My cassette collecting quest inevitably leads me to discovering some awesome DIY music, but what I find most fascinating is the back stories that lead to the founding of these limited run labels. I recently found Bullshit Night Records, a cassette label based out of Amsterdam with unique roots to Cleveland, Ohio. I recently had the chance to speak with founding member Chad Bilyeu about being an expatriate, the culture of his brand, and working with Cleveland sign maker Earl Phillips on the cover of their most recent cassette release, "Another Bull Shit Night In Cleveland".
ANIMALKRACKA: Who are you and what do you do? What is your mission statement?
Chad Bilyeu: I’m Chad Bilyeu, originally from Cleveland. I lived in DC for a decade and have been living in Amsterdam for about six years. I do a lot, but I am mostly about writing, photography, learning design, and running Bullshit Night Records. I guess my mission statement would align with that of the label: be original, research your facts, and don’t worry about accommodating everyone.
ANIMALKRACKA: How did you come up with the name for your cassette label/multimedia brand? What does the name mean?
CB: I met this wild but brilliant Finnish dude named Valtteri the Lionhunter in Amsterdam. We threw a pretty successful art show in 2010 in Amsterdam, so we had been thinking of what to follow that art show up with. I had went home for a while to DC and Cleveland, and upon returning and speaking to Valtteri he tells me, “I have new name for party...Another Bullshit Night From Cleveland.” I thought the shit was hilarious. We took it and ran with it. Then we began doing parties on the outskirts of Amsterdam’s nightlife scene.
Really, the name doesn’t mean shit. It’s just memorable. Because I am actually from Cleveland, I was able to connect the entire thing historically and culturally to Cleveland – only while I was living in Amsterdam. It doesn’t make sense and doesn’t profess to. I like it because it lets you know we really don’t take ourselves too seriously. We’re artists, but we have fun.
ANIMALKRACKA: How and when did you end up in Amsterdam? What made you want to start a cassette label in Amsterdam? How is the European cassette culture compared to The States? How is Amsterdam different then Cleveland?
CB: I moved to Amsterdam in 2009. I had been here five times between the years of 2000-2007, so I had a decent primer on the place when I arrived. I moved over to do a master’s in American Studies at the University of Amsterdam which I never completed. Yeah, I know...
Bullshit Night decided to expand upon our already existing catalog of original digital music. We had previously put out digital albums from some folks from around the globe, Rio the Mechanic, MFKNRMX, RzumA, J-Baggs, Lethatechne, and Dekkar. A legit label with tangible product seemed to be the natural progression. Cassettes proved to be the best option, both economically and stylistically.
ANIMALKRACKA: From what I can glean from your Twitter bio, Another Bullshit Night is also known for hosting parties. What are these parties like in Amsterdam, and do they serve a cultural purpose?
CB: We threw about four years of steady parties over here. Those parties were dope as fuck. Lots of pretty-ass women, great guest DJs, free shots at the DJ booth...Those were good times. What we did was to find mid-sized bars with systems and dancefloors to throw our gigs at. We would get paid by the bar and the patrons could come for free. I would have to say that the main appeal of our parties was how fun they were. Everyone came ready to get fucked up on various substances and get really rowdy and slutty. Another nice aspect was that we were pretty much genre-free. Bullshit Nights ran the gamut; we could play whatever we wanted and it went over well with audience. We had a few parties at larger venues like the Bitterzoet and Canvas; those were dope too. The last party we did was at Canvas with our dude Suff Daddy from Berlin. That shit was an excellent bacchanal.
I work with some talented folks out here. J-Baggs, DJ and producer. Dann Doyle, DJ and label head at Groove College Records. Smoke$wift, DJ and man of leisure. DJ Black and Lekker, designer and DJ. Our party flyers were the best ever, shoutout to Kim Demäne aka Delicious Brains. Everything is meant to look fly, and I do think we achieve that in our design and presentation. As far as a cultural purpose goes, I wouldn’t want to claim something that we aren’t. We just like to create art and throw parties.
ANIMALKRACKA: True to your Cleveland roots, you had Earl Phillips, a local sign maker, do the cover art for your recent Bullshit Night mixtape. Why is it important for you to put on for Cleveland? How has the European market been receptive to your Cleveland culture?
CB: Yeah, the art from Earl Phillips was a really big deal. That man’s lettering is all over Cleveland. Literally. It’s quite incredible. I’ve basically been living outside of Cleveland since 1998, so when I go home I see things anew. I’m privy to the city, but I look at it with fresh eyes. The last time I was back, these signs stood out to me so much. I knew that I was going to get him to do the artwork for the cover. Honestly, don’t even believe he knew or cared what it was for. He seems to just churn out signs.
I put on for Cleveland because I think it’s a wonderful city and I’m fortunate to have grown up there. Cleveland has so much potential, yet the city is constantly at war with its former self. People usually associate Cleveland with losing; the first city since the great Depression to go into default, a river that has caught fire at least 13 times, the fucking mayor’s hair catching on fire, the shot, the drive, Tamir Rice, etc...But the Cleveland I know intimately is full of intelligent, forward-thinking, hilarious, and verisimilar individuals. I love the attitude of Clevelanders. “It is what it is.” Go to The Land and hear that shit all day. As a historian, I am busy with Cleveland on a historical and cultural basis, particularly concerning Cleveland’s hip-hop history – word to Bango the B-Boy Outlaw. Cleveland’s a tight city. People should visit. Rent a car and get an Airbnb on the Westside.
I can’t speak for all of Europe, but I have noticed cassettes are stocked at several record stores in many of the major cities. We got the KILLATAPE in Rush Hour in Amsterdam, which is a huge honor for us. Berlin showed a lot of love to us. We got cassettes at Sameheads, Bass Cadet Record Store, Oye Records, and Big Brobot. I had read a few articles on cassette culture in Berlin, so I brought some copies with me when I went for the New Year. It just seems to me that Europe is a bit more open to try out new shit, like a cassette from some upstarts.
ANIMALKRACKA: The Bullshit Night tape has a variety of music from around the globe, and is not pinned down to one genre. Is there a particular theme or unifying factor that defines the ABSNFC aesthetic?
CB: I would say that ABSNFC is primarily about the process of creation. We are also concerned with originality. We appreciate people who create on an autotelic basis. Everyone on the KILLATAPE makes music because they love to do it. There’s no pop music on that tape. In addition, the diverse nature of the tape reflects ABSNFC and how we do what we do. We think of every cassette as art. Not just the music, but the actual product. We really do like our communications and products to look good.
ANIMALKRACKA: As you may or may not know, I am a big UDF fan and supporter. How did you end up discovering their music and releasing it on the Bullshit Night tape?
CB: I became privy to UDF through Blue Sky Black Death. I always liked BSBD – their music was always cinematic, even back when they were making music with Hell Razah. Through them I heard Nacho Picasso and got intrigued with what was happening in Seattle. Seattle has a lot of talent. Anyhow, I first heard the Skull & Bones album they did with BSBD and thought it was tight. I’d be playing “Rebel Bitches” over here in Amsterdam and people would go apeshit. Plus, Caz and Bolo were really flowing. MC shit. I suppose they were young on that album, but the lyrics were really thoughtful and precocious. After that I heard the Bars & Bullets album and knew that these dudes were really making something very novel and honest. They put me in the mind of old Mobb Deep or old Three 6 Mafia, but in a sense of progression rather than emulation.
It took a long time to compile the tracks for the KILLATAPE; about a year and a half. I began by getting music from the people I knew and eventually asked people who I knew via Twitter. I began speaking with Khrist Koopa and he sent me some unleased Martis Unruly songs for consideration. We chose ‘Cusp of Power’. That’s a classic track to me. Really powerful, yet short like a punk rock song or something. Khrist Koopa sent about three other tracks which they haven’t released yet. They’re sick too. I feel honored to be one of the few people to have heard these tracks.
ANIMALKRACKA: Bullshit Night Records is releasing Martis Unruly's album Distant on cassette. How did the relationship with Martis develop? How would you describe his new album "Distant"?
CB: When deciding on the artists to work with, UDF immediately came to mind. I find it peculiar how underground they still are. I thought that if I really wanted to release music from them, now would be the time. Again, I discussed this with Khrist Koopa and we made it happen. The whole process has been real cool. They’re professionals. We are really looking forward to getting this album to the public.
Distant is a real emotional album. It’s raw. I was bumping it walking through a cold-ass winter in Berlin, and the music complimented perfectly. As the title suggests, it sounds dark and Martis Unruly’s lyrics are introspective and incredibly witty. One thing I will say, the first line on the album is brilliant. Now, I’m not British, so I don’t use the word “brilliant” in a hyperbolic fashion. The first bar sets the tone for a rambunctious, but melancholy cinematic listening experience. Wait until you hear it. People will love it. The producers are at the top of their game as is Martis. It’s awesome.
ANIMALKRACKA: What is your motivation for releasing music on cassettes, a medium that is considered by many to be flawed and dead? Why is it important? Why do you love cassettes? What was the first or most meaningful cassette you owned as a kid coming up in Cleveland? Do you still listen to music on cassette?
CB: I like to consider how the technology affects the music. In my opinion, cassettes invite uninterrupted listening experiences. Fast-forwarding and rewinding cassettes is arduous work. Cassettes are meant to be put in and played from start to end. We live in an age of immediacy. Anything we want can generally be accessed through our phones right now. MP3s inherited the ability to skip songs from the compact disc and the minidisc. Even on vinyl a person can select various portions of the arrangement with ease. I want the music that Bullshit Night Records releases to be cohesive works of art. Pieces that warrant this uninterrupted listening experience. That’s one reason for the cassette.
Cassettes are cool because as they are a bit antiquated, they aren’t obsolete. In addition, our releases include digital download codes inside the package, so the purchase of the cassette is mostly ceremonial. Digital files are great, but they aren’t tangible. I wanted to bring that tangibility back. I think folks who get the cassette will admire it as art. Digital files cost as much as our cassettes. Might as well go for the physical purchase. In addition, I think it is necessary to create art that isn’t always immediately available. Some things are not for the masses. Bullshit Night Records presses up 200 copies of each release. Every ABSNFC cassette release contains a bonus track that isn’t available online. We want to take it back to those days. Oh? You want that remix of “Similak Child” with “Still In the Ghetto” on the flipside? Ok. Then you’ve got to buy the single. There’s no thrill of the hunt anymore. We want to cater to the early-adopter who actually purchases products.
My first tape that really rocked my world was The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. Before that I’d record stuff off of the radio, but this was my first actual cassette tape. My walkman eventually ate the tape and I had to buy another, but that album was a revelation to me. Rick was indeed the Ruler.
I listen to tapes these days because I’m in the cassette business! I actually brought a few of my tapes back from Cleveland. I still got heat in the annals. As said, it is a great way to listen to albums.
ANIMALKRACKA: What future projects can we look forward to Another Bullshit Night releasing on cassette? What parties are in the works?
CB: We are going to be focused on releasing this album from Martis Unruly, Distant, in February. Really hype about that. After that we are going to be doing a collaboration with the Red Bull Studios out here in Amsterdam. We got a couple of days booked at their lovely studios, so we’re going to go in there with Gorilla in the Mix and Sunglasses (J-Baggs & Headrooms) and do some cool shit, modern funk and house music, respectively. After that, we will release the first live album from the Muamin Collective out of Cleveland. Their music is really incredible. Very soulful but hard-hitting. High-caliber concepts and lyrics, all backed by a sick live band. We got one coming in the autumn from our dude Bang Messiah which is really next level shit that I can’t discuss just yet. Our dude from Berlin, RzumA, will drop another album, this time on cassette, in the winter. His beats are so sick. No quantization, just those vibes. Expect some art prints too. We have a great year planned, so we are just going to do our best to execute each release in a timely fashion and hope people dig the music.
Whatever our next party is, it has to be really impressive. Nightlife events take a lot to execute and aren’t as rewarding as putting out a cassette/digital release full of good music with good artwork. At the moment, I’m focussed on the Bullsht Night Records label. The party ain’t going nowhere.
ANIMALKRACKA: No doubt! Kracka out!
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