Rusted Rail rumbled into view in March of 2006.
So far there have been 18 releases.
Here is picture of the full catalogue courtesy of uber-fan Mr. Tom Bristow:
Instead of me describing what its all about here's what some folks have had to say about the label....
"Rusted Rail are a micro-independent record label from Ireland that releases, almost exclusively, 3"CD's in tantalisingly limited runs. Each release is ink-stamped and comes housed in a hand-made, cover slipped into a perfect fit sleeve, often with a little something extra inside too. Their expanding roster confidently encompasses a variety of folk-flavoured sounds, from the glitchy electro-folk of Loner Deluxe and the sombre dub of The Declining Winter, the psychedelic experimental adventures of Phospene and United Bible Studies, through to the more traditional folk sounds of Agitated Radio Pilot, Rusted Rail continue to defy fashionable genres and over-used hyphenated styles to promote a sound all their own. All Rusted Rail releases on that proper tiny 3"CD format feature music from Agitated Radio Pilot, The Big Eyes Family Players, Cubs, The Declining Winter, Directorsound, The Dovetail Consort, CWK Joynes, Loner Deluxe, Mirakil Whip, Music For Dead Birds, Phantom Dog Beneath The Moon, Phosphene, Plinth, So Cow, United Bible Studies... a format that is admittedly way too easy to lose, yet entirely practical if you are short on storage space like yours truly... Rust Never Sleeps..." - Sideways Thru Sound
http://www.sidewaysthroughsound.com/
Broken Face:Thursday, August 31, 2006
Label profile #1: Rusted RailIn what hopefully will be an on-going series of presenting labels that go out of the way to release some of the most fascinating music that’s around, the turn has come to the eminently titled Rusted Rail imprint out of Ireland. So far this adventurous and creative label has graced us with six goregous 3” CD-Rs but as you’ll notice there’s more in the pipeline. And how can anyone with this motto really go wrong? "The musical canon is not decided by majority opinion but by enthusiasm and passion, and a work that ten people love passionately is more important than one that ten thousand do not mind hearing". We got in touch with them to see what keeps them going and what’s coming around the bend...
Do you remember when music really caught your attention for the first time?I think I got into music quite late – I was 10 or 11 before I started listening to the radio or buying tapes (!) – it was in Ireland in the mid to late ‘80s - but it would’ve been the usual retro stuff that I got into: Thin Lizzy, Hendrix, The Doors (there was also a Queen phase but the less said about that the better!)…but then as I got older and maybe wiser (?) I hit that rich seam of early ‘90s American music with Sebadoh and Pavement, Slint and Palace and their fellow travellers, and then Rachel’s and Tortoise led me into different worlds…
What lead to the decision to start Rusted Rail? Was there a point at which you thought "I could do this better myself"?Running a label was something I’d wanted to do for many years it’s just that in recent times with the ease of communication that the net affords it became the right time to get online and start putting the tunes out there. The music of course being the most important thing – I’m blessed to know many very gifted people and it’s their records that you will find on Rusted Rail.
Do you have a set up goal for the label?Just to keep channeling the music out into the world. The positive side is knowing that people are connecting with the music – that’s what it’s all about.
Are there any particular labels that have inspired you or that you feel somehow spiritually connected with?Deserted Village, Constellation, Touch & Go - to name but a few - just the uncompromising attitudes and commitment that labels like those exude are very inspiring.
What would you say are the most important factors that decide whether a record will end up on Rusted Rail or not? Is there something that unifies everything that's wearing the Rusted Rail logo?Whether I think it sounds good is the only factor. I dunno if there’s a manifesto but maybe it’s forward-thinking music? (This is a difficult question to answer without sounding pretentious!)
From afar the musical climate in Ireland seems to be thriving these days. Do you agree?Maybe things are just more visible now with the interconnectedness of everyone via the Internet. I'm pretty sure there's always been music bubbling away just beneath the surface and now it’s possible to take the music out of the bedroom or living room and get it out there, by whatever means necessary.
Do you have any explanation for the relatively large number of interesting acts that have come out of Ireland the last few years?I reckon it's a case of people becoming more confident in their musical vision, recording equipment being more affordable, the popularity of a certain music sharing website which will remain nameless (!), and maybe there's a certain hunger for hearing something different. Who knows?
What do you think of the current state of experimental music in general?If "experimental" means using the old punk ethos of D.I.Y. recordings and releases (no matter what the genre) then I think it’s in a very healthy state. For example the popularity of the "free/freak-folk movement" is interesting and I think it signals that people are harking back to purer forms of musical expression, which are also based on the idea of belonging to a community of likeminded individuals.
As far as I know all Rusted Rail releases are 3” CD-Rs. How come? What is it that makes the 3” format so appealing?So far all the releases have been on 3", it's just a really dinky format that really appeals to me and allied with the handmade packaging I think it makes for a very visually engaging artifact. Also you can cram about 21 minutes of music onto the little discs so I think it's a cool medium for housing half an albums worth of music. There will be releases on other formats in the future - 5" CD, downloads, DVD - all these are in the pipeline.
Foxy Digitalis Label spotlight: Rusted Rail(September 2006)
Who started the label and why?
I (Keith) did. It was something I’d wanted to do for years but it only really became viable in the last few years with the ease of access to new music that the internet affords. Of course it’s all about the music and so many people I know were making great music I just thought why not put it out there?
What's the story behind the name?
I’ve always been a little obsessed with old, rusted, empty railway tracks. Digging a little deeper maybe a rusted rail is a symbol for human interconnectedness that has somehow been left behind in an accelerated world. Who knows? They’re two words that work well together and that’s enough for me!
What keeps you inspired to continue doing the label?The beautiful sounds, the feedback from people who engage with and enjoy the music, the handmade aspect, the sense of there being a community of like-minded individuals out there who are into it.
What's the hardest thing about running an independent label these days?Just the amount of time it takes to make all the releases, to keep up with orders, correspondence, promotion, all the usual stuff (not to mention keeping the website updated which would be impossible without my web weaving buddy Aaron the Phantom Dog) not that any of this is a complaint - it’s a gift!
If you could work with any one artist, who would it be and why?
Tim Buckley. Because musically you’d never know what he was gonna do next.
What's your demo policy?I haven’t really been sent anything yet as I tend to commission releases, but my ears are always open. I did get one email form a guy in South America who said he had recorded some “non-commercial indie-alternative rock, and I think it would fit your label very well...” which I took as a compliment!
What's the best record you've heard in the past year?
Besides the Rusted Rail releases by Agitated Radio Pilot, Loner Deluxe, Mirakil Whip, Loner Deluxe, Plinth and United Bible Studies? Probably “Red Hash” by Gary Higgins or Bruce Langhorne’s soundtrack to “The Hired Hand”.
Any closing advice?"the musical canon is not decided by majority opinion but by enthusiasm and passion, and a work that ten people love passionately is more important than one that ten thousand do not mind hearing"
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Foxy Digitalishttp://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/features.php?whichlh=38Interview with Rusted Rail & Music for Dead Birds -http://www.rustedrail.com/dead%20birds%2 0advertiser%20feature.pdfInterview with Rusted Rail & Agitated Radio Pilot & Yawning Chasm -http://www.rustedrail.com/arp%20chasm%20 advertiser%20pdf.pdf
