So after stumbling across this rad new label we thought we'd ask them for an interview so we could get a little more of an idea about whats happnin and what to expect for 2012. Here tis:
So, Aural Sects, wha gwaan? How did you start this cross-atlantic label?
AIGHT YO, we's gud. Pet Cemetery (Bunny), Spf50 (Joe ), I AM WATER (Micah) and Fire Coral (Jack) all met through Soundcloud and a particular and controversial (in the scene) facebook group around a year ago. We eventually left inb4 shitstorm, and created a new group where we added like-minded newbie and veteran musicians to form some sort of help-centre. We kind of evolved from that. Sadly Jack has had to drop out of the label as our finance guy, but he's still with the label. We actually only properly started around 6 months ago with the label. And the first month or so was us figuring out the name and logo. Don Anonimo designed us a nice logo and Seattle musician(and contributor to label) Haruki Tamesue gave us our namesake. We've managed to squeeze in around 40 albums in the intervening time.
The fact that we're cross-atlantic pretty much just arose from the fact that we're pretty much just based online. Only a few of our artists/members have met IRL.
You’ve described yourselves as a URL movement not based out of one location. Do you think that more and more now local scenes are becoming irrelevant?
It's a different type of locality – it matters now where you hang out online rather than where you physically put your body. It's where the mind is, not the flesh, which has come about as a natural side-effect of living in an age of easily transmittable information.
That's not to say that local scenes are becoming irrelevant – there is still a lot to be said for placing individuals in a room with instruments to bounce ideas off – it's less organic a process to collaborate artistically online. It's just that there are new roads open to people that obviously weren't before. Long distance collaborations have been happening since the Enlightenment though, it's not particularly new...
What are the scenes like where you are?
Bunny: I live near Manchester and Liverpool in the UK so I guess pretty good, but if I'm honest the only connection to any scene I've had is the horror punk scene around here. I am probably the least hip person on the planet, and therefore I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA.
Joe: Personally i live in a cultural black hole and til I move somewhere more interesting (but what's more interesting the burgeoning net culture movement?) I don't really partake of the local "culture." I prefer the pockets of sound spread thinly throughout the world, the hidden gems that never get the mass affection, yet seem to resonate so strongly with a certain few. In a nutshell that's what witch house is like, a scene of seemingly a million people all spread out so thin you almost don't know it's a subculture unless you turn on your computer or live in a major city (and even then it's sparse!)... which i do not (I FEEL UR PAIN VLAD).
Micah: Oh man, the scene here is your typical flannel wearing cutoff jean, pop-punk-folk listening hipsters. The majority of the people I’d hang around before deciding I couldn’t have it anymore were like local punk kids. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But when they are all super judgmental hipster bbys it’s pretty bad.
Any plans for any physical releases in the future?
YES. There are some plans afoot, starting with homemade CD-Rs and tapes and progressing to vinyl. We have a few proposals on the table but as yet no capital to fund it.
So far we've gone 100% free til the most recent release "ICE AGE" by Murphreesboro musician FR<>ZE which is a digital LP release for $3. We're still sorting out some business issues but we plan to continue selling digitally at very reasonable prices then stepping into most likely cd-r's and ultimately limited vinyl releases. We want to continue giving away as much art as possible while providing awesome art at a price that respects the fact all media can easily be stolen.
Are all your acts currently in bedroom producer mode or can we expect to see any AS bands on tour anytime soon?
Not sure about a tour per se, but lot of our artists are doing their own gigs here and there, independently. Black Ceiling is a well-received DJ in his area, Moon Mirror has done a couple of shows, one of which supporting Os Ovni, but that's really it so far. We'd like to hope some do a full tour – or even get us all together and do a multinational AS tour, but who knows what the future holds?
What was your personal highlights of 2011?
Bunny: It's either got to be seeing the Aural Sects name crop up in blogs that we knew nothing about, or it has to be the sheer positive response we've had as an upstart label.
Joe: In terms of highlights of 2011, 1st starting the label. 2nd the AURAL SECTS mix for Dior Nights (sampler of tracks from AURAL SECTS artists, get it here free http://auralsects.bandcamp.com/album/aural-sects-a-mix-for-dior-nights) was a huge thing for us. We got major downloads and bandcamp traffic from this and is a huge part of the buzz we got and blogs started taking notice. Definitely a big push for us. In tandem with that Nattymari made his "forcible aural compilation" mix from select tracks on the sampler complete with his own gritty, cyberpunk ghetto goth 455 FVCK73D music video(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mpl264eZkc). Another highlight would have to be Black Ceiling's II, dubbed by Shane from Earmilk.com as his album of the year (read the article here: http://www.earmilk.com/2011/11/01/black-ceiling-ii-album-review-download/).
Micah: I’m in a pretty similar boat, being able to be such a key part of AS as a whole is just a really great experience.
Do you have a new year’s resolution?
Bunny: MAKE MUSIC, PUT OUT PHYSICAL, GET BLOGGED, GET FUCKED, GET PAID. Uuuhhh scratch those last two. We just want to put out our artists and get them playing shows...
Joe: Make physicals!
Micah: Get money get paid. (Lulz)
Are you looking forward to 2012?
Bunny: THE YEAR OF OUR DEMISE SHALL BE A SWEET ONE. Actually yeah, definitely looking forward to 20†2. We have a lot of stuff hitting around the end of year leading to February that we're really proud of, some really special compilations with artists from AS releases and many of our friends in similar circles of music. We've had a pretty great year – and a lot of positive response in a short amount of time – and we're hoping for more of the same.
What new artists/bands would you recommend we look out for in 2012?
Bunny: Tash Willmore, Peachblack, CRIM3S, BL▲CK † CEILING, Witchboy, NANCY, Purity Ring, Crossover, VS//YOUTHCLUB and... well many more. Also see the Inevitable Rise of Krakenstep – seapunk's deeper, darker, uglier, more cephalopodic sister.
Joe: Artists to keep an eye on in our camp I'd say def keep an eye on anything Black Ceiling touches, expect more beautiful night pop from Moon Mirror, and Tash Willmore is always a good one to watch. Oh and Witchboy, who will be releasing Hollymode (http://vimeo.com/29217745) with AURAL SECTS before the years end, is always good to keep an eye on.
Micah: Idk, if I had all the money in the world I’d take me and the boys to scout out some jpop talent. But for now, we will have to search through the dark scary depths of the net.
