orchid tapes
hear an early, emotional cut from his forthcoming orchid tapes full - length .
stream another endearingly weird song from alex g’s forthcoming orchid tapes full - length .
orchid tapes is a record label founded in toronto in early 2010 currently based in new york .
listen to the
october 2013
from ghost orchard' s upcoming record on orchid tapes .
you can visit orchid tapes' website and bandcamp for details and news on upcoming releases and events .
sandpiper orchid society is a group of enthusiastic orchid growers dedicated to educating our members in the culture of orchids and the promotion of the preservation of orchid species and their habitat .
not everything on here is perfect, but it' s a solid encapsulation of the orchid tapes sound. give it a hundred listens .
from left to right: coma cinema and alex g performing at the first orchid tapes showcase. may 18th 2013 @ living bread in brooklyn .
during his recent stay in california, brian vu photographed miller rodriguez / pretty puke, one of our favourite people and an orchid tapes alumni .
san francisco dream - pop band to release their sophomore lp, a concept album about suicide in 19th century japan, this july on orchid tapes .
exhibitor profile includes manufactures pressure sensitive adhesive tapes, garbage bags and plastic film. other key product lines include multi - purpose box sealing, strapping and reinforced filament, electrical, stationery and cloth tapes. filament, electrical, stationery and cloth tapes .
in 1978, a group of dedicated orchid enthusiasts from across southern new jersey founded the south jersey orchid society. members range from novice to experienced growers. it is the goal of this club to promote the hobby of orchid growing and to educate the public about orchids, through monthly meetings and participation in local orchid shows .
from top left to right: julia brown, four visions + warren, and home alone performing at the third orchid tapes showcase during cmj. october 19th, 2013 .
we invite all orchid growers to join us as we explore the world of orchids .
brooklyn - based label orchid tapes was founded in 2010 by warren hildebrand, who' s also behind the dreamy foxes in fiction project. boring ecstasy: the bedroom pop of orchid tapes serves as a strong introduction to this tight - knit community, and highlights what makes it stand out during a time when anyone with internet access can conceivably start a label .
pinelands orchid society was formed in the late 1980' s to provide an organization where orchid growers could meet with other people interested in the hobby to exchange information and to learn together .
the artists that work with warren and brian are quick to define the vibe of orchid tapes as familial and personal: alex g even described the label as “a support group. ” two years ago, the label released its first retrospective compilation, * boring ecstasy: the bedroom pop of orchid tapes * *, * which perfectly summed up the melancholic and handmade love that pulsated through the music that orchid tapes was sharing. the songs found within were rough, immediate, and refreshing as the cool side of a pillow. in * radiating light: orchid tapes & friends, * the loose sequel to * bedroom pop, * the tricks start to run thin, and the inventive eccentricities once present have started to feel as safe as a day spent perusing etsy .
my friends / orchid tapes members rachel levy (of r. l. kelly), sam ray and caroline white (both of julia brown and ricky eat acid) all sing on the last song on the album, “altars. ” i really wanted the end of that song to have an explosive choral effect that reflected the community established around orchid tapes, and i think it does that really nicely .
as is often the case with small diy labels, orchid tapes began from a desire to self - release my music. it was early 2010 and i was living in toronto, attending a visual arts university, and i was finishing work on my first album as foxes in fiction, swung from the branches. i chose the name orchid tapes really early on, it comes from a rearrangement of the song title ‘tape hiss orchid” from deerhunter’s second album cryptograms, which remains an extremely important album in my life .
the second half of orchid tapes, brian vu, has done a huge amount of work to further orchid tapes over the past year and a half. he’s key in a lot of the decision - making that goes into figuring out what to release. he coded and designed our entire website, did the re - design for the logo that we started using in mid - 2012, and a lot of other photo / graphic / design - centric stuff that goes into making orchid tapes a functional machine. i wouldn’t be anywhere right now if it weren’t for the contributions and encouragement that he brings into the project .
warren hildebrand, label owner of orchid tapes and member of foxes in fiction talks to us about
healing pop ,
meeting owen pallett, and dealing with the grief of his brother' s death .
radiating light is the second compilation from orchid tapes, a sequel to 2014' s * boring ecstasy. * like the first, it gives you hope that people still make magic in their apartments behind closed doors .
from top left to right: foxes in fiction, r. l. kelly, and happy trendy performing at the first orchid tapes showcase. may 18th 2013 @ living bread in brooklyn. photo set by daniel dorsa .
sam clark of dimestore saints wrote a glowing and incredibly kind profile of orchid tapes and internet - based microlabels in general. so amazing to know we have supporters and listeners out there who take the time to do things like this .
after a long hiatus, balam acab self - released his second official album, child death
, on december 17, 2015 via bandcamp. in april 2016, the album was pressed on vinyl and released by the diy record label orchid tapes .
there’s a deerhunter song on their second album called ‘tape hiss orchid’. i kind of pulled the idea for the name from there when i was first putting the idea for the label together in 2009. i really loved the idea of a label called “orchid tapes” because it reflected on both the aesthetic / visual - centric aspect ideas that i had for the label and the patience that listening to cassette tapes requires. it’s also something that i think looks good as a pair of words together on paper .
this month, warren hildebrand and brian vu of the brooklyn - based label orchid tapes will be sharing two unique reflections with us. first up? a behind - the - scenes look into the day - to - day operations of their illustrious label .
the proceeds from this tender bedroom pop comp from z tapes go to benefit esther, a slovakian charity for victims of domestic abuse .
it’s been almost four years since i was the 20 year - old who started orchid tapes in my tiny toronto apartment. ever since the first release that i did, things have been set on a steady and optimistic upwards trajectory that hasn’t stopped. because of orchid tapes, i’ve been able to have some of the best and most memorable experience of my life. everyone i’ve ever gotten the chance to meet, talk to and work with through our releases and showcases have made this project one of the more worthwhile and rewarding aspects of my life .
wb: orchid tapes was first conceptualized in late 2009 right after i moved out for the first time and into a small apartment in downtown toronto, i had already released a few tapes as foxes in fiction while living at my mom’s house in the suburbs but i hadn’t put them out under any kind of name or anything. in february 2010 i released swung from the branches and it was kind of the official kick - off for orchid tapes existing. for the first few chapters of it’s life it really felt more like a pet project than an actual legitimate label, it took bringing brian vu onboard with the label and getting to know some really talented musician friends to really bring it into it’s current incarnation .
get familiar with the sound of the slovakian label z tapes with this 21 - track sampler, and pick up one of two posters with unique designs .
a devotion to intimacy and earnestness unites the musicians on orchid tapes, and those qualities have been part of the label’s dna since warren hildebrand, who' s also behind the dreamy foxes in fiction project, founded orchid tapes in 2010. initially, he created it as a way to release his debut album swung from the branches in a physical format), but soon hildebrand connected with other bedroom - based artists via myspace. since then, his label' s released music from the likes of coma cinema and ricky eat acid, whose three love songs served as their first vinyl release earlier this year .
the dos has been a leader in activities related to orchid growing in the delaware valley for many years. it was a founding member of the eastern orchid congress (eoc) and sponsored the 12th eoc in 1967, and the 28th eoc in 1983. in addition it has put together many other orchid shows and brought several renowned orchid experts to delaware to speak on various aspects of the hobby. the society actively participates in regional orchid shows, and was awarded first place for its 1996 society exhibit at sepos and again, for two years in a row in 2004 and 2005. additionally, at sepos, the society was awarded the best in show trophy by the aos in 2004. the 50th anniversary of the society was celebrated in oct. , 2004 .
the delaware orchid society (dos) is a non - profit educational organization whose purpose is to help people learn about orchids and orchid growing. the society was founded in 1954 and the first society president, dr. jonathan w. williams, later became president of the aos (1968 - 70) .
the society was founded on october 22, 1987. a group of orchid hobbyists decided to form a society and it has been going strong ever since .
overall, there are chunks of the compilation that feel anonymous or shapeless, yet it’s hard to hate this release: if you get one of the vinyl bundles, it comes complete with some guava candy, an orchid tapes tea bag, polaroid photos, and a handwritten thank - you note. this kind of love and care that’s hard to beat. perhaps after six years of innovating, orchid tapes is settling for what works. it might not make for an interesting collection of music, but there is something about * radiating light * that gives you hope: people still make magic in their apartments behind closed doors .
when the artists releasing music through brooklyn - based label orchid tapes talk about the imprint, it sounds like they are describing a support group instead of a business. “it’s the idea that anything good enough, no matter how much publicity or fans the artist has gathered, deserves love and attention, ” said infinity crush' s caroline white in a recent interview. “it feels like a bunch of friends. ” boring ecstasy: the bedroom pop of orchid tapes serves as a strong introduction to this tight - knit community, and highlights what makes it stand out during a time when anyone with internet access can conceivably start a label .
in the interest of preserving my own relationship with music and the way that i write and record as foxes in fiction, i don’t really think that i’d ever want orchid tapes to turn into anything too huge. i like that it’s a passion project and that it helps to compliment my love for music and for making music. i definitely want to do things right and as professionally as possible, but i want to always be able to make decisions for orchid tapes based on emotion and how i feel about the music itself, not based on what i think would ever sell well or would be a good business move for the label .
in march 2011, rachel, dylan, johanna of yohuna and myself all met up for the first time for a tour of california in which rachel acted as our designated driver (the entire ridiculous thing is documented on youtube). it was on that tour i first met brian vu, who i now live with, running orchid tapes out of our (slightly bigger) apartment in new york. bringing brian into the mix changed things immediately for the label. his aesthetic sense is unlike that of anyone that i’ve ever met, and the entire stylistic approach of orchid tapes is indebted to his talents as a designer and visual artist .
orchid tapes is the child of warren hildebrand. this brooklyn based label has come out with some of the most profound records in the past four years and has graced our ears with bands such as happy trendy, coma cinema, and foxes in fiction. these are only a few musicians in the unique and astounding roster this label has to offer. anything i say now will not explain thoroughly enough how great and dynamic a label like orchid tapes is. all i shall end this brief intro with is that, the modest, warren hildebrand has created something prolific and, though may remain small, will have a worldly impact on the independent music scene .
we also want to give people the option to pay for physical objects like tapes or records, which is what we usually spend the most amount of time and money on making really beautiful and special. i think a lot of the time when people have free access to something like the digital version of an album they' re more of an option to spend their money on a really nice record or cassette tape. that' s kind of the model that all of orchid tapes rides on right now and it works amazingly for us .
ansel cohen, whom i met at our rooftop orchid tapes cmj show last year, recorded cello in his house for both the ending of “shadow' s song” and “amanda. ” before that i had been using the cello patch in a mellotron plug - in that i use, which i think sounds awesome but his parts are just a million times better .
emily reo shares her creative energies with the musical community, but remains careful to save some juice for herself. though the 26 - year - old composer lends her vocals, synthesizer and other electronics to the live incarnation of musician warren hildebrand’s foxes in fiction, the bedroom pop project at the center of his orchid tapes label, it’s emily’s solo work that has the observer entranced .
the overall goal of orchid tapes is to unite and expose a network of like - minded artists from all over the world under a collective - style label. it' s our hope that the music and artwork reflected in each release we help to put out breaks free of the established norm, disregards trends, reflects the dedication of it’s creator and provokes a strong emotional resonance within whoever experiences it .
warren hildebrand (who makes music as foxes in fiction) started orchid tapes six years ago in an apartment in toronto. he was still in college, and the label was essentially an ad - hoc distribution method for his 2010 debut swung from the branches * *. the label took its name from a 2007 deerhunter song “tape hiss orchid” (from cryptograms) *, * and fittingly the song and perhaps much of bradford cox’s noisy somnambulism is hardwired into the label’s dna. eventually he connected with artists over myspace, and the label started to serve as a platform for cassette releases of self - described “bedroom pop. ” r. l. kelly, elvis depressedly, ricky eat acid, alex g, and many more found homes at orchid tapes, and over the course of its existence it’s become one of the most successful cassette labels. it’s succeeded because of careful curation on the part of hildebrand and the label’s co - manager brian vu, who warren met when he moved to new york a few years ago .
in the time since, the kind of community that’s grown around orchid tapes has turned out to be something more than i could have ever expected. we’ve come to know some of the most inspiring and talented people that i’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting and we’ve been able to connect with people in ways that i only ever dreamed of. one of the main ideas i’ve had about orchid tapes from the start is to have it be something that exists to release music that’s created from a place of love and honesty and has the potential to affect people on a deeply personal level, and i like to think we’ve accomplished that through the things we’ve shared with the world. we may still be a fairly small label, but seeing the way that people have responded to what we’re doing is both extremely moving and inspiring .
but life seems to be getting better for hildebrand. he currently lives in brooklyn with his boyfriend and business partner brian vu. together they run the boutique label orchid tapes, which although small in stature, is quickly becoming a treasure trove for ardent experimental pop fans. by offering free downloads and meticulously crafted, limited - edition physical releases, the label’s 40 releases to date have almost all sold out of their initial pressings .
throughout, he kept up with ms. bennett, sending cassette tapes with his music on them, as well as word of the birth of roan, his son with deena, and eventually deena’s death from lung cancer .
additional society activities include a christmas banquet with noted guest speaker and a plant auction in november. sjos is affiliated with the aos, the eastern orchid congress and supports the mid - atlantic judging center of the aos .
a lot of the core people that make up the orchid tapes roster have done countless things to make orchid tapes a positive and successful label. people like mat cothran, dylan khotin - foote, rachel levy and sam ray have been nothing but supportive, loving, and encouraging in as many ways as they can. it’s people like them that really make this feel like we’re one big family, this feels especially true whenever we get together for our showcases or little tours. of course there are all the supporters that we have. we’re really lucky, in that we have a pretty dedicated group of people that give their attention to pretty much every release that we put out and i probably would have given up the label long ago if these people from all across the world didn’t exist. it’s something we’ll never ever be able to take for granted, it’s been our lifeblood .
stereogum: the music industry is in a weird place because there are a few artists that are emblematic of that transition, but then there are literally thousands of artists that never make that jump. car seat headrest is one, and there’s also the whole orchid tapes crew — alex g and elvis depressedly and ricky eat acid — who very much built a base around bandcamp and tumblr way before they ever started to get attention from “mainstream” outlets .
meanwhile, yohuna has a few shows coming up in support of the upcoming orchid tapes compilation radiating light (due out 8 / 12). all of them are with foxes in fiction, r. l. kelly and emily reo, all of whom appear on that compilation. (emily reo and yohuna have a collaborative track on it .) the dates include nyc at alphaville on august 2. tickets for that show are on sale now .
hmm, it’s not really something i think about too much or really want to. it very much feels like a practice of being present and living the moment. but, i’d like to think we’ll know how to make the right decisions about the label at whatever points in the future. we both have our own things going on in our lives with music and art, respectively, but i’d like to think we’ll keep orchid tapes as an ongoing project for as long as possible. i’ve had some of the best collective experiences in my life because of orchid tapes. everything about it makes me feel like i’m doing something good and worthwhile with my life that genuinely means something to even just a few people. as long as i continue to feel that way and feel as though the musicians that we work with do too, i’ll always want to put the time and effort in to giving it life .
also
glow (v079 )
is made up from samples of a lot of friend' s projects; the drone is from a song by my friend ben van patten who has released music on orchid tapes as trans - bedroom sound, the scratchy percussion is from my friend matt sage' s old rxry project (one of the best things every, seriously) and the vocal part is sampled from a wonder bear song called
v079
.
sepos is a membership society dedicated to education, conservation and enjoyment of orchids. our membership includes orchid enthusiasts at all levels: beginners to advanced, novices as well as accredited aos judges, professional growers, authors and speakers .
the album has been remastered and features new art, which you can see above. it' s being pressed in a limited edition of 500 copies on gold and pink vinyl, and each record will include — get ready for it —
a small amount of a custom - made scent sprayed onto the jacket ,
a logo - stamped tea bag, guava candy, a les mouches artwork pin, an orchid tapes sticker and a handwritten thank - you note. you can pre - order it
warren and i just sold out of all our records and tapes (250 and 100 respectively) in under two days and without the record even streaming yet. thank you all so much. were gonna talk repress for anyone who missed out and still wants it
it' s challenging to portray the emotions obtained from watching something you really love and believe in grow tremendously, like a flower. or rather, an orchid. in an environment such as brooklyn, the aspect of community can be one of the most difficult things to achieve. with the continuance of bustling, competition, among other strivings in this enormous city; the most imtinate and gratifying moments have been spent knowing we have community and each other in the music scene. being said, there are aspirant people here that are achieving and sharing intermutual relationships digitally and virtually in an extroardinary way. in this case, a label few and far between. today we share the thoughts, devotions, and a very personal interview from warren hildebrand, founder of orchid tapes .
noisey: you' ve had a lot of success with independent label orchid tapes. how do indie labels even work these days? yeah i have no clue how indie labels operate now. aside from my experiences with orchid tapes, i' d probably just answer' not well'. they' re all a mess. they all seem to be broke or be funded by some weird endless supply of money. i mean a lot of them are run by great people, but it' s not sustainable at all. a lot are just like passion projects and they put out their friends' records with money they make from their main gigs in bands, licensing, work, whatever, and do it for fun or don' t break even or operate at a loss forever. others strive to be really great but in doing so fail because they do too much at once and go really in debt when a couple records fail, or through poor business decisions, or whatever. this sounds kind of damning i guess but it' s also just more praise for warren, brian, and everyone who contributes to orchid tapes. they run it incredibly well and while it' s still a learning experience for everyone to whatever extent, they exist perfectly in the line between passion project and real label, in that they release music they love and put a lot of care and effort into making a beautiful physical product. they also run the business side of the label really well so things don' t lose money constantly and make money to some extent .
our membership runs the gamut from beginners to highly experienced growers. meetings are friendly, informal and encourage interaction between novice and expert members. a library of orchid books and magazines is also available to our members as well as a very informative and educational monthly newsletter .
songwriter warren hildebrand of foxes in fiction has a special sensory gift. he experiences images and color when he listens to certain music, and hears tones when he sees certain images. in this episode of composer quest, we talk about warren’s synesthesia and how it shades his music making. warren also talks about why he loves audio degradation, and why he started the cassette tape label orchid tapes. this interview with warren, by complete chance, happens to be a perfect follow up to my previous interview with synesthetic composer mary beth huttlin .
while some of hildebrand’s fellow orchid tapes artists have become persons of interest, ontario gothic taps a relative superstar in owen pallett, who lends string arrangements. according to the credits, pallett laid tracks in london years after hildebrand completed them in his apartment, and they’re sweeping, sumptuous and weirdly conservative compared to his own work, but they give hildebrand’s otherwise modest and muted music all the luxury it can bear; whenever those horsehairs well up, it’s like noticing an extremely expensive belt on a guy in a t - shirt and jeans .
yohuna, aka singer / songwriter johanne swanson, is prepping her debut lp patientness for a september 1 release on orchid tapes. she’s shared a couple of songs from the album, including most recently the track “the moon hangs in the sky like nothing hangs in the sky. ” it’s a slowed - down, chilled out piece of dream - pop with slowdive - y overtones and a sing - song keyboard hook that’s as simple as it is melodically effective. listen to that, along with the synth - pop leaning “apart, ” below .
the bride’s hair was long and gray. there was no $ 7, 000 vera wang gown, just a $ 369 black sheath she bought at a basement sale. it was paired with polka - dot stockings, an orchid corsage and black patent leather mary janes .
it is hopefully not unkind to say that singer - songwriter alex g tosses out songs the way most people brush their teeth: at least once a day. and sometimes your canines gleam and sometimes they don' t. after a bunch of mostly solo acoustic bandcamp records, and a slightly beefed up and truly excellent lp last year on orchid tapes, alex g' s debut album for domino has nearly arrived *. beach music * is a mixed bag of experimentation with squirrelly vocals, ambient synths, rowdy drum machines—pastiche as a means to unclear ends .
founding member of the inconvenience. producing credits: love tapes, b­side studio, the fresh meat reading series, hit the wall, and the earl. inconvenience acting credits include: hit the wall, the earl, chicagoland, the little things, like the fish, and moss lady. he designed sets for strapped and the fly honey show 4. as an actor he has worked with the hypocrites, lookingglass theater, mary­arrchie, red orchid, steep theater, steppenwolf, and about face among others. film credits: jessica, a good person, ballad, and older children .
things have changed and developed a lot for us in really positive ways lately, and it’s all left me feeling extremely blessed to be in the position i am and know the people that i do. we’re very much a family - driven label and that’s something i never want to change or compromise on, even as our roster grows and expands. we wouldn’t be anywhere if it weren’t for the people that have chosen to support us, or the musicians that we’re lucky enough to work with. to say that running orchid tapes has been the greatest collective experience of my life wouldn’t be overstating it .
you and the label have a pretty devoted following. do you have any aspirations for the operation to become bigger should the opportunity come up? we want things to happen and change as naturally and patiently as possible, for the sake of our sanity, the artists we work with and for the people are so into the label. the last thing that we would want for the label would be to jump at the idea of signing onto things that would make us super huge and take a lot of the power or hands - on stuff away from us. i think a lot of what people gravitate to with orchid tapes is how personal everything is and how we do things a little differently, and that isn' t really something i wanna let go of at the moment, even it means turning down big offers. a lot of what i' ve learned this year is how important it is to say “no” to certain opportunities that may present immediate and exciting growth and change to a project, but ultimately in the long - run may not be so good for everyone involved. i feel really good about where orchid tapes is at right now and how it is running converse to what a lot of other labels are doing and still doing really well, and i feel very protective over it for that reason .
this isn’t evident at first. the opener features a newer artist on the roster, soccer mommy, and her contribution, “memories, ” begins with an 8 - bit jingle, making the very first second’s of the compilation feel like you’re entering an arcade game. it’s tactile and attention - grabbing, and what follows is about three minutes of bedroom pop, cleverly written, confessional, sincere, but allusive. the following song, katie dey ’s (another newer artist) “few hours later, ” is diverse, messy, and dense with gnarled - but - inviting sounds. these two songs alone are tantalizing, and some of the best new work that orchid tapes has curated .
that speaks to the appeal of orchid tapes in the first place, a collective that stands to snag the interest of anyone invested in the concepts of “punk”, “indie”, “scene”, and “diy”. so the charm of ontario gothic is derived from one of the most thrilling and rewarding feelings one can have as an artist, or simply a consumer of art—that great music can be created amongst your friends, and how the resulting feeling can come across as more inherently special than anything consumed on a mass scale. ontario gothic is certainly part of a great story; but as a perfectly satisfying half hour of modest and common dream - pop, it' s not much of a story on its own .
since i was only 20 at the time, i didn’t really have any experience or knowledge about running a label or what the process was going to be like (which i think is kind of redundant when you’re just running a cassette label), but i didn’t even really know any musicians in toronto at the time that i could work with. it wasn’t until i met mathew lee cothran, rachel levy, dylan khotin - foote and sam ray through myspace over the next year that the orchid tapes’ core began to materialize. we all lived in geographically disparate places but because of the internet and the kind of music we were making, we were all drawn close together really quickly, despite the digital divide .
fuck your doom - and - gloom projections about the music industry' s demise. if you want an operative model look no further than ricky eat acid, a largely ambient project from maryland' s sam ray, which sold out it' s pre - release vinyl run on the up - and - coming orchid tapes label in two days. to those 250 people who bought three love songs without hearing it, you' re in luck—it rules. featherweight electronics, aching piano, snippets of speech, even a pitched up drake sample swirl around in a stew of delicately rendered pathos. while many ambient records try to alienate the listener from a familiar emotional spectrum, these songs describe moments of recognizable, lived - in humanity .
i’m in the process of recording my second full - length lp, which i’m hoping to have out next spring! i’m a perfectionist and pretty slow when it comes to writing and recording, but everything is coming together nicely and i’ve started playing some new material at shows. i’m also finalizing a fun smaller release for orchid tapes that will be out by the end of this year, which i’m extremely proud of and excited to share. the ot community has been inspiring me a lot, because it’s fun to listen to your friends. the epoch folks as well have been releasing some great music, and i’m generally just interested in seeing how collectives function, especially ones that have so much overlapping collaboration and still manage to maintain autonomous sounds within every project .
orchid tapes today is almost completely different than when it was when i first started it. in the beginning i didn’t really know too many musicians who had much interest in releasing things on a brand new label (this was right after arcade sound ltd. had been revealed to be a scam label so there was an understandable amount of apprehension hanging around a lot of people that i associated with). also, a lot of the early releases i did were really amazing, but i don’t think there was much of the sense of cohesion or togetherness that defines the label these days. i would basically just say ‘yes’ to anyone who asked to do a release, and got turned down by 95% of the people i would ask to put out a tape .
wb: most of the releases we’ve done have been the product of internet relationships. thankfully we’ve all met and hung out in real life a bunch of times now but i had become internet friends with people like mat (elvis depressedly / coma cinema), rachel (rl kelly) and dylan (happy trendy) long before we ever made any plans for them to release music on orchid tapes, but that’s been a really nice thing, and it’s made doing releases a lot more fun and easy going since everything’s discussed and arranged just as a friends. i also met tom of home alone after he started dating my best friend amanda, and i met dan of four visions, who we’re working on a release for right now, at a show we both played in brooklyn .
how has moving to new york changed things for you? i feel like i could live and work anywhere, so being in new york hasn' t really affected by music or the way i write. i think it' s mostly just allowed me to be a lot more connected to the people who are involved in orchid tapes. it' s been way easier to throw showcases or routinely see all my american friends living in a place where people are passing though all the time, as opposed to toronto, where a lot of my current best - friends have never even been to. i get a lot more work done now than i ever have, which is great, but i think a lot of that is motivated by the financial realities of living in a place like new york .
in march 2001, dcos organized and held our fourth annual show – “orchids on the jersey shore”. dcos also publishes a monthly newsletter, conducts an annual auction in the early fall, stages fine exhibits in several orchid shows each year, filled with our members award winning orchids, and hosts open houses, work shops, seminars and more. we have an extensive library available to all our members .
one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most venerated guitar gods, uli jon roth, will be releasing a very special live performance from the nakano sun plaza hall in tokyo, japan on december 2nd 2016 through udr music, titled tokyo tapes revisited - live in japan. the performance is a celebration of roth’s classic work with scorpions, and was recorded on february 20th 2015 at the same venue as the band’s classic 1978 live album tokyo tapes. roth was a founding member of scorpions in 1973 before leaving to pursue a solo career in 1978 with his own electric sun. as the recognized creative heartbeat of scorpions, roth achieved worldwide fame for his unique guitar and song - writing talents, in turn causing him to influence a plethora of modern guitar giants such as kirk hammett of metallica, billy corgan of the smashing pumpkins and steve vai .
deep cut orchid society (dcos), was founded in the fall of 1986 by a handful of people who love to grow orchids. we want to share our enthusiasm, some say obsession, with others. we are an active, well established, enthusiastic society that has fun in all of our activities. growing orchids is our hobby and not a business. dcos draws windowsill to greenhouses growers from cranbury to toms river, nj .
wb: for me, the biggest accomplishments have been the three showcases that we’ve done this year. not only were they fun in every way, but they represented a culmination of everything positive that’s happened for orchid tapes, my music and the music made by all the people i’ve become so close with in the past three and a half years. it’s one thing to have a cool project like this that’s based largely on the internet, but to have a group of bands / musicians come together for one show and have people actually come out to listen is a really amazing and indescribable thing. definitely some top 10 life moments in there. to someone thinking of starting their own diy, i would recommend to just start small and be very ambitious and dedicated with it. it can seem sort of daunting at first but the more love you put into it the more you’ll get out of it .
“spoiled’s” lyrics touch on the other important aesthetic pillar of the artists affiliated with orchid tapes: they aren’t shy about baring their feelings *, so boring ecstasy * focuses on love gained and lost, usually against the backdrop of everyday happenings. “what’s the point of the leaves changing color / i can’t watch them change with you, ” julia brown’s sam ray sings on
without you
, the words out of step with the music surrounding it, underlining the desperation contained within. “the overall idea that we try to go for is releasing music by people who are really dedicated and put a lot of themselves into their music and don' t try to follow any passing internet trends or anything, ” hildebrand told interview magazine, and that comes through on boring ecstasy, a collection of music from bedroom artists unafraid to lean in close and expose their feelings, all while never sounding one bit alienating .
that photo from your site of your album in the tower records store in japan is hilarious. did you have any idea that you’d end up on a display like that? i didn' t. i never thought anyone outside of my friends would ever hear my music. but i think it' s pretty great. a lot of the milestones for both my music and the label have been kind of intangible and based on the internet, so like, when it comes down to doing something like explaining to my parents why orchid tapes is doing so well, or why the sites that are covering my music are a big deal, it leaves a lot to be explained. but with a picture like that, it' s all right there! my album' s being sold at a massive music store in japan and while that is completely absurd, it' s something to be happy and excited about .
last week was the fourth anniversary of orchid tapes, the new york diy label co - founded by warren hildebrand and brian vu that, like a snowball rolling from the top of big cartel mountain, has picked up increasing speed and energy to careen, these days, with the force of a bedroom pop avalanche. now, to mark the general unmissable - ness of the label' s present, they' re putting out boring ecstasy, a vinyl compilation featuring a real who' s - who of hushed mood - setters. full tracklist is below. of the featured artists, elvis depressedly, alex g, ricky eat acid, r. l. kelly, home alone and four visions will all play a label showcase on march 29th at brooklyn' s shea stadium—look for the 12 - inch to go on sale then - abouts. today, stream yohuna' s
badges ,
one of many highlights. aaaaaaagh .
• 07. 13. 17: crashing into nowhere is available to listen to now on spotify, apple music and bandcamp. limited turquoise tapes can be found for purchase here too. • 07. 13. 17: apollo vermouth to release crashing into nowhere on july 14. click thru to watch the video for reflections of. • 02. 21. 17: fog lake' s new album dragonchaser is out now. listen here or purchase a limited cassette tape from our store .
even just in terms of resources, there’s a lot more available to now; for the first 20 releases i would dub every single cassette tape on my stereo tape deck, which would literally take days and days to finish. it wasn’t until last fall that i got a proper cassette duplicator. also, since moving to new york it’s become a lot easier to get things like blank tapes, j - cards and other goodies that we use to put our packages together. and there’s two of us now, which is great !
you’re really doing everything by yourself, operating orchid tapes, which releases your albums as well as other artists. there is a strong aesthetic to your releases. where does that vision come from? umm, it' s hard to say, there wasn' t ever really a conscious attempt to shape a particular aesthetic around the label, it just kind of happened over the course of the five years that we' ve been releasing things. i think that comes from our background in visual art and in our belief that the label should have strong political goals. also i' m not really doing it by myself, there should be no confusing that; brian being involved brought about the strongest changes in the whole style of the label, for sure. before i started working with him in 2012 i was literally about to close it down because of how unhappy i was with it. but we discuss everything that we release and he has such a great eye for the visual stuff related to label, it' s really amazing getting to work with him on that kind of level for so many of the things that we put out .
educational programs planned for monthly meetings, feature presentations by guest speakers on various topics, including orchid culture, natural habitats, and hybridization, a plant raffle, sales area and show table. on the show table, members display blooming plants, which are evaluated by a team of experienced members and recognized for their merit. exhibited plants are critiqued by the team, which offers cultural information, display tips and specific background information on the particular species or hybrid. members who have displayed the greatest number of noteworthy plants are recognized and receive awards at our annual picnic .
i was living alone in my old apartment in toronto and was wrapping up the recording of my first foxes in fiction album. i was trying to figure out the best way to put it onto a physical medium. i was really inspired by all the little cassette labels that were popping up on different blogs around that time. it seemed like a really cheap and easy way to get music out into the world beyond just the proliferation of mp3s. i released little one - off tapes for my music in the past, but at that point it was a lot more exciting to try and create an actual label, to have an' official’ name behind the release .
there is a big gap between your albums. how long were you working on ontario gothic? i deliberately took my time and didn' t want to bow to any expectations or pressure that was being put on me, because i wanted it to be a very good record and i had no interest in following the step - by - step “buzz band” brochure. because of my decision to do things this way, a lot of the working
industry
relationships i had fizzled out, and there are also up to like seven versions of some of the songs that just got completely scrapped, both of which are fine with me. rushing through it to have a quick follow - up to swung from the branches or ride out the hype wasn' t, and isn' t important to me. in the end it' s the work that endures, not the frequency of press cycles. aside from working on the record pretty slowly and in a super detail - oriented way, i got really wrapped up in running orchid tapes too. if i' m not mindful, working on the label can completely pull me away from working on my own music, and i think that happened a lot. everything for both my own music and the label happens in the same room in my apartment, so it' s easy to get distracted by one when i should be focusing on the other.
orchid tapes is an independent record label based in queens . it was founded in 2010 by warren hildebrand . operated by brian vu and hildebrand as of 2012 , the label has released a number of indie compilations and original releases on cassette tape , limited edition vinyl , and digital download . among orchid tapes ' signed bands are coma cinema , foxes in fiction and alex g . the label focuses on " music and artwork that breaks free of the established norm ... reflects the dedication of its creator and provokes a strong emotional resonance ... "
orchid tapes is an independent record label based in queens. it was founded in 2010 by warren hildebrand. operated by brian vu and hildebrand as of 2012, the label has released a number of indie compilations and original releases on cassette tape, limited edition vinyl, and digital download. among orchid tapes' signed bands are coma cinema, foxes in fiction and alex g. the label focuses on " music and artwork that breaks free of the established norm... reflects the dedication of its creator and provokes a strong emotional resonance... "
orchid tapes is an independent record label based in queens. it was founded in 2010 by warren hildebrand. operated by brian vu and hildebrand as of 2012, the label has released a number of indie compilations and original releases on cassette tape, limited edition vinyl, and digital download. among orchid tapes' signed bands are coma cinema, foxes in fiction and alex g. the label focuses on " music and artwork that breaks free of the established norm... reflects the dedication of its creator and provokes a strong emotional resonance... "