What you said about making punk records at real studios, with real audio fidelity, and what you guys did via the label, was IMMENSELY important and influential. Even today, with clean recordings being more accessible than ever, a LOT of underground punk bands will record on busted Tascams or intentionally master shit in the red, and it’s a cool sound still sure, but bands that can capture that kind of violence and aggression with a CLEAN record always stand out from the pack. If the band is good enough, that sonic assault gets amplified by higher fidelity, rather than hidden under a bunch of tape artifacts and noise from a Tascam motor on its last leg. It’s why to this day I always have all my music recorded as clear as day, rather than pumping out rehearsal space demos as LPs. The records you guys put out, and ones like them, were HUGE for me as I was discovering punk, because it still sounded just as feral, but you could actually HEAR the instruments. As I said on one of your Melvins vids, been binging the channel today, wonderful stuff dude!

@MarkDeutrom

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for your insights. I feel many bands just had poor engineers, limited budgets and little or no guidance, which is unfortunate. Lo-Fi is certainly a trend and always will be, but there's no denying the attraction of distortion from an analog chain. This is the standard that digital technology chases after both in film and audio by adding noise back in. Distortion in small doses is what makes "analog" recordings from the previous century sound so good. Even Tascam and Yamaha 4 track cassette recorders had great fidelity when used "properly". That's what the manuals were for. This raises a great question about what is "good" noise vs "bad" noise...I might have to do a video about that ! Thanks for being here !

Hi Mark. All of this content you are sharing is cool and takes me back. So thanks!

@MarkDeutrom

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Brian. Good to hear from you ! Hope all is good with you.

What a great story! I love these videos. Alchemy was a pretty important label to me as a kid - especially the Melvins, RKL and Poison Idea records. RKL's Rock N Roll Nightmare still gets me going!!!!!!

@MarkDeutrom

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for that. Back then there was almost zero direct feedback so you operated in a vacuum to an extent. Glad you have good memories !

Thanx for the great story and memories!

@MarkDeutrom

Ай бұрын

Thx for watching !

when i was young kfjc played on the way up over and over. love that song!!! thanks for sharing your story. my friends in humboldt remember you and victor coming up here to arcata and promoting alchemy. cheers mark

@MarkDeutrom

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for that ! I think On the Way Up was on one of Kurt Cobain's favorite songs list also...I seem to remember Clown Alley playing in Arcata at one point.

I remember this label. Some good stuff. Neurosis, Sacrilege BC,Poison Idea. My favorite album was probably Virulence- If this isnt a Dream. A very unique punky, yet doomy album. Thanx for the releases.

@MarkDeutrom

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. Virulence was after my time, but it's a pretty good record.

Thanks for all the great stories. I followed the Stoner Witch tour like a dead head back in the day .

@MarkDeutrom

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching here !

This was interesting for all kinds of reasons - I love to hear tales from the trenches of DIY-ish punk-ish labels such as these. But it also reminded me something I'd all but forgotten. My band had a single out on an SF label called Pusmort at this time (i.e. mid/late '80s). "You've been delivered unto me" is a great line btw. 😂

@MarkDeutrom

11 ай бұрын

Lots of creativity in the underground scene at the time ! That was a good moment.

hey mark I’m a huge fan of all your work I’m obsessed with your alchemy record label I have every physical pressing of every release y’all had including peace through chemistry my favorite bands probably on the entire label are clown alley ,paranoia ,guillotine I was wondering if you somehow have any chords or tabs for the clown alley songs and I was wondering if you have any like stories or info about clown alley and guillotine or other bands on the label

@MarkDeutrom

Жыл бұрын

Thanks ! You definitely have more than I do at this point. Paranoia and Guillotine were after my time, but I might do a guitar breakdown of some Clown Alley tunes in the future. Thanks for watching ! Remember to subscribe to this channel for notice of upcoming videos. I also have a Patreon page where I am sharing unreleased materials from my archive !

Love all yr videos! I met you in St. Louis when my band opened for County Bucks! 🤙✌️✊

@MarkDeutrom

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching ! Glad we got to play together.

I really enjoyed this, it's great hearing the nuts and bolts of how independent labels get going. It's a shame how it all ended, but what a time to be alive and what a great experience to be signing up and producing bands. Thanks for sharing!

@MarkDeutrom

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. Definitely an interesting trip at the twilight of that particular model of the music business.

I thought that the guy with the arrow is Drumbo???

@MarkDeutrom

5 ай бұрын

According to the boxset "Grow Fins" it's VH, but that might be a mistake...

@tedbyron1499

5 ай бұрын

@MarkDeutrom I know exactly what you're talking about and I'm certain it's a mistake. B/c Drumbo always wore that welding/steel worker hat w/ the big flap on the back, the little band style sunglasses and the big hair.

@MarkDeutrom

5 ай бұрын

I guess this will have to remain a mystery, like much of what Victor did in general.

Wow Mr. Deutrom , that's a great tale, thanks for discussing everything. AII of the crazy stuff with Victor had to reaIIy suck, l have no idea what l wouId have done in that situation honestIy. lt's funny, because l feeI Iike l'm on the verge of being in a not-so-great situation with a business partner right now myself, but l'm hoping for the best. Anyway, PLEASE keep making your videos and discussing things you've done and been involved with because it's all really interesting!

@MarkDeutrom

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching, and also for sharing an insight to your present situation. I certainly could have done myself a service by just respecting my intuition more in a variety of circumstances in the past. If something feels bad, it usually is, from my experience. I appreciate your interest !