... but don't look back in anger
01.01.2009, 12:48
2008 was a year of many changes and about searching for new ways.
first of all the bandsplit-series sadly continues. PETERS. stopped processing after releasing their wonderfull debut "auffallen durch umfallen" which was a faboulus fusion of punk, new wave, math rock and beat pop. on the other hand bands such as CAPTAIN PLANET or CLARA LUZIA had a very good 2008 and kept our label alive on the street through intensive touractivities. the captains released the best album of punk&emo since many years and clara was titled as best european folk/singer songwriter act by intro. also other asinella acts like MARILIES JAGSCH and MIKA VEMBER released and had had good resonance in austria and germany.
it was quiet on unterm durchschnitt around such genres like screamo and hardcore. we felt bored of so much bands that became a bit populaire. there was so much copying of the copy of the copy of the [?]. it felt lame for a while. Might be that it was like a mirror of political discussion which stopped after furious years in the german radical left. JET BLACK was our last release in early 2006 on the fields of sreamo/hc-punk. Nothing goin´on? One band fascinated us mid of 2008: SYN*ERROR. It was their mix of heavy distortion, anger, direct-in-your face, but also disorientated, inperfect and charming music - full of passion. We released a double split 7? together their and our friends ADORNO (Portugal) and WHAT PRICE, WONDERLAND? (uk). two great bands that toured with s*e for a couple of times. adorno reminds me on bands like yage with much more pop and a groove as I liked it when listening to at the drive-in by being much more aggressive. WP,W? came around with a sound of bands I very adore. Do you know The Minutemen? That´s it! Mathy, indie, awesome, d.i.y. as fuck :-P, mono not stereo!
Business
We tried to initialise releases with more international artists but due to much more complications in organizing this process became slower than everyone involved wanted. We are optimistic to get it done in in next years and bring a few interesting artists to the ears of a european indie/punk-community.
Also a couple of new bands came up and we noticed that music and punk in general became much more electronic influenced, a new wave of fashion-style-punk established. Punk 2008 was much more colourful and disco. Hedonism than X'ism was it´s political brand if you search for. Bands we would like to work with signed at other people´s label. It made us sad. Hopefully some will see advantages for 2009 and their further future by working with unterm durchschnitt as a ambitious label and a good partner for critical reflections and dialectical approaches.
2006 we started working with independent subsidiary ASINELLE RECORDS. The idea was to work on that level not to disturb a complex concept by labelowner Clara Luzia Humpel. Currently we offered other label this concept. We help professionalize it´s structures by getting partners of us without a loss of independence, negative influence on their policy and know how. With PAPER SHIP RECORDS we will start working 2009. This company is run by guys of hardcore band TODD ANDERSON who will release their 2nd full length on it?s own. I very appreciate their past work and songs like ?scheiß frisur? or ?ohne worte? became hymns. (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=17324212&blogID=456512367)
Masterplan 2009
We are in contact with a couple of bands for years. Sometimes it dures a decade to bring music to it?s release. BASTIAN STEIN is one of this people we are in contact with since 2001 (!). There were plans to release his angry indiepunkers BLEAK but various interruptions happened and all plans broke. At least his line up was too unprofessional and demanded lot?s of time without results. In the end the band broke. Bastian went to Berlin and with a great new line up and good musicians I am shure a release for 2009 will be possible. Hopefully on our label if we get the booking problem done. it is a fact that squats and autonomous youthcenters in germany are very conservative with indierock due to much stupid bands in this genre. stupidity has a long tradition in rock and indierock music here.
in a couple of weeks CAPTAIN PLANET will enter studio to work on their 2nd album. We released the kids in misery-10? split on December 12th. ?eingekehrt? was one of the very first songs that came to our attention when deciding to release their first release (?Unterm Pflaster Der Strand? 7?E.P.) in 2005. CLARA LUZIA is working on album no. 3 since a few months and we are optimistic that it will be furious. The ones taking part at her great show in Munich with Santogold or TV On The Radio could hear a brand new song that effected an earworm. We also will release two new parts of our 7? series with two bands that will have their debut: ADOLAR and THE TOWN OF MACHINE. Words from the major biz like ?allstars? would not fit and disrespect the greatness and emotion that I personally feel when listening to the town of machine?s rough mixes. But it might be interesting to all who loved MALLORYS LAST DANCE or JET BLACK because members of both bands came together and play a furious mixture of that typical and famous Bremen-Sound: hardcore punk mixed with screamo and a lot of heart, passion and despair. Second one?s - ADOLAR - will be new to all of you. What happens if musicians that played in several good but unknown bands and are part of a punk/diy-community when deciding to try something new? They combine elements of their scene with pop sounds. Out comes a dancy, very emotional and intelligent clash between progressive Queen, clean Arctic Monkeys with dirty boots and fascinating lyrics. Between opus, rhythm and moshpit. The Town Of Machine and Adolar will be released end of February. International record labels should write us for cooperation-interests!
Download, physical records
We offer most of our records also as digital download. It must be mentioned that we are not fans of that but it´s up to the consumers ? lovers of indiemusic ? what format they prefer. It had positive effects on popularity and commercial success of our projects offering non-free downloads. Please make shure that it is the interest of unterm durchschnitt & all (!) our bands you to buy a physical record. we are not a label that supports ?illegalize?-campaigns. otherwise the knowledge that more people own music on their computer than bought a record isn´t a good feeling to us and the bands. It costs time and money to produce what you hear and love. One way to pay respect is partying at shows and buying merch of the bands. But as important as that is to support the labels that make large and expensive projects possible, like a record production is. while the band supports free downloads of all their music It makes me sad because i think that KATZENSTREIK symbolize the problems that can be caused if not all who own katzenstreik music paid money for it. Currently the band seeks supporters to get the next recording costs covered (news on http://www.katzenstreik.org/). Please also check our back catalogue. 3 of 4 katzenstreik releases have been repressed. Our complete catalogure is available in good sorted record stores in your town, can be ordered anywhere online or if your recordshop sold out. Please make shure we support indie mailorders like Green Hell, Flight 13 and also our own small mini-mailorder Grrr Mailorder (www.grrr-mailorder.de)
A lot of other projects have been planed. Check our website for actual news! www.unterm-durchschnitt.de
