by Satyr
Satyr Syndicate Records is my project to re-record and master much of the music I have written. On the website, I play the part of Hermes, the messenger god. Hermes gives updates on how the excavations are going. Sometimes, there is drama with the bands. For example, there was a socialist funk band, called Smashpattern, who only put out a single EP, and then tragically disappeared into the jungles fighting for liberation. Satyr Syndicate is the group of satyrs who write, record and perform the songs. They represent various moods or genres. There is also the imagery of excavation and of Hades. Since I am re-recording, I am excavating stuff that was done long ago, like an archeological dig. Hades represents the other-world or sub-conscious, from which the music comes. Gravedigging in reverse.
Listen to the song while reading the text.
Genesis
When I was in High School, I was into punk rock and was in many different punk bands. Later, I got into many other different types of music; early goth, metal, electronic, dance, techno, ambient, industrial, surf, grunge, reggae, ska, basically almost any kind of “alternative.”
In the early 90s I lived in a house with another musician and our basement was the rehearsal space for not only our bands but also tons of other bands. During this time, I wrote a lot of music. I had some time on my hands; I think I wrote at least a song or two every day for at least a year or so.
In those days I didn’t have much money. However, there was always an old Fender speaker, a PA system, a drum set, my bass and a bass head, someone’s guitar, and other miscellaneous gear laying around. I used whatever I could. At one point, a friend and I went in on an analog multi-track recorder. That’s when I wrote and recorded many, many songs. I had boxes and boxes of cassette tapes and CDs of music I wrote; from these, I’ve chosen about 150 songs to re-record on Satyr Syndicate Records.
Satyr Syndicate Records
Satyr Syndicate Records has several goals. The first one is to simply re-record and attempt to master the music I’ve already written. After that, I will begin releasing new music, although, some new music has already found its way on the website. Another goal is raising just enough money to master some of the songs and to keep everything going. This music is always free, but if you want to contribute, that would, of course, be cool too!
Satyr Syndicate Records is the career I never had. I once came close to being in a band that was very, very close to being signed by a major record label. From my experience, getting major funding from a label is extremely difficult. For every awesome band on a major label, there are at least 100 other bands every bit as good. I write music because I love to do it. Not being on a label will not stop me. Even if no one even listens to my music, I will keep putting it out. I heartily support independent music.
The Freedom of Being Independent
Satyr Syndicate Records also allows me 100% freedom to do what I want to do musically. All of the bands on SSR are me. They are simply groupings of songs that are somewhat similar. My music is generally a genre fluid. However, much of the music I’m re-recording is heavily influenced by what I was into at the time; The Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Smiths, The Misfits, Samhain, The Cure, Fields of the Nephilim, Dead Can Dance, The Cult.
A lot of it grew around a series of themes; rootlessness, vagabond, trouble, psychological issues, dreams, other worlds, politics, life in middle America; all the stuff I was going through back then. All of this tended to get pulled into a mythology that culminated into the figure of the satyr. I was heavily into Joseph Campbell, and this began to build a connection between superficial current issues and deep subconscious, ancient, universal elements.
Being pinned down is something I hate. I have to explore and create new stuff. Multiple bands allow me to do that. For example, Glass Rain is new material that combines metal, disco and other elements that expresses my experiences in middle America.
Future Plans
Actually, I’ve yet to capture my disco vision; a kind of goth-disco. I may pursue this once my re-recordings are finished. I also plan to release an album from the early 90s that I’m not going re-record or even touch at all. It’s a lo-fi album from 2001 that was a remake from 1992… when all I had was a small Casio keyboard, a cello, and two boomboxes to record with. This album will be coupled with a brand new album that is done in an entirely techno-like style, but with similar expressions as the first.
As of November 2018, “the tunneling is almost complete, about 7 albums are on the final stretch of coming up out of Hades and thrust upon the world.” ~Hermes.
Come on the journey with me!
Satyr Syndicate
Home page of Satyr Syndicate
Satyr Syndicate Records
satyr@satyrsyndicate.com