Then, in June of 2015, the Mohawk hosted the Austin Record Label Flea Market, featuring wares from a bevvy of local labels including the
Reverberation Appreciation Society (Holy Wave, Ringo Deathstarr), Super Secret Records (John Wesley Coleman, Suspirians), Chicken Ranch Records (Peelander-Z, Broken Gold), Raw Paw (Young Tongue, Corduroi) and many more.
We recently sat down with the people behind the curtain(s) of several of these Austin-based labels to see what they've been up to. Here's our first round-up with Monofonus, Graveyard Orbit, King Electric Records, and Holodeck Records. Stay tuned for our conversations with Super Secret Records, Modern Outsider and more.
Since 2007, Monofonus has been releasing oddball packages with writing, music, and art. More recently the group has branched out into cassette culture, spinning off its sister label Astral Spirits, which released its End of the Year Batch of tapes on the 7th. The project has collectivist underpinnings, but is spearheaded by Nate from the band Marriage. The imprint recently told us they’re working to put out its first vinyl in the upcoming year.
Recent releases:
> Spray Paint, Dopers
> Hidden Ritual, Zebra Bottle
Upcoming releases:
> Icepick, Amaranth, 1/22/16
> Joe McPhee -- Zurich (1979), 1/22/16
> Alessandra Eramo, TBA 2016
> Leah* (from Vancouver), TBA 2016
> Dan Melchior, TBA Summer 2016
Upcoming Events:
Protomartyr w/ Spray Paint, Xetas at The Sidewinder on Feb. 26
Since releasing its first 20 recordings,
Graveyard Orbit has been on a bit of a hiatus since a first run of cassettes
was put out for the Parks Burton/Kazimir album Gifts back in June. Randall
Taylor -- the one-man cassette producing maniac and the label’s sole influence,
has not been idle though. In his time away from dubbing tapes and package
designing, he’s been busy at work on his second musical endeavor, Amulets,
which is set to release new material that will no doubt help stimulate the very
cassette culture that helps makes Graveyard Orbit so independent.
And if, like many of us at Do512, you haven’t found that
perfect tape deck during your vintage store ventures, don’t fret -- you can
check out some of the label’s ambient/electronic dubs on Graveyard Orbit’s newly redesigned
website.
Upcoming Releases:
> Ghost Park, TBA 2016
Upcoming Events:
Austin Cassette Fest
HOLODECK Records is staring down a pretty big 2016, having staffed their office with new personnel and also signing a slew of new acts for LP’s that label leader Adam Jones hopes will build up their cadre with even more analog-electronic experimental noisemakers. Troller is rumored to be wrapping up recording on a new album at their Stassney studio for the coming year, and the label is also excited to be releasing the first LP for Dylan Cameron who doubles as the imprint’s in-house producer.
Upcoming releases:
> Troller, Graphic, TBA 2016
> Bill Converse, TBA Spring 2016
> Black Taffy, TBA 2016
Upcoming Events:
SXSW Showcase w/ Dark Entries ft. Troller, Dylan C., Bill Converse and more on 3/18/16
King Electric might have finally caught its break in the burgeoning Austin record label scene. After releasing Reservations’ new record, Taking Time -- which Austin Town Hall called “well-crafted, sincere” and a “joy of orchestrated indie folk” in its Best of 2015 list, the label has been busy wrapping up a two-year project at Shine Studios by Austin duo Your Friendly Ghost. With the mix of this master finished and sounding remarkably good, the label’s gearing up to have some fun, the label tells us.
Recent releases:
> Reservations, Taking Time 8/21/15
Upcoming releases:
> Your Friendly Ghost, TBA 2016
> Royal Force, two new records, TBA 2016
If you want to do more Austin record label exploration, simply follow the links below:
