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So I was looking for some way to revive my brain. I bumped into Mental
Telemetry Records. Explain, why the name?
"A cassette from Jim Shepard's Skullbank titled "Aural Phrenology" inspired the label name.
Thinking "Aural Phrenology" might be an abstract tag for a record label, I began putting together
similar word combinations along the same rhythm and eventually came up with "Mental Telemetry".
Mental Telemetry implies the transfer of data (music or sound), from a remote source (turntable or
stereo), to the mind."
Who runs the label? And don't gimme that story about the fairies again! I
don't believe it! I am not *that* crazy!
"Oh you didn't hear? The fairies are on strike, something about the coffee. I've been
forced to bring in elfin scab workers! Nah, it's just me behind this madness, a simple one-man
operation. I do everything from raising release money, to maintaining the web site, to promotion
and advertising. All of this keeps me awfully busy, but I love the work."
Your records didn't exactly cure my paranoia. In fact I still believe Elvis
is eating hamburgers up in the attic. Why did you decide to start up a
label?
"Elvis is in your attic? Quick, I'd call an exterminator! Or give Sam Phillips a ring...
My long-time love for atypical music, coupled with a desire to see it progress, have been the main
motivators behind starting this record label. A healthy contempt for pop music has also added much
fuel to that fire. I feel the entire pop archetype is in dire need of dismantling, its grubby
tendrils outstretched everywhere, constricting the very life from much of today's independent music
and culture. M-Tel was created in direct reaction to these things, to challenge the current system,
to leave a scar & to stir up the dusts of mediocrity that have somewhat silently settled upon our
independent culture. I guess one could say this label is my greasy little monkey wrench of sorts;
my sleeves are rolled up and I'm ready to do the dirty work."
Personally I like the sound of breaking glass. But, hey, I didn't hear that on
any of your records. Bummer. Can you explain the sound of Mental Telemetry?
Is there a sound?
"No breaking glass, yet. However, we're still working on that Pavarotti vs. Bruce Russell LP!
There isn't a definite Mental Telemetry "sound" per se. It'd be impossible to peg the sound I'm
trying to document here... because there isn't any one sound. M-Tel is an underground label by nature,
design and attitude; this is probably how our output will be considered. I realize that doesn't
aptly sum up a sound, but it may give you a better idea of our overall direction & ideals. I'm much
more interested in capturing those pure moments in time, the frameworks and "spaces", rather than
merely documenting any one particular sound or genre. I'll take a go at anything, as long as it's
interesting to me."
What is your goal? Apart from finding that rare Abba bootleg.
"You just had to mention the Abba bootleg, didn't you? Oh well, there go my credentials!
I hope to foster an environment here where creativity and art take precedence above all else.
I run a very humble operation here, very little profit is made by myself or by the artists on the
label. So aside from the personal time, commitment & funds that I contribute to help keep the label
running, the artists themselves also share great responsibility in our success. Through a
pseudo-collective effort, we all continually work together in building a foundation and environment
where other's voices and music can be heard. My goal, as modest as it may seem, is to keep this
going for as long as I'm able, to continue releasing great recordings made by great people, people
with real guts, people who mean it."
How long has the label been going? Gimme the non-censored story here!
"Mental Telemetry became "official" in January 2000, although I'd started work on our first 7"
in May 1999. The non-censored story is a long and sordid one, but I'll keep it brief. I'd been
playing in bands & doing quite a bit of solitary sound recording and experimenting since 1992. By
1997, I'd developed a very bad case of tinnitus (ringing in the ear) from these years of
self-inflicted auditory terrorism. In early 1998, my tinnitus had become so unbearable that I
decided to quit playing music altogether & hopefully salvage what hearing I still had left. This
decision revived my dreams of running a record label. I wanted something constructive to come out
of this situation and I wasn't ready to hang it up yet, so I started selling off my recording
equipment and musical instruments to finance the first M-Tel release, a 7" single for
The Terrifying Experience"
Where will it end, a big party celebrating the release of Christina
Aguilera's concept record "I am a Poop-Product"?
"That'd be a hell of a way to end things, now wouldn't it? Although, I hear Matador is
already picking this one up! Much to my dismay, Gerard beat me to it!"
What are your influences? Keep it clean, I know your strange fascination
with Vinyl.
"Labels like Crass, Datapanik, Siltbreeze, Corwood Industries, Iron Press, Old Age/No Age,
Early SST, Dischord & Xpressway (plus many others), have all provided a wealth of influence by
infecting me with their independent spirits and ideals; they've also put hundreds of great records
on my turntable, for which I am grateful. Most of these labels are now long gone, but their
contributions to our current culture can't be ignored. These people, these labels, these musicians
all paved the way & literally made it possible for someone like me to start up a record label. To
let that restless spirit die, or worse yet, to let their ideals become homogenized, would be a great
tragedy. I'd like to think Mental Telemetry is my way of paying homage to these people and their
values, recognizing what they've done for all of us."
If you could release a record by any band, musician or even a donkey... what
would it be? I also want a tracklisting. Hah, just kidding. Sort of.
"I've always wanted to release something for late Ohio musician Jim Shepard
(mostly known for his work in Vertical Slit & V-3). I have such great admiration for Shepard's work,
which touched me on an intensely personal and often spiritual level. In my opinion, Shepard
was one of the most important figures operating in the underground from the late 70's up until
his death in the 90's and his contributions are sorely missed. To this day I still feel a deep
personal loss from his death, I literally miss him every day. No doubt, my dream release would be
something for Jim."
Has the internet changed you? And no, I don't mean how you suddenly changed
into a "Nu Man" after checking out websites devoted to squirrels. Has it
changed how you run the label?
"Uh, how did you know about those squirrels!? My word NathalieÉyou don't have pictures of
that... do you? I'm an old-school computer nerd, been using the Internet since I was a
pre-pubescent twit (my first modem, a blazing 300-baud!!!). But even in the pre-Web stage of
the Internet, it's potential as a tool for independent networking was being exploited within the
punk and underground communities. They were using email & IRC (Internet Relay Chat) to talk about
favorite bands, announce new releases, coordinate shows, etc. It was a fertile time for the culture
and it probably worked much better back then, because everything was more centralized, not as
info-glutted as it has become today. So for the label, the Internet is useful in the most
conventional ways like on-line ordering, instant access to information, inexpensive long-distance
communications, etc. but it hasn't changed how I run the label."
Apart from running the label, do you do anything else? No, I don't mean
teaching those ants to play Ramones covers. I mean, do you organize tours
for the bands?
"Aside from running the label I work full-time in a computer data center & also maintain
an unofficial website for late Ohio musician Jim Shepard. In the future I'd like to take on
publishing books through the M-Tel imprint: underground writings, music related texts, tour journals
& dissident literature. I'd also like to do some spoken word releases, hoping to give the label a
slant towards literature, another serious passion of mine. I'd like to pull something like this
off by 2002. As far as the bands are concerned, I'd do absolutely anything for them. If that meant
organizing a tour or even bailing someone out of jail, I'd do it in a second."
In fact is the label a hobby or a full (dull?) time job?
"Mental Telemetry is a means of existence at this point, there's nothing I rather be doing.
Time wise, keeping up with the label is a full-time job to be sure! Although, I still view this
as something of a hobby too. Don't get me wrong, I take all of it very seriously, my optimism and
enthusiasm are infinite, but I wouldn't want to take this too seriously if that makes any sense.
Taking this too seriously would run the risk of it becoming a business, or a job, or some other
nonsense, when the label should operate and exist only to support it's artists and to create,
create, create!"
What new releases will be coming our way?
"A full-length CD from New Zealand's The Aesthetics is being recorded and mastered right
now. This band is fronted by Matt Middleton, who some may recognize from his solo work as Crude.
Matt's a very brilliant guy, a genuinely cracked artist who has self-released tons of beautiful
noise & electronic compositions over the years. The Aesthetics is Mr. Middleton's self-proclaimed
"rock 'n' roll" project...those chaps are amazing! I'd encourage anyone to pick up their last LP
titled "My Right to Riches", out on the Ecstatic Peace! label...mind-blowing work. This CD should
see release by late spring or early summer of this year."
Last words to the Kindamuzik Readers? Keep in mind, we have adults reading
this site!
"Burn your television, fuck the rules, go out and make something! Achieve better living through dissonance."
» Check out the Mental Telemetry's website
http://www.kindamuzik.net/label/709/mental-telemetry/742/
Meer op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/709
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