This week’s Bandcamp gem is actually a pair of gems — well, actually, it’s more like a rad jewelry store and the gem is in said store, shrouded in a warm haze of reverb. Forged Artifacts, an independent record label run out of Minneapolis, is the jewelry store in question, and Dan Svizeny is the gem on display.
Back in August, Svizeny released his first album, “Every Weekend,” under Forged Artifacts (he’s released an album under Mirror Universe Tapes, too). Recorded in the relative solitude of a small town in New Jersey, the 10-track album is piled high with sunny reverb and glimmers of an America that everyone wishes existed — you know, the America of dusty highways and “freedom,” courtesy of a Chevrolet. It’s just a damn good listen.
Since the World Wide Web is a place of miracles, your reporter recently got the chance to pick the brain of Matt Linden, the founder of Forged Artifacts about running an independent label, why the music of Svizeny is top-notch and upcoming releases from his label. Not to be left out of the conversation, Svizeny also dropped in a few digital cents about putting “Every Weekend” together.
The State Press: What’s the origin story of Forged Artifacts? What it’s like running an independent label?
Matt Linden: The idea for Forged Artifacts came in the early months of 2012. I'd always wanted to be involved in music in some way, but never played an instrument myself. For me, the next best thing was getting involved in at the production and "business" level, which lead me to exploring running a record label. My main goal was to immerse myself in the process of creating a record from beginning to end — while also getting to know and work with musicians and artists who I was a fan of. In starting any business, there are always ups and downs and learning curves to navigate. It's been a really rewarding experience, and I'm constantly pushing myself and trying to learn as much as I can.
Biggest struggle for any smaller label: Your ideas are (usually) always bigger than your wallet.
SP: How you and Dan Svizeny sync up?
ML: I had been a fan of Dan's for a long time — both through his releases with Cough Cool on Bathetic and elsewhere, as well as his first solo record with Mirror Tapes. I believe for this record he actually posted on Twitter that he had a bunch of songs recorded, and they didn't have a home. I jumped at that immediately and we worked our way to the release of this tape. Now we're buds.
SP: What drew you to Svizeny’s sound?
ML: I think a big thing with Dan's music — especially the themes on this latest record — is that we're close in age and a lot of it resonates with me on a personal level. It's kind of a dirty, buzz-y word, but I think Dan's music taps into an emotional nostalgia that people our age gravitate towards. Buried under layers of reverb and guitars, Dan's solo songs are some of the most emotive and heartfelt I've ever released on the label. It's probably why “Every Weekend” ranks so high in the label catalog for me. I love it a lot and I really think Dan's one of the more under-appreciated songwriters today. It's also worth noting that we both love Springsteen, and that comes through in his songwriting.
SP: Is there a general vibe/sound you try to cultivate among the artists on your label?
ML: Short answer: no. I always knew I didn't want to pit the label with any sort of genre tag or affiliation. One of the beauties of running your own label and doing it yourself is that you get to follow your own whims and muses — whatever they may be. Pigeonholing myself to a specific genre would've been a shot to the foot from the get-go. Having said that, I do tend to gravitate towards guitar-heavy music, but my ears are always open.
Above all else, I just try and work with people that are easy going and are passionate about their music. If someone isn't passionate about their own art, I don't see why they should expect others to feel differently about it.
SP: You’ve got quite a few rad bands under your moniker. Care to give the dear readers of the State Press a brief rundown of recent/upcoming releases along with what they sound like? Are a lot of them local to Minneapolis?
ML: Man, we have some really cool releases coming down the pike. I've shown some people one in particular and the opinion has unanimously been: "I can't believe this is coming from Forged Artifacts." But I love that. It goes back to the "non-genre" tag I wanted for the label. I like surprising people, so that's been cool to hear.
We recently put out the debut album from Los Angeles Police Department, which received some terrific reviews and praise. I'm so happy to see that album and project take on a life of its own. Ryan deserves that. We also released an album from my pals Some Pulp. They're from here (Minneapolis), and it's a kick-ass debut.
You hit on another conscious label decision here by asking if a lot of the bands are local to me, which would be the Twin Cities/Minneapolis. We built the label off a local foundation, but it was never my intention to release only local bands. It's great on one hand because these are people I can get to know and hang out with on a regular, face-to-face basis. On the other, if I only released local bands that would kind of limit my options of who I get to work with. I have an inner goal that I tell myself: 50/50 ratio of local and non-local bands on the roster. We'll see if I keep to that, but so far, it's pretty much worked out that way.
SP: The world of independent labels seems to be thriving (huzzah!). Are there any other labels you enjoy the work of?
ML: Sure, tons. Castle Face, Moon Glyph, Infinity Cat, Mirror Tapes, Orchid Tapes, Drag City, L.I.E.S., MjMj, Night People, ChillMegaChill, Exploding In Sound, Double Double Whammy, Zoo Music, Don Giovanni, etc., etc. There are tons of great curators and originators doing awesome things. Go dig for 'em.
SP: Oh, I'm a big, big fan of Orchid Tapes. On that note, who/what have you been listening to as of late?
ML: Other than the releases coming up on the label...a lot of pretty heavy electronic stuff from L.I.E.S, the new Aphex Twin, Flight, Milk Music, Wand, Alex G, The War on Drugs, Shabazz Palaces, Pure X, etc. If you asked me tomorrow, it'd be 10 different names.
Your humble reporter now shifts gears to his interview with Svizeny.
SP: Once upon a time, you put out music under the moniker of Cough Cool. What was the general vibe of those tunes?
Dan Svizeny: I think it's younger and more frustrated. I started making those songs in my room at my parents’ house when I was home from college. It then morphed into a collaborative effort with one of my best friends, Jon Mack — that's when Cough Cool really started sounding cohesive.
We lived together in a pretty shitty apartment in Philadelphia and we were both at transitional points in our lives so the vibe was kind of down, but we had a lot of fun watching football.
SP: What inspired you to start working under your own name?
DS: Necessity. I don't consider anything made without Jon to be Cough Cool. One day we will make another record, but right now we live in two different places, so I made the last record on my own.
SP: And on the note of “inspiration,” what sounds/ideas/places/etc. have influenced your album “Every Weekend?”
DS: “Every Weekend” came when I moved back to New Jersey after three years in Philadelphia. I was living alone in a house in Frenchtown, New Jersey about 100 yards form the Delaware River. It was really quiet and I kind of figured that ‘this is it’—kind of nowhere else to go.
I got into a good routine for about 6 months. Wake up, drive to work, listen to Howard Stern, work, go to Wawa, work, drive home listen to sports talk, go for a run, record.
“Every Weekend” is my best attempt at Springsteen.
SP: What was the process like for putting the album together?
DS: Everything was recorded to 8-track. Most of the time, I find a drum sound I like then go from there. It's usually a process of layering.
SP: What’s the ideal visual accompaniment to your tunes? I always picture someone lighting a cigarette in slow motion and then speeding away in a black car during “Always Daytripping.”
DS: I was driving on this country road this summer. The road was surrounded by trees on both sides. In the span of like five seconds, I saw this teenage couple walk out of the woods holding hands. I really liked that visual and it stuck with me.
SP: What have you been listening to as of late?
DS: Dire Straits and Chris Isaak.
SP: What’s it been like working with Forged Artifacts?
DS: Really good. Matt is awesome. The label is stocked with some really cool bands that have staying power.
Of course, your reporter concludes with a call to action. I’ve broken this into a numbered list, for your convenience:
(1) Go download “Every Weekend.” Consider actually paying a few dollars for it, eh?
(2) Listen to “Close Up U.S.A,” and savor the feeling of falling into a warm bath of guitar fuzz.
(3) Realize this is the soundtrack to college you’ve always wanted.
(3) Go to Forged Artifacts and check out some of the other equally as rad bands they’re — as the kids say — reppin’.
Reach the reporter at zachariah.webb@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @zachariahkaylar.
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