When you started this label, it was a kind of an �advertisement� attitude but how has it changed since then?
I`m not sure what you mean by advertisement. I suppose a label must also be an advertisement for the bands it carries or no one would know they are there. The reason I started releasing records was to help bands who hadn`t yet released anything get a single out. The first 2 releases were 7" records by Sevens and Stinking Lizaveta.
I used rubber stamps on used paper to do the Sevens record and a linoleum cut was done by the father of Alexi and Yanni from Stinking Lizaveta for theirs. Again I printed them on used paper after xeroxing the credits. When Wino moved to Maryland again he asked me to release a single for Shine. After that went well he asked me to release their first cd (another band had the name Shine so they changed theirs to Spirit Caravan). To release a cd was a much more serious effort. I had to continue repressing it when needed.
It was the decision to do a cd for SC that gave the label a direction: to make Wino`s music available. We then reissued the first Obsessed record because it was out of print.
As you well know, Spirit Caravan called it quits .. What can you tell me about that?
Personal differences between members of the band is the best way to put it. it couldn`t continue as it was.
Tolotta�s catalogue is oriented to psychedelic sounds and all flavours of doom. Are you a huge fan of these genre?
Naming genres always leads to debate about what exactly the music sounds like. I certainly like many things that are considered psychedelic from the 60`s and 70`s, but only a few records would fall under the term doom I guess. Doom suggests a negativity that is not usually in the lyrics of the records I seem to like. is it doom?
And what has brought you to the hardcore?
What brought me to hardecore music? Going to see bands like the Cramps and the B52s opened mey eyes to the amount of young kids into the music. Somewhere along the way I realized all these kids were in bands and they had records out on their own labels or Dischord. It may have been a Dead Kennedys show. I didn`t know what hardcore was when I went to see them. I associated them with bands from a compilation record from San Francisco called Live at the Deaf Club.
Why did you call it �Tolotta�?
It`s my mother`s maiden name.
Why didn`t the Tolotta releases get released by Dischord? Is it only a matter of genre?
I suppose because Ian and Jeff had no interest in the music, as far as releasing it goes. there are a lot of bands from the DC area that are not on Dischord.
Anyway, I guess you have learned a lot from Dischord about how to manage a label?
Dischord has provided a good example and has given me lots of help.
How do you match your engagements with Fugazi with the ones of the label? Are you alone to carry on it?
My wife does things when I`m away on tour. it`s mainly me and I`m not sure how long it will last.
Have you ever happened to say �no, actually this is not good as I was expecting� to some stuff from your bands?
The sound of SC`s Elusive Truth was quite a surprise. I wouldn`t release it til they remixed it. Too much high end and no lows. They agreed about that.
It is official that Dead Meadow will be out on Matador Records for the next album, please would you like to tell me some words about how this happened and why?
Dead Meadow wanted to do more than I could help them with so I always encouraged them to find a label that could help them more. They met some people from Matador at a show and they offered them a nice deal. I advised them to take it. I hope they can do all the things they want.
Are you thinking about new bands for Tolotta? Which are they?
The label is rather dormant at the moment. I would like to get the last few songs by Spirit Caravan out and reissue the Obsessed`s Lunar Womb, but I`m not sure when these things will happen.
..And what�s new with Fugazi?
Fugazi is doing a few weeks touring in England, Ireland and Scotland in late October. That`s all we have planned at the moment.
