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INDEX
INTERVIEWS
GUESTBOOK
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DARKNESS TAPE LABEL/ AUSTRIA 
1. Can you introduce your label and yourself to our humble rotting readers?
TERRORGHOUL
PRODUCTIONS was founded in early 2009.
The event that lead to
the label's foundation was a close friend's demo tape which I thought
was very decent Death Metal. He didn't want to send promos out or
do anything with it, as the band was unfortunately dying at that
time. I had thought of doing label work as well as shows before,
so I made use of this opportunity and released EXECRATION's demo
tape. It sold quickly and got the distribution it deserved in accordance
with the band's request of not making it too big as they were dead
already.
As for myself, I am also responsible for ABHORROT's
morbid desecrations as well as ABHORRENT DECAY magazine, whose second
issue is hopefully ready soon.
2. Tell us more about your label's state of mind! Do you have particular visions, ways to follow, and what makes yours a bit different from other labels?
I don't
know much about other label's mindsets to be honest, but I guess
what could possibly make TGP different from other labels, is that
it was born out of the urge to release/present music I consider
worthy of promotion/distribution, instead of just following the
current mainstreams of either revival SweDeath or Goatfago-Bestialism.
I never intended to run a 'business' either, or to get any monetary
profits out of this work, what might also make a difference.
As
for particular visions, I can only side with Euronymous' ideals
of Death Metal that totally embraces the almighty spirit of Death.
Terrorghoul's bands as well as releases have to match the aesthetics
of total, omnivorous Death. I'm not interested in track-pants-wearing
Swedish bedroom bands, no matter what. It's dedication to Death
that matters to me, musically as well as visually.
3. Could we say you run a Death metal label, or would you choose other words to describe it?
Terrorghoul
Productions is a Death Metal label, yes.
My conception of Death
Metal has been elaborated in the previous question, so no need to
repeat myself.
4. You seem to like the tape format quite well. Why did you choose this one exactly? What are the advantages of tapes compared to other formats in your opinion?
I think it's
a couple of factors that make the tape format suitable.
First
of all, there's the tradition of especially demo tapes being released
on tape. Metal in general is full of traditions, revivals, tributes
and so on, so the tape is just one more part of this complex of
values people would not like to see disappear.
Secondly, the
tape and it's haptics as well as visiual design/layout/packaging
possibilities are a lot more interesting than quickly burnt Cdrs
(or even worse, mp3-folders) could ever be.
On a third note,
the sonic qualities of the tape are quite different to Cds/digital
files; it's just more raw sounding, without the artificial cleanness
of the Cd or the over-compression of mp3s.
Last but not least
important, it's some kind of intentional distinction from other
musical genres where digital formats/Cds have established their
reign.
5. Newer labels are more and more attracted by pro tapes... What are the advantages and disadvantages compared to regular tapes in your opinion? Is it rather about having 100-200 tapes ready to use, and not dubbing every tapes yourself, or is it rather about having a "professional" product? Do you make a big difference between pro tapes and "regular tape demos"?
I try to make a release look good regardless of it being pro-tape or not, so for me the main reason for using professionally dubbed tapes is the time I save not dubbing them myself. Further more, dubbing everything yourself on quick-dub if in a rush to get orders out would more often than not result in very poor results which I think is not fair towards people paying for a tape.
6. To which labels would you say you identify yourself the best? Would you feel close to older peoples, older than 30 who run labels for years with their "old ideas", or you feel closer to other younger guys who began at the same time?
I think there's
a lot of ambivalence wherever you look. I don't think such things
as generic old or young people do exist, so I don't feel like siding
with either of them. There's youngsters that have more dedication
than so called scene veterans and there's old guys that have no
idea what they're doing. So just as everywhere else in life, it
totally depends on each individual person you're dealing with.
7. Sometimes when I listen to some new old school Death metal bands, I rather feel listening to something like "Morbid thrash metal"... It seems to me they're closer to something like SLAYER "Hell awaits" (With its morbid atmosphere), the first POSSESSED album (With the screams and distorted sound), NECROVORE or eventually the first PESTILENCE album, than the old school Death metal I know (With downtuned guitars, low death growls and more...). Would you say there's something like an evolution in the meaning of "Old school Death metal" for a part of the audience, or is it possible that I'm becoming to become old? (Hu?)
I do agree with you here. The way I see it, we could narrow it down to three main influences in contemporary old school Death Metal. One being Swedish/Scandinavian Death Metal, the second being that downtuned, dark Death Metal in the vein of Incantation or even Asphyx you're speaking of and the last one being more or less 'Morbid Thrash Metal' with a huge Necrovore, Possessed or early Morbid Angel and Incubus influence.
8. What's the best way to promote your label in your opinion? Is it necessary to use a bit of everything: Emails, forums, facebook, twitter, youtube, youporn, flyers and more... Or did you find a way that works much better than the remaining? Would you say you're rather lazy or quite active in terms of promotion?
I'd say that
these days labels have to use a bit of everything. Most importantly
though as many label owner's mums as possible in milf-youporn.
As
far as I'm concerned, I'd say I'm a bit lazy when it comes to promoting
my label/releases. I have best intentions of changing this nasty
habit, but especially when there's much going on in life, time's
scarce for proper promotion.
9. Do you happen to run "stands" during gigs to sell distro items, or not? Is this something good to distribute your releases?
I do this wherever we play with Abhorrot or whenever I organise a show. It's a good opportunity to get stuff to the people, as it's face to face communication and you can easily recommend other releases a person buying X might also like.
10. Which one from your releases is your favorite, and why?
Puh, I never thought about this. But I don't think I have any favourite at all as everything I have done has been a 100% what I wanted to do and what I was convinced of, so no regrets and no hierarchy in between them.
11. Which releases you did was the most successful in terms of sales and trades? Did you notice some were easier to sell or trade, and if so did you identify why?
Abhorrot's second demo 'The Sanctvary ov Darkness' was released in 250 copies in December 2009 and by the end of April 2010, they were gone. So far, I could not find out why things sell and others don't. I do think though, that an important part of this question is the amount of promotion work you put into a specific release.
12. Generally, how many copies of a tape do you distribute? Do you voluntary limit the amount of copies, or is it something like the kind of release you choose won't need more than 100 or 200 for example?
Limitations
are always something I agree upon with the band whose release it
is. Factors that influence that decison are what their future plans
are, some kind of cost efficiency on my side as well as some intuition
regarding the estimated overall demand. So far, I have done well
this way.
13. Do you think you will stick to the tape format for a long time, or you already have plans to release something on vynil, CD, or else? In other words, is the tape label a finality, or a step towards something else?
Abhorrot's 'Rites of Prehistoric Darkness' 7" was my first vinyl release and there will be more in the future. There might also be some Cd releases, so Terrorghoul Productions is not and was never meant to be releasing tapes exclusively.
14. Your label is focused on old school Death metal, a genre that lived its golden years a long time ago... Some peoples will say it's a bit strange that you follow this path, that in a way you have a deformed vision of it, and it can't be exactly the same... What could you answer to this argument? How would you say you live old school Death metal: In a way very close to the 90's way of life, or in a way adapted to the modern life of 2012? (Notice this is not a personal attack... And when I was younger I often felt listening to a dead genre because I started with Death metal in 1994, when it was dead... So I probably got a quite deformed vision of it)
I'm not trying to avoid the discussion here, but as stated earlier in this interview, TGP is a Death Metal label. My conception of Death Metal is not exclusive of newer influences in Death Metal that go beyond the plain tribute/rip-off old school Death Metal these days, as viral in most of the recent SweDeath revival. If you take into consideration what bands such as Dead Congregation, Teitanblood, Grave Miasma or Antediluvian are doing, you get an idea of what kind of Death Metal I'm referring to here; Death Metal that incorporates the aspect of being 'old school' in regards to it's musical arrangement, evilness and morbidity yet also showcases influences that are not necessarily native to plain old Death Metal but instead are much rather to be found elsewhere, as for example in Black Metal and it's various facettes. So yes, I would agree that my vision of Death Metal does not equal the conception of old school Death Metal being defined as the Death Metal that has been around in the early nineties. Further more, I'm not trying to live my live in any way other than the way I feel is right. And this way does not necessarily have anything to do with musical preferences or nostalgia.
15. Fanzines... What's your opinion about paper fanzines? Is it something really necessary, or just a good little pleasure everyone could live without? I sometimes feel it's a shame newer zines don't last very long... But it costs money to run one...
It depends
on the reader I think. Personally, I prefer actually holding a physical
product in my hands while reading instead of just sitting in front
of a screen. It's the same for that books vs. ebooks and record
vs. digital file discussions. Another factor of course is the dedication
printed zines represent; anyone could write online reviews these
days, but it takes some more than just the urge to state an opinion
on a record to publish a (handmade) zine which makes them interesting
on a personal level as well. So as long as there are people thinking
like this, paper zines are something necessary I'd say.
16. How did you discover metal, and Death metal in particular? Was it immediately something quite obscure, or did it evolve gradually from quite mainstream genres, to something a bit more extreme each time? One might wonder how it happens for the younger guys in the new century, because with the Internet it's much easier and faster to get in touch with very extreme music, very fast... When I was a teenager in 1994 it began with hard rock in my father's Lps collection (Alice cooper, Led Zeppelin), then there was some Heavy metal or grunge (Iron maiden, Nirvana (Yes, ouch!)). Then some thrash metal like Sepultura or Slayer... And then some quite famous Death metal bands (Like Death, Carcass, Morbid angel)... Would you say your travelling in the metal world was quite close, or the use of Internet changed a lot the way peoples get in touch with underground metal in the first place?
My first Metal
experience was discovering my father's Judas Priest 'Painkiller'
Lp in my early teens. It was quite impressive and much heavier than
anything I had heard before. I later took some excursions from Grunge
(yes, me too; I remember that Cobain 10 years dead MTV special in
2004...) to Punk, looking for harder and faster stuff (e.g. Discharge),
and eventually arrived at Death Metal through Crust-/Grindcore.
As I had no Internet connection for most of my teenage years, discovering
music was done more or less through thankslists on records or recommendations
by friends.
So overall I'd say that it took me a while to arrive
'underground' as contrasted by today's youth - 12 year olds sporting
bootlegged Nihilist shirts and Watain bringing Black Metal to prime
time TV without burning churches or murders...
17. There are more and more bands trying to sound like Swedish Death metal... What are your feelings about it? Do you think it's good, since it's a genre you like very much, or do you feel a bit bored and would need a bit of something else? What could be the next underground trend in your opinion?
To be honest,
I've had enough of it already. Hardly anything interesting coming
form all these SweDeath revival bands anymore, countless re-releases
of every old classic in every colour sheme imaginable (even though
it is still around in its original pressing if people would care
to look for it) and an impending general stagnation into repetitive
boredom. So yes, I'd say I feel quite bored by SweDeath already...
As
far as the next funderground trend is concerned, I think it's either
some kind of Doom/Death revival (as Doom seems to grow and increase
in popularity with whomever into Metal) or an even further growth
of the dark/ritualistic vein of Death Metal like Incantation, Teitanblood,
Necros Christos, Wrathprayer, Grave Miasma and countless others.
18. What would be your most crazy dreams with the label? (Maybe something like releasing the music of a band in particular?)
Hmmm... I guess turning back time to when I discovered Antediluvian in 2007 and forking out all money I could get back then to offer them some nice deal for a couple of releases. One of the most outstanding bands these days. As far as realistic dreams, it'd be reaching the point where sales provide the money for upcoming releases would be very nice and encouraging.
19. If you couldn't release Death metal recordings, for an unfortunate reason such as "Death metal doesn't exist"... Which other kinds of music would you choose? In other words, which other kinds of music would you like enough for a personal effort? I guess there could be thrash metal, black metal, heavy metal... But what about old school grindcore? And maybe even Dbeat/ Crustcore? (It's not far from Swedish Death metal)... Would you imagine you could released something like dark ambient, or another kind of extreme/ strange but non-metal music one day?
I guess my
first choice would be Black Metal for there is a lot of darkness
and morbidity in it I do appreciate very much. Other than that you're
right again, and Crust-/Grindcore would be some nice challenge as
well. Especially their aesthetics are very appealing to me, much
more than the band's often political connotations though.
As
for extremely strange/non-metal music; yes, I could imagine that
as well. I would go for really harsh noise or something like speedcore
I suppose, as even in these days, I quite like that kind of music.
20. Would you say running a tape label helps to get free pussy, or not at all?
Not at all I'd say. But then again, I never really tried, as I have not been single for more than a couple of months in recent years.
21. What’s the craziest thing you ever did with a tape? (I don’t necessarily mean something sexual, but it can be ahah)
My roommate was lucky and bought some old original Black Sabbath tape. When he first played it, the tape player literally devoured it and the actual tape was totally entagled in the players innards. I cut the tape to free it, glued it together once we detangled it and it plays like a charm again. My roommate was white from anxiety and I had shaky hands while doing so, being on the verge of destroying something so precious as this old tape. But luckily, I grew up with tapes being a kid in the nineties and learnt how to fix them from my dad.
22. This is the free question, feel free to speak about anything you wish... Metal related or not.
Not much to add at all, I'll just repeat what I said to my girlfriend just a couple of minutes ago, after sitting here for close to three hours, listening to music, thinking about these questions and answering them: "I feel exhausted. This is the most interesting and challenging interview I have dealt with in a long time, really refreshing!"
23. What are your future plans? Tell us more, and feel free to conclude... A morbid way!
Primary future
plans are to settle down soon, as having a life torn in between
Austria and Australia is quite a challenge. As far as the label
is concerned, there are some bones boiling in blood right now, and
once they're done, they'll be served. All I can say at this time
is that it's a band I have already worked with in the past.
Well,
time to say thank you for the interview, it will end here and now.
"But Life Goes On...', as we all know, in Darkness and Death!
Web
link: http://terrorghoul.blogspot.com
