 "Photo: photo: Robin Edwards / UCD Advocate")
In the world of digital downloads, it’s refreshing that some people are keeping things analog and completely handmade. Kristi Schaefer and Ryan McRyhew, the married couple that makes up Autotune-electronic-punk duo Hideous Men, are committed to putting out handcrafted tapes on their label, Laser Palace.
Says McRyhew, also known for his work in BDRMPPL and Thundercade, “Tape culture is very D.I.Y. and handmade, and it feels like the money involved goes directly to the people that made it.”
This Friday, Laser Palace will offer two new releases, a split between noise outfits Hollagramz and Iuengliss, and another between Via and Hideous Men. Each will come in handcrafted cases. “We really try add a very intimate, special touch to all our releases,” says McRyhew. For these, that means joining forces with local artists to create inventive packaging, with cases hand-knitted by Schaefer.
“On a very political level, like consumerism and capitalism, everything is so manufactured. In the digital age, everything is so easily replicated,” says McRyhew. So Laser Palace is dedicated to creating something that’s not. But that’s not the only reason. Adds Schaefer, “It’s the sound quality, too—when it’s all digital and all MP3s, it’s really compressed and you don’t hear all the tones. Tapes just have a warmer sound.” And the release party will be unconventional as well. Rather than have bands play after one another, the show will feature a round-robin setup, with bands switching off playing songs and the audience in the middle.
McRyhew got the inspiration from the show after seeing a Dan Deacon show run this way in Oberlin. “It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life,” he explains. “The crowd would shift and kids would go nuts.”
It has other advantages, too. Says Schaefer, “You can’t be in the back, because the back keeps moving.” This all-inclusive and D.I.Y. vibe has gotten Schaefer and McRyhew attention from all over the world, with buyers of the limited edition tapes in places as far off as Scotland. But what they really want to do is cultivate a stronger music community here in Denver.
“We’re doing it to make Denver an awesome place,” says McRyhew. “Places like Baltimore and New York have these communities where kids drink and have fun and hang out,” but, says Schaefer, “they also really support each other and take music seriously and give each other feedback.”
“We want to do things that are worth your attention,” says Schaefer. “Just give us your attention for a little bit, and give us a chance, and then you can dance and party.”
Alphabets + Candescent, Iuengliss, Hollagramz, Via, Hideous Men, with DJ sets by Pictureplane and Sunfoil
10 p.m., Feb. 5, Rhinoceropolis
www.laserpalace.com
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