Valentine’s

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Trishka Cisnerosian

It’s been so long since I’ve had a blog post. I have been so busy with life, children, taking time for self care, you know the usual. Anyway, enough with that. Lets get on to cool stuff. Our friend Robert Sullen is hosting another year of San La Muerte fest. Sadly, we were not able to attend last year or the year before but we are planning to go this year. One of the reasons I love going is because it’s like a little getaway for us, also we love Texas especially San Antonio. This year it will be held again in Austin. WHY? I’m really not a fan of Austin anymore, it’s so congested and busy but I will manage. San Antonio is super mellow, I believe the city motto is Keep San Antonio Lame. I really like that motto, I’ve always been the underdog and never the popular person, so I feel like I fit in more with San Antonio, I digress.

So far Ana Curra and The Vanishing have been announced to play SLM2020. Also, Virtigo from Santa Ana will be DJ’ing the event, so we need to represent.

I’ve seen The Vanishing many times, I have been going to shows for what seems like forever, they were very popular here during the white belt phase of the Locust. I seriously remember them being kind of wacky dark.

Go to http://www.sanlamuertefest.com to purchase tickets.

I also wanted to take this moment to talk about Annex from RGV Texas, I really feel a kindred spirit with Nikole from Annex / Her Corrosion. I was so excited when I heard that they started playing again after a bit of a hiatus. They even went on a little tour and played a last minute show at Johnny Germ’s house in Santa Ana. I was so glad I got to go, because it’s very hard for me to get a sitter around here. Anyway, they were amazing they were actually better than they were before and they were already great!

Also Nikole has brought back Her Corrosion zine in printed format which is amazing! I love stuff so it’s great to be able to have something tangible in your hands to look at rather just on our computers and phones.

You can order Her Corrosion here https://hercorrosion.weebly.com Nikole is currently working on issue #2.

Ok so now with some news about the label and what’s going on. I have taken a lengthy break from releasing records. It’s been very nice and stress free. What people don’t talk about publicly about doing a small DIY label as that it is a labor of love and there is NO money to be made at all, you don’t even break even. It’s just something you do because you love the music and you want to be supportive. As I’ve taken this break I have seen so many of my label friends also stop releasing records. I think it’s due to a number of factors. One being record store day really screwed things up for small labels, the plants put our releases on the back burner for extremely long completion times, this led to bands getting frustrated and releases being released through online formats or tapes and that just really has an impact on the demand for the vinyl release. I also think that not many people are buying records as much as they did in the past. I know this to be true as I was a big time record collector bordering on hoarder. I remember years ago going to a PCH records swap and spending $1000 in an afternoon, I mean I buy records just not as much. I think we have changed how we consume music, I spend time in the gym desperately trying to lose my baby weight listening to music on my headphones. When I am at home I am listening to people’s spotify playlists and working or gardening. Mostly just dancing along to https://www.instagram.com/aranivah

So with all that said I don’t see myself releasing records in a vinyl format for the time being. I think that bands should release their own material in vinyl format if they truly want to have a release. You get to invest in it and then tour on it and it just seems like a better way to distribute records. When people go to shows they want to be supportive they want to have a souvenir from the show so they are more prone to buy your record right there. Anyway, this is super nerd record stuff that is not that interesting to many people. I still plan on keeping the website and picking up releases from bands and labels I love to distribute and also still sell the releases I have in stock. http://massmediarecords.bigcartel.com I also plan on offering free domestic shipping on all items.

Oh and one last thing I came across Obscura Undead on instagram. I really like what these ladies are doing. Check them out https://youtu.be/t6C2WrN963g

That’s about it for now. I plan to be more active on this more. Hope everyone has a super Valentine’s Day! Keep Goth Cool!

Mass Media Zine Cast interview with Cait Autonomy

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Trishka Cisnerosian

It’s been super crazy around here the past few weeks. We’ve got some amazing new releases out Altar De Fey LP, Totenwald 12″, Private Pact LP, Masses LP, and Silent Scream LP. We are also working hard on coordinating the SLM artshow / pre-party with the wonderful Cait Autonomy. For those of you who do not know her she is like the sweetest person ever, so be her friend already. We have played in bands with Cait… Resist ad Exist // Autonomy (CA) // Weekend Warrior. We’ve traveled and toured with her and she is our family. So support her and buy her art.

Resist and Exist 2007

We would like to thank the Belfry Network for hosting our interview, please go and check out their other podcasts as well, you’ll like them!

So as many of you know Cait is an amazing artist, she does a lot of work for Mass Media… flyers, posters, merch, etc. She did art for a limited edition tote bag for her label Punk Ritual that can be purchased here: http://massmediarecords.bigcartel.com/product/punk-ritual-tote-bag-illustrated-by-cait-a

Continue reading →

Mass Media Zine Cast interview with Robert Sullen for SLM 2016

Posted on April 16, 2016 by Trishka Cisnerosian

Hey Everyone… Here is our first ever Mass Media Records Zine Cast, featuring the radical Robert Sullen curator and host for San La Muerte fest, August 4th-6th 2016 in San Antonio, Tx.

Robert Sullen curator/host of San La Muerte Fest.

Listen to full interview here:

Robert is also a world traveler, musician, and photographer, he will be exhibiting his photos at the artshow pre-party for San La Muerte Fest 2016. He is also the drummer to Christ vs. Warhol. Continue reading →

Happy New Year! Release schedule countdown 2015!

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Trishka Cisnerosian

We’ve decided to do a release schedule countdown for all the releases that came out in 2015 on Mass Media. Some releases are still available while others are sold out, nevertheless they all have a special place in our hearts.

Masquerade “Blood is the New Black” 12″ officially released around the 1st of the year 2015.

Photo by our friend David of Transylvanian Flag

Masquerade “Blood is the New Black” 12″ – Masquerade are from Helsinki, Finland they had released a demo in the summer of 2013 that was highly sought after and received some acclaim in modern deathrock circles. We were super excited to hear new recordings by Masquerade and most people had thought that they had broken up since they went through multiple lineup changes as the lead singer Suzi became known as difficult. We were happy to hear that they indeed continued on and had what we thought was a great follow up to their demo. The production value and aesthetic were on point and with Suzi working hard at maintaining a solid lineup and continually touring throughout Europe and eventually the US in late August 2015.

Official music video for “Needle Through a Bug” off their Demo.

Official Music Video for “All Things Hurt” off Blood is the New Black 12″

Masquerade live in Wroclaw, Poland at Return to the Batcave Festival 2015

For me Suzi is Masquerade she commands an audience similarly to Siouxsie Sioux, the same moves, vocal abilities, and fashion. Masquerade is no doubt informed by the Banshees and that is exactly what I love about them. It’s like if the Banshees made a new record and that is precisely why I love this record so much. It’s also probably why some people don’t like this record or are critical about it.

Masquerade live in St. Petersburg, Russian 2015

As noted Masquerade toured the Western US in August 2015, they were supposed to play San La Muerte Fest in San Antonio, Tx. and decided not to for logistic purposes. That was a real shame because they would have been a great fit and the shows that they did play in California were poorly attended unfortunately. Years ago if a band from Finland was touring the show would have undoubtedly been packed because it was a touring band from Finland. That’s just not the case anymore, it’s becoming harder and harder to get people to come out to shows, it’s like the movement has gone back to it’s infancy.

Suzi of Masquerade / Virgin in Veil 2015

The “Blood is the New Black” 12″ was released in Finland on Fight Records and in the US on Mass Media Records. Limited red vinyl is only available for the US version. It can be ordered direct through us HERE

Masquerade are still playing and have just finished working on a follow up to the “Blood is the New Black” 12″. Their new release will be released in Finland on Fight Records and they are currently looking for a US label to release it here as well, so contact them if you want to release it. Here is the official video for “Panic Paranoia” off their upcoming release in 2016.

You can follow Suzi on TUMBLR HERE

You can follow and contact Masquerade on Facebook HERE

You can buy Masquerade’s “Blood is the new Black” 12″ HERE

Next up Sierpien to be continued…