When and how did your label started?
1993 in San Diego California. It was funded my myself after leaving Wax Trax records in the late 1980's. At that time there were many great bands coming out of Europe but had no label deals for North America. We felt there was a niche that could be filled so that was our initial business model of licensing great overseas bands.
What is your mission (goals)?
Our goal now that we have established ourself over the past eight years has shifted to artist development of leading bands in the genre. We are not interested in being a re-license label or re-issue label. We have taken the most difficult road that being working with select leading artists and developing their careers. Our end goal is to break one of our bands out of the counterculture.
Which genres do you specialise in?
Industrial music and all of its sub-genres. However most people don't seem to understand that industrial genre music is very diverse and crosses over to many other genres such as Gothic Metal, Electronic, Experiemental, Synth Pop and Ambient music. Even though we only have six bands on our label we believe that we cover the full spectrum of sub genres of industrial
What do you think about the independent scene's actual situation?
The road is more difficult with every generation of consumers that comes up. I can tell you now that the scene is the most challenging that I can ever recall. The problem is there are too many records chasing a declining consumer base. Also online pirates like Napster are significantly hurting the bottom line for small indies like us. If people can get CD quality music for free there is no incentive for them to pay for it.
In a business point of view, how is it to be an independent record label?
Businesswise if you are lucking you make less than minimum wage just to survive. This is not a get rich quick business model. It is a very risky enterprise. We have survived by running lean and mean as well as being resourceful as much as possible. Don't get into this because you want to make a lot of money, only get into this business because you love music.
What can be done to insure that the scene continues to evolve?
We need to get kids back to supporting cool indie underground bands by buying their records! I have not figured out the formula for this but as we move from generation to generation the kids coming up care less and less about music as a whole. Also if we can kill all online pirating of music as well as stop the execessive amount of releases my many production house style labels that will help significantly to help the scene evolve
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