This is a photo of Ken and Dave in my old apartment in the U-District. Both were friends and together got Dirtnap Records off the ground... this was probably taken before the label was started around 1998.
Ken had been doing a Dirtnap Radio show online and started a distro when he decided to start a record label. He laid out the text for his first 7", The Dontcares, on my old computer that I used to do 10 Things on. Dave helped out with the label in its early years and pushed for some of its releases, including The Briefs, which really helped Dirtnap Records take off. Dirtnap went on to become a big Northwest record label, releasing material by The Spits, Gloryholes, Cripples, Epoxies, New Town Animals, Exploding Hearts and many more, as well as a few out of town bands like The Lost Sounds.
Dave went on to open a club called the Hideaway in the old Sit'n'Spin space and run it for a couple of years, he's now married and has a kid. A few years back Ken moved to Portland where he bought Green Noise Records and got married. He continues to put out records, albeit at a slower pace, on Dirtnap, and started a vinyl only sub-label called Green Noise. For the latest releases and more label news, check out dirtnaprecs.com.
3 comments:
ha, thanks Dan! that pic is pretty funny.
yeah, the label is still going strong, but is way less focused on local stuff than we used to be.
(although we still do have a bunch of great NW bands like The Girls, The Estranged, The Revisions, etc)
Dave hasn't been directly involved in quite some time now, but he certainly brought some great stuff to the label back when we were in Seattle, and was invaluable in getting things off the ground..........
we got a killer new digital sampler out now that is a pretty good picture of the label circa 2008.
if anyone reading this wants a copy, write me at mail@dirtnaprecs.com and I'll send ya one.
- Ken Cheppaikode
Your lucky I just posted that picture, I have a lot of old funny photos :)
Another entry that makes me want to chime in... I lived in a house in the U-District with both Ken and Dave for a while. Dave I've known since high school in Madison, WI.
Lots of people I used to know in madison have been popping up lately. Sone of them Ken will probably know/remember... Saw Tim Mapp in Paris over xmas. Tim's sister Juliette was in Helsinki for a dance performance recently. Juliettes now married to Dan Kaufman. Me and Dan used to hang out with Ken's brother.
Small world.
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