LISTENABLE RECORDS - Interview with Laurent - Music - http://maxpages.com/aeazine/LISTENABLE

How long has Listenable Records been in existence? Are you a distribution or an actual label? What initially made you decide to support the underground?
Well, the label under the legal shape a sit is now began in 97, but I’ve done several other releases before like THE 7"eps of IMMORTAL, MYDYING BRIDE and an Oregon thrash band called DEMISE. All are sold out. Plus, I did the FALLEN CHRIST, ANCIENT, DECOLATION and LUCIFERION Debut under the wings of OSMOSE benefiting from their marketing and distribution. Now LISTENABLE stand on its own and benefits form a distribution in all European countries, licenses in Japan and in the U.S. on CENTURY MEDIA.

From where are you based? Are you in correspondence with a high number of labels and distributors at home and abroad?
We are based on the North of France, right in front of the English coast. I've always lived near the seaside. Yes, I believe we deal with a lot of people and our growth allows us to deal with big distributors down here in Europe.

What is the complete staff at Listenable and what are their respective duties?
There's a webmaster Greg, Patrick take scare of the packages, Helen does packages and accountancy work, I do the rest and also those things. Sven of ABORTED is helping us to do a new updated version of our website and do the lay out for some of our releases when we don't buy services from other graphic designers. Layouts are important to me as well as sound production.

What style or styles of extreme metal are Listenable supportive of? Do you intend to continue in this vein or would you consider expanding your roster toward still other styles of subversive metal?
We've signed SOLACE, a stoner heavy band from the U.S. featuring ex GODSPEED members. I think they're awesome, and we're currently dealing with a female fronted band that already toured Germany with THE GATHERING, should be a breakthrough release for us. Other than that, I’m very much into death metal and thrash. I like a bit of innovative black metal like CREST OF DARKNESS or bands like GOATWHORE, but I'm more into thick sounding guitars and death metal vocals. I'm a big PRIEST fan and other 80s heavy/hard rock bands. Also 7às stuff like TED NUGENT, FRANK MARINO, BLACKFOOT, DEEP PURPLE, etc. I like the way the 7O's sound is with less compressed production and more musical freedom. My favorite style remains death metal, fast, threatening, moderately technical, evil, gore, and moody. I love the technical ecstasy of bands like THEORY IN PRACTICE and SYMBYOSIS and I’d like to tell people watch out for their next albums coz it's gonna KILL!

How widespread has Listenable become in the world of extreme metal since first starting out? Have you made a name for yourselves more effectively through the flier trade or through your official site on the Internet?
Well, we did a lot of flyers at the beginning, now we advertise in specialized magazines instead. We do posters and stickers for our releases. I feel that once you have a stable distribution, you can’t really be tagged as an underground label as LISTENABLE was when I did those 7"eps. The site helped a lot I think. Our sales are constantly on the rise and we spend more money into marketing than ever. We get a lot of mails from the U.S. asking for our releases, which is very encouraging. We hope to set up something soon so people will be able to get our releases domestically.

How many hits does the official Listenable site receive daily? In what ways has the advent of webzines and extreme metal distributors on the Internet had an effect on the underground in your view?
To be honest, the system missed a lot of hits on our site; it only counted half of it until recently. ha!. Whatever, as far as webzines go, I feel reluctant still, I don't know if it has an impact really. Down here, people don't surf as much as in the U.S. on the internet. but it's a killer way of communication that is bound to expand and becomes a regular way of buying. Still, there's nothing better than going in a small record store and find all those new releases you were yearning for. I'm more old school, I'm more into physical things : paper fanzines and buying records in stores. However, we're going to sell all our products on our site soon, we wish to have it redone before going further, just giving it a more attractive look.

In addition to advertising the releases you distribute on your official site in what other ways do you support the bands on your roster, such as through interviews and mp3 samples?
The main thing relates in the communication you have with the medias. Advertising doesn't beat a phone call to a magazine editor in order to get an interview. That's what people forget sometimes. other than that, we set up contests with radios, and some magazines as well, buy tracks on CD samplers in popular magazines and mail orders and a lot of other things that I can't think of at the moment.

Do you release a fanzine or a print newsletter to advertise Listenable in addition to the official website?
Yes we did that a few times but due to lack of time, we miss a few issues I use. But we'll do a new one soon to introduce our new signs for September. We also do a label sampler called SOUNDCRUSHER featuring al our artists, it's a free sampler. We 're just giving it away to magazine subscribers, listeners. We're sold out on the previous one but we're gonna do a new one soon.

Have you been granted significant exposure through fanzines and / or webzines? Generally how well have you been represented in these interviews? Which of these have treated you the most respectfully in this regard?
yes, I believe we get a lot of support. We haven't done many mailings during the past few months to the U.S. coz we were on the verge of signing licensing deals for our releases but it recently got postponed. But we're soon going to start again with our recent releases like DERANGED and ABORTED coz there's a huge demand for those in the U.S. Besides, we get a lot of interviews in Europe, we have a lot of supporters down here working for major magazines like HAMMER, ROCK HARD, METALLIAN, HARD ROCK., TERRORIZER etc.

What are your favorite albums you're currently distributing through Listenable? What bands do you personally enjoy you'd most prefer to work with in the future?
Since the beginning of the year we've released new albums y ABHORRENCE, NO RETURN, DERANGED and ABORTE, and I must say I really really enjoy them all a lot. I think they're extremely powerful and definitely are quality releases. I basically do records I'd like to buy. And I can't wait for the new CENTURIAN, it's gonna be a death classic!! Also we signed a new band from Sweden called RECLUSION, it's gonna put the new SLAYER album to shame really. Extremely tight angry thrash a la THE HAUNTED/SLAYER with classic riffing and memorable songs. Both releases have a killer production too!. Watch out !!

How is the world of extreme metal faring at home? What style is currently the most popular over there?
Melodic happy metal is the most selling style down here in France. I believe that DIMMU BORGIR and CRADLE OFFILTH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, INFLAMES are the most selling bands on the more extreme side .Just the major bands. but really brutal music has never been really doing that great. There's obviously a demand for it and a growing one for brutal U.S. death metal style apparently whereas black metal is going a bit down at the moment. France never had an underground culture, it's only starting nowadays, and I see a scene increasing in numbers and very supportive. There's a lot of good bands down here, it's just that French metal has never been popular among the more Anglo-Saxon territories. I actually never really cared about France 's scene until 3 years ago. I've always been in touch with people from abroad especially the U.S. when I was doing zines like PEARDROP. I knew more about the CA or Florida, or Poland scene than what was happening in my own country.

What's your personal view of the resurgence in popularity of eighties / "classic" metal and the high influx of "retro-thrash" bands?
I'm not into retro thrash at all. Especially German retro thrash. I like when artists take influences here and there and shape into a more massive and powerful sound. I'm still keen on classic album bands like KREATOR, EXODUS, ASSASSIN, DEATHROW and all those did, but I hate things when they're rehashed and lack dynamism. I appreciate to see a classic band coming out again, this is cool because they're originals but sometimes I get the feeling that people like them out of irony when they sound too 'old' or because they want their peers to know that they have a metal background and enjoy new bands better.

Would you ever consider distributing fanzines and the like through Listenable?
We don't have a mailorder; we only do a bit of wholesale to some other mail orders and distributors, we focus on promoting and distributing our artists. that's it.

How prominent do you want Listenable to become in the scene?
I want LISTENABLE to be regarded as a very honest and reliable label. Being respected for all the effort we're putting out.

Is there anything new and different we can expect from Listenable in days to come?
Some more unlistenable stuff for your Grandparents.

Any final remarks?
Thanks a lot for the interview, your support is really valuable to me. I would like to tell people to check our releases because I'm fully convinced they have a certain amount of quality that not all other releases carry. Watch out for the new releases from ABORTED, NO RETURN, DERANGED, ABHORRENCE, CENTURIAN and RECLUSION, they're perfect listenings for extreme metal parties ! And have a beer !

LISTENABLE records
B.P. 73
62930 WIMEREUX
FRANCE

listenable@free.fr

Check our website !! : www.listenable.net
NOW SHIPPING AND THRASHING !!
NO RETURN : 'self mutilation' - POSH027
ABHORRENCE : 'Evoking the Abomination' - POSH026
DERANGED : 'deranged' - POSH028 NEW ALBUM !!
ABORTED : 'Engineering the dead' - POSH030 new death monster !
coming soon:
ABSCESS/DERANGED : split 10inch with unreleased tracks !

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Page Updated Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:40pm EDT