POWER SOURCE: COLD SPRING MUSIC
An interview with Justin
Interviewed by Mr. Greg Summer 1999
Last Edit/Update by sin-tek
03 October, 1999
| Introduction Cold Spring is a label and distribution service dedicated to music laden with power. Whether that power is sourced in electronics, noise, samples, or orchestras, it always emanates as a clear and strong signal from any Cold Spring title. Some of the signals are extremely discordant and painful, like the collaborative release PERFECT PAIN from Merzbow and Genesis P-Orridge; other signals are peaceful and deeply impassioned, such as THE FUTILITY GODDESS by Ignis Fatuus. Cold Spring has been operating as an effective member of the indie label community by offering these signals, these recordings, by mail since 1988 and on the internet since 1997. Behind the potency of Cold Spring sits Justin, the founder and owner of this remarkable business. An effective, kind, and honest man, Justin has earned the respect and gratitude of the musicians he releases, the bands he distributes, and members of the press with whom he works. Here is a chance to learn a little more about the man behind the music.  Visit Justin (at) Cold Spring |
When did you first
get interested in noise?
Justin: Probably from being young, and owning an old bass guitar that I couldn`t play.
However, simply owning a bass mean`t that I could join a few bands when I was in my teens,
and pick up how it was `supposed` to be used....but I don`t have a particularly obsessive
streak when it comes to noise - it`s just one of dozens of things that interest me.
What were the first albums/ music you listened to?
Justin: Late 70s and early 80s electronic pop mostly - Human League (who I`m now
negotiating an unreleased album with!), Soft Cell, bands like that - their connections
lead me into other music. Signals of Genesis P-Orridge have been with me since I was 11
years old, though.
What attracted you to noise?
Justin: Nothing really, hardcore power electronics is part of the `industrial` music scene
and so I`m just very aware of it. Even though I`m a `composer` in noise band SATORI, my
involvement came about when a label was interested in reissuing the band's cassettes from
1984, and I organised the reissue, and then represented the band for live dates in London
and Germany with Dave Kirby, the original member.We`re going back to Germany this year,
and have nearly completed a new album for a Norweigan label.
Why did you decide to focus on distributing noise when you could have focused all
of that attention on broadening your collection?
Justin: In our catalogue, I`ve written that we don`t just distribute anything. Everything
submitted for distribution is listened to and if we don`t like it, or it doesn`t fit in,
it doesn`t get distributed. I don`t believe in noise for noise sakes, or even for arts
sake. Everything we distribute, and especially release on COLD SPRING, must have a strong
philosophy or manifesto. Of course, one of the great acts we work with is PSYCHIC TV and
GENESIS P-ORRIDGE, who is a prime example of this. There is so much to the band beside the
music.
What is different about distributing music and releasing cds as a label?
Justin: Each COLD SPRING title is important to us - I truely believe we release some of
the best music of this ilk anywhere on the planet. Like I said before, with distribution,
we keep tight control on quality so if you buy any of our distributed titles, you`ll still
be guaranteed a great record.
What do you like most about running your label?
Justin: That`s difficult. Being able to have a voice heard globally without any sense of
compromise.
What is your biggest challenge?
Justin: I`ve really no idea. Everything`s a challenge, everything is difficult.
Are you living the life of a rock-n-roll star now?
Justin: Hehe.....hardly.
What advice would you give to all those folks who want to start their own music
label or distro service? What would they be surprised by about the business?
Justin: I was asked this question about 3 times just recently. If you start a record
label, be prepared for the worst. Distributors will not pay you when you expect them to,
or even pay at all some few cases. I think people would be surprised by how little the
industry itself actually cares at all about a small labels activities. Know the scene
inside out, I know labels with features and articles in national and international press,
national radio play and radio sessions who still sell less than our titles. We have 40+
distributors worldwide and are carried by the major chainstores throughout Europe and the
USA, but everything is still a risk.
What is your favorite release on Cold Spring?
Hard....probably three equally-
INADE - `Aldebaran` CD which is an incredible album, full of Germanic Vril mythos, and
star maps of where Vril believed we originate from as a species, the Aldebaran star. Which
is, incidentally, where NASA have announced their old Voyager satellite (the one with the
`greetings from earth` plate on the side) is heading....
MERZBOW / GENESIS P-ORRIDGE - `A Perfect Pain` CD. I know all the work that went into this
album, numerous problems with editing, 3 COMPLETE remixes of the entire album by Masami
until he was happy with it, the designer Richard Cronin inventing what I can only describe
as sheer beauty, the pressing plant making so many mistakes with the printwork that it
took 3 months to perfect the art on the cardstock. But when it finally arrived - I thought
it was perfect. Perhaps the most perfectly realised project I`ve ever
coordinated. Also, the attention it has had has been great - the title really is very apt!
KEROVNIAN - `Far Beyond, Before The Time` CD. I had sat through, literally 40 or 50 noise
/ dark ambient albums and demos in about a week and was getting very tired of listening to
this stuff. I reluctantly opened a demo from Croatia, which had very little text with it,
but even as a hissy demo, it shone out and it was a moment where I knew I was listening to
something special - so dark and malevolent. He explained to me via email the manifesto of
Kerovnian, and that the language used in the vocals was a mixture of 1000 year old Greek
and Persian, or `a language of dark angels`. I offered him a five album deal immediately.
The first album is out now and I`m very proud of handling that one.
Which do you prefer, vinyl or CD? Why?
Justin: I think both have their merits....I thought I`d never use vinyl again, but there
will be a KEROVNIAN 10" EP out in October.
[Editor's Note: Thank you Justin for taking the time to work with Last Sigh.]
