Would you care to introduce yourself? Gav - My name's Gavin. Founder of Electropapknit. Al - My names Alastair, I'm Gav's servant in Electropapknit. A kind of butler. What inspired you to start your own label? Gav - Initially to release my own bands records. Where we grew up (Stonehaven, near Aberdeen) no one really had any interest in releasing the sorta noise that we were making, and even Aberdeen, being the closest city didn't really have any links to the Glasgow or Edinburgh scenes. Of course we were into the whole Dischord sccene too...So when you see them doing it you can't help but think I can do it too. So we did. Who do you have signed to your label? Gav - It's more of a collective rather than a label and an umbrella for a bunch of stuff we like. So far we've done/are doing releases for PVH, Deathpodal and the first in a series of compilations featuring bands from all around Scotland. That's due for release on the 9th December with a release party that same day at the Winchester in the Merchant City, Glasgow, featuring some cool bands. It's gonna be a limited edition hand screen printed arigatopak and also a free download. Al - Next year we have plans to release a friends debut album. He's called Public Spaces, and it's crazEE. There's also a side project of ours called Battery Face and a mystery duo called Toothpaste. Being based in Scotland do you only sign Scottish artists? Gav - So far we have but that's only because it's bands that we have seen in the flesh and we like them. Also it's been simpler for us to get in touch with them being local. I don't feel there's any reason to place boundaries on the bands we'd be involved with. I'd be happy to have bands from anywhere in the universe if we liked them. Al - That's not what you told me - You said it's because you hated foreigners! Gav - Shhhhhhut up!! Is this something you do as a hobby or can you make a living from it? Al - Hahaha, leads... Gav - Haha I wish!! It's definitely more of a hobby. I'd like to think it could become more but who knows? Do you have a certain type of sound that you look for in a band? Al - Well it's more just friends or friends of friends at the moment who are doing something interesting. The compilation was a bunch of guys that we know, who we really like musically. If we were thinking about an actual band for release, well... basically they would have to pass this test involving hot coals and venom spitting snakes. If they survive we know they're a witch and should never be released, ever. If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to start up their own label, what would it be and why? Al - You don't need to try and get signed to a big label, just to get your stuff out there. It's a bit of work, but good getting releases out. We're fairly new to this so we're still learning. Success though - we've had radio plays on a bunch of student stations as well as Radio 1 and 6Music and some really positive reviews. The new compilation just got a great review from the Skinny. Gav - My advice would be don't try and start a label if you wanna make loadsa money. Chances are you won't. Do it because you want to. Or at the very least, to get babes... Al - Yeah, as Gav says, it's all about doing it because you want to, and that you have a passion about music, and girls. What can we expect to see and hear from the label in the future? Al - As I said, we have plans to release Public Spaces, Battery Face and Toothpaste. We've already started asking bands about another compilation too. There's about 6 or so bands confirmed and I imagine we'll get it out before next summer. If you're in a band still wanted by the government, surviving as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help and you can find us, maybe you can get a track on Vol 2. Gav - Yeah! We're gonna start screen printing t-shirts too. We have been working on lots of designs and expect to start printing in the next couple of weeks. Me and Rikki also have a monthly DJ night at Nice n' sleazys. There will be plenty more of them! Of course we have the compilation release party on the 9th December at the Winchester bar featuring Public Spaces, Min Diesel(Aberdeen), Battery Face and Galoshins It's gonna be off the hook yo!!
To celebrate the first Electropapknit compilation there will be a special release party tonight at The Winchester Club in Glasgow, where the limited edition CD will be available, with live performances, cake and balloons! Bands performing on the night will be Galoshins, Battery Face, Public Spaces and Min Diesel.
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