We had a really busy day; it was We’re lucky enough our custom- even busier than Christmas for ers do understand that by buying one-day [period]. Been doing physical formats, actually keeps it 4 years now… But the last 2 our labels alive, bands touring, its years, its been quite well marhow we can afford bringing out keted, a lot of radio shows startbands from US. ed talking about it… I’m just scared its getting a little bit too Would you say that this is mainstream, with a lot of covera form of nostalgia, or just age about it. I was trying not to audiophiles getting excited be too cynical about it, it really about its comeback? does help, it can be really hard It’s a little bit of both. There is a doing such a niche kind of genre materialistic angle to people want- of music, a small shop like us, ing to own a physical collection. we have big expenses, it is a reFor music purists, they like that ally good help. sound, the warmth that you get with a vinyl sound, that attracts a lot of people. We have people coming in buying records, they say they don’t even own a turntable... Once they have a bigger collection, they’ll buy a record player. It’s valid anyway, its still buying music in the correct ways.

Maybe for older people my age who really like the vinyl sound – that ritual of pulling out record from the bookshelf, looking at

If the original idea is purely to keep the culture of independent record stores going, I think it’s achieved that, we’ve had really strong day of sales, lots of people talking about it. Hopefully lots of new people who’ve never been into our shop, who live a few blocks away; hopefully next week they’d buy a record or drop in the shop.

What is it that you don’t like that is into buying records is that you really can sit at home, surf the about Record Store Day? net and find he music you like usuSo much is that we find a lot of ally that band/album will lead you major labels just dig through their to another record label, and that old, old stuff, and release really will lead you to another… you can obscure expensive 7”, and kind of keep a list of things that you come cashing in on the idea. My under- across on the internet that you restanding is that it started to help ally like the sound of that band, out independent stores, because when you go to your record store, those stores are often the ones who lots of people come with a list of put out local shows, looking af- stuff they’ve been looking for. ter local bands, the idea is to help subculture alive for independent When I first started buying restores otherwise we’re just left with cords, you have to talk to the perchain stores and that’s not relevant son behind the desk at the record store, and ask for a recommendato the underground scene. tion, which is also a great way to meet people running the record Do you see a future in vinyl? stores.▪ It’s still got a long way to go. This revival is definitely a good thing, it might plateau out a little bit, as the next younger generation comes through, maybe they really just wanna consume music in a digital manner, they don’t wanna own records, but for people who are really passionate about music, attached to the music scene, they’re still gonna buy records. Any recommendations for younger people only starting to dig records? Listen to a lot of music, the great thing with the younger generation

photo from Lacklustre’s Facebook page

JORDAN LEEKSPIN

LACKLUSTRE RECORDS

Could you tell me more about Lacklustre Records? Lacklustre started as an avenue to involve myself further with local music, and has since expanded further than I had ever thought! I have 19 releases penciled in, with 15 or so official out and in circulation. By the end of the year I will have toured an international band across the country with another band on my ‘roster’. Most importantly though, Lacklustre is a way for artists to release music in an industry controlled by money without having to worry so much about it. I don’t like to compromise the work of the bands, and allow them total freedom over the final product. Free from profit and worries over finance, it creates a nice, cozy atmosphere, which is more like a community than a business. Why do the bands in your roster choose to release stuff on vinyl? You also released some tapes (like for Breakout). Is there a growing demand for it or is it just for novelty value? It’s up to the band, really. Most of them share an affinity with vinyl, like I do, so it works well for us to work together, I guess! It kind of mirrors my personal stance on vinyl, too, and I do prefer to make something nice, unique, and

memorable. For tapes, they’re definitely not novelty value. I read an article the other day actually that stated 1 in 10 young consumers will buy tapes. They’re incredibly cost-efficient, though, which makes it worthwhile to get them made and out to people who want them. What are the pros & cons to running a record label/distro/online store? Pros would be working with a myriad of great people, both whom I knew before and some whom i’ve met throughout my tenure as captain of all things Lacklustre. Getting new music out there to people who mightn’t have heard it is another big factor that keeps it going. Cons come in the form of a lot of stock sitting here intermittently before it sells and sometimes, not selling altogether. In the end though, it’s not the biggest issue. Would you consider vinyl as a way to combat piracy? A little. If it encourages people to buy a physical copy rather than illegally download, then the job is done. Although I do believe nobody should ever pay for a digital copy. Paying for mp3 files is stupid — free downloads for everyone!

Awesome. So you’re probably one of the people with the biggest collection I know. Roughly how many records do you have in your current possession? I keep everything on file (I’m a big fan of lists), so I can tell you almost the exact number. 2 6”, 388 7”, 2 9”, 23 10”, 315 12”. So all up… 730, if my math is as good as my list-keeping. Do you collect particular bands/genres? Do you have any particular gems? I don’t collect particular genres as such, but of course I only buy things i’m interested in, so perhaps it can seem that way. In terms of bands, I have a few that I collect specifically; The Effort, Verse, Killing the Dream… most are actually complete now! I think ‘gems’ is a little subjective as what I find valuable and interesting someone else might think of as trash. But rarest? Maybe my Dead Swans test press out of 3. Would you say you’re an audiophile? What’s your setup at home? Not an audiophile as I feel like going to hardcore punk shows ruins your hearing for life… so any chance I had to become a real audiophile

was lost in the feedback a few years ago. At home, I used to run with an Audio Technica LP-60 which has recently broken, so i’ve been working with my father’s old Denon setup. Did you grow up listening to records? Not quite, although I started buying and listening to records when I was in year 9 or 10, or something like that. A lot of people, my family included, told me it was stupid but… here I am! Any particular reason why you like buying and/or collecting records? I like the final product, the personal nature of a vinyl record, the experience of sitting down and watching the music play right in front of you. The limited nature, the exclusivity… I could go on for hours! What are the cons to owning records? Maybe the space or price? Space, definitely. I’ve got an Expedit from Ikea and it’s completely full—half of the reason why I haven’t bought many records lately simply as there’s nowhere to put them. A lot of people complain about the price, but realistically, they are the same, or only more (or even less) than a CD.▪

TYRONNE GIETZMANN RIGHT MIND

Hi Tyronne! Could you tell us about Right Mind? We play hardcore punk style of music with a youth crew style influence. We have our newest LP (The Paradox of Our Age) coming up soon, we’ve had a 7” EP (Architects of Our Fate), along with a demo on cassette tapes, and a 3-track EP on tape. Why do RM choose to release stuff on analogue format? Cos we play hardcore punk music, it really has been more of a tradition, like punk bands in the 80s used to release stuff in vinyl, so that was the standard… Modern bands still press vinyl more because it’s just a tradition, that’s what punk bands have always done, and that’s what we’ll always do, really. There’s something about having it on vinyl makes it a bit more special than just a CD. What about tapes? People thought it was just a dead format, and now bands are releasing stuff on tapes again. It just comes down to tradition

again—most of the time when we press these things on cassettes and vinyl we know people aren’t really gonna play the cassette tapes or even listen to the vinyl that’s why we include put a digital download in the releases, just to do it really out of tradition. For bands, is it really difficult to release stuff on vinyl? Records have always been costly, especially in Australia, because there was only one pressing plant in Australia called Zenith and for a long time they would only do big orders, so for small punk bands, it was really costly there’d always be delays, no one really went with that company. But they’ve changed owners now, and our LP that RM is doing will be pressed in Australia, in Zenith [for those reasons]. They run business differently now. Most people used to outsource their vinyl overseas, so you gotta factor in the shipping of the vinyl, customs tax… You’ve also got an English-speaking company that will liaison with a European pressing plant, you’re really paying a middleman as well as getting the

photo from Right Mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page

vinyl pressed… with all those factors, it’s quite expensive. Now, it’s going to be a lot less costly because we’re going directly to the pressing plant, doing it in Melbourne is gonna be a lot better because we’re a lot more involved in the process, whereas if you’re do it from an overseas perspective all you’re doing is you’re emailing people, and there’s a lot of room for error and miscommunication, so yeah I’m actually really excited to see how it goes with pressing through Zenith! What are the benefits to releasing stuff on vinyl specifically? With the vinyl, its akin to reading a book, if you put on a record, you sit down and take the time to spend time to really appreciate the music, the record as a whole. When I put the record on, I take out the lyric sheet, and the cover, and I’ll just pour over the design, the layout of the record cover, as well as the lyric sheet. Since you put time aside to actively listen to music vinyl and really appreciate the vinyl in its whole package it offers a whole different experience to digital music on-thego, or chucking a CD in the car. It’s a cross between listening to music and reading a book.

Do you think the comeback for vinyl will help diminish music piracy? In punk, piracy isn’t a big thing because a lot of people don’t really care if the music leaked, or they put up their music to download for free, and its always a bonus if people buy their music. But the rise in the interest of vinyl record would help the music industry. CDs are so disposable. And with the rise of Mp3s, people just download the music and don’t really get involved with going to the stores anymore. In terms of the music retail factor, rise and popularity of vinyl and cassettes would be a bonus for them to keep the industry a bit more afloat than it is now and the threat wont be a big a thing. ▪

logo from Evil Hands EP cover

AKIRA ASAHINA

BORN FREE

Hi Akira! Could you tell me about Born Free? Hi, I play bass in Born Free, we’re a hardcore/punk-y k inda band, and we’ve been around for over a year or so. We have our Evil Hands EP out on 7” vinyl, and for our demo, we did a tape for that. Is it harder or easier now for bands to make tapes? The idea is that back in the day bands used to do tapes for demos and promos, and when CDs became a thing, it’s obviously more practical to make CDs, people started doing that, then MP3s came and people started doing MP3s. For Evil Hands we’re not planning on doing a tape, but our next release we might actually put on tape, just because its actually quite cheap to do tapes, and if it’s cheap to make, its cheap to sell, so more people are likely to actually buy it and have a listen to it. Okay, so tell me a bit about your tape collection. I really like tapes; I got a collection of about 100 hardcore bands’ tapes. I’ve only played a few of my tapes—because I was bored.

A lot of bands release their demos on tapes, its just the norm in hardcore now, and I don’t know why! Its not really practical, but more and more people are putting their releases on tapes, like Life Lair Regret [record label from Melbourne], they pretty much put all of their releases—I’d say around 80% of their releases on tapes, that includes some full-lengths, which is really cool. I don’t know what the appeal for it really is, I just like collecting them all, cheapest thing to buy, and once you have a huge collection, you can show it off. It’s pretty costly for relatively newer bands to release stuff on vinyl, isn’t it? Does it get a bit overwhelming, adding that cost with everything else going on (recording, touring, printing merch work/uni, etc.)? It does to a certain extent, and by that I mean… With releasing records, well for us at least, our record’s doing fairly well so far, so no stress on that part, we paid our recording by money we’d made as a band through playing shows and selling shirts, we didn’t have to dip into our own pocket so far. But it’s just that the things like; band practices, storage room, touring away… it just drains so much.

So as long as long as you’re prepared, it’s not too much of an issue. Pressing this record is definitely one of our best achievements we’ve done so far. We’re all so proud of it because of all the effort that goes into it, for recording, its quite time-taking, and having a physical copy of your own work is really cool. Just having it on vinyl is all the more cooler.

income would help [from tour and merch sales]. Hardcore especially, has quite a loyal fanbase. If a band that I like is putting out a record, I’ll go out and buy it, especially if it’s a band that I really wanna support, it’s just the way that it is within hardcore music, I wouldn’t be able to say for other genres, but I’d expect it would be quite similar, so yeah it does help, and it is quite good.▪

It is a thing in hardcore, isn’t it? Having a physical copy in terms of hardcore music, here in our scene, a lot of bands just expect people to go and download their music and we certainly went into this ‘if you wanna listen to us, we advertise our music for free.’ We honestly don’t mind, making any money is just supplementary to having people listen to us. But with that being said, with the idea of physical vinyl and that whole idea of people wanting to collecting stuff… Yeah it can actually work, people will buy vinyl if its there and if they like your band enough. You wouldn’t really expect to make a living off it, unless you’re a really big record label. People at startup record labels these days would go into it expecting it just to be a sort of a hobby, potentially even to lose money at it... Any additional

#1, July 2014