Featuring Marc Goldfuss from Sigsaly Transmissions label | Interview by Ruud Dreessen aka ebm-industrial.nl | 22 July 2009
Thanks Marc Goldfuss that you have found time to give answers to these questions,
What and who are some of your influences in Sigsaly Transmissions label?
Firstly,I want to thank you for taking this interview.We at Sigsaly Transmissions really appreciate the support the scene shows for us and each other.Only with this support can it survive,and hopefully grow again.
I started the label in early 2007 after a life-long friend of mine suggested I do so. We are currently have an office in Sweden and are home based in the Austin,Texas area.I am originally from the Chicago area,and that is where my love from EBM and Industrial music began.I was lucky to work at a very popular underground club in Chicago in the mid to late 80's,and the scene was closely tied to the bands, DJ's and label people.Wax Trax! was, and still is, one of the best labels and I spent many hours there looking through the record bins. Drooling over the rare Cabaret Voltaire or Soviet France albums,meeting bands like Skinny Puppy,Ministry,Test Dept., and Front 242.As for true label influence,it really comes from bands like those.Also the 80's music from Chicago and Belgium like Chicago House,Acid House,and New Beat.
However,I try to keep an open mind.I will look at releasing just about anything that sounds good to me.To be honest,if I don't like it... I won't spend money on it.That's not to say that I don't like every demo that people send in,only that it is important to me that I truly like the music we release.
What are your top ten favorite EBM / Industrial Club Songs of all time?
Oh, that is a hard one, there are so many to choose from. I would not say these are THE top 10 or in order, but just some of the older ones that really shaped my taste.
Section 25 - Looking From A Hilltop
DAF - Kebabträume
Front 242 - Never Stop
CCCP - American Soviets
Signal Aout 42 - Carnaval
Microchip League - New York, New York
Nitzer Ebb - Murderous
Portion Control - The Great Divide
Konzept - Hypnautic Beats (Razormaid Mix)
Tribe 22 - Acid-New Beat
Voyou - Housemen
Bigod 20 - Body to Body
Numb - Suspended
Cyber-Tec - Let Your Body Die (Birmingham 6 Mix)
Brigade Werther - Killbeat
A Split Second - Rigor Mortis
Borghesia - Am I
Liaisons Dangereuses - Peut Être ... Pas
I'll stop here.. I can go on and on, and on...
Tell one secret about Sigsaly Transmissions label that you have never told to anyone?
That's a funny question. It's hard to say, I don't really keep secrets from my partners. Maybe this, that I dream to make Sigsaly a label that will go down in history as a great one.
And bands are XP8,NTRSN,AUTODAFEH,K-BEREIT,IMPULSE CONTROL,PORTION CONTROL etc.......
Yes, and also Red Flag and Agrezzior. We hope to add more soon, but we'll try to take things a little slow. Not to add too much too soon. We want to put much focus on each band and not spread things too thin.
How and why did you come about starting Sigsaly Transmissions label? what else inspires you to create?
Well, as I mentioned before, a life-long friend suggested I start it. I was hosting a DJ show and am the Program Director of Rant Radio Industrial. My friend suggested that I had a good talent at finding good music and said I should put it to use and start the label. As long as we can make enough money to cover costs and hopefully make money for the bands, we will keep going and hopefully, growing!
Could you tell us a bit more about the origin of your Sigsaly Transmissions label name?
When trying to chose a name I looked at many ideas around communications and technology.
The SIGSALY device was a perfect name for me. The SIGSALY was created in WW2 by the U.S. Army Signal Corps for secure communications to the Allies in Europe, and around the globe. It was the first device to transmit enciphered telephony, first transmission by Pulse Code Modulation, Frequency Shift Keying, bandwidth Compression, and Multiplexing. It was the start of digital communications. Best of all, it was recorded onto vinyl records.
It just seemed to fit my ideas. A label of reaching out across the globe with transmissions of excellent electronic music to the people with similar interests, the united EBM allies!
What's the history of Sigsaly Transmissions? Can you give an introduction Sigsaly Transmissions label?
We are now on our 6th CD release and working on a few more before the end of the year. The goal has been to find talented artists that have a strong desire to get their name out and be heard. It is important to me that our bands work hard at touring, gigs, promoting themselves and to be professional people. There are so many artists out there these days, it takes a desire to reach the top. If you only create music and don't work to promote yourself, it will never be more than just a hobby.With the right attitude and great music, we work together to invest time and money into a great release and great promotions.
Many people are quite surprised at what we have achieved so far. We have excellent promotions and distribution nearly worldwide, and still growing! We recently signed an agreement for distribution in Canada with a large name distributor. We are also looking into other regions like Australia and South America.I think that days of labels being limited to their country is over. The internet has made a global economy,and it's time we take advantage of it. With technology,the borders are disappearing.
What are your views on the current state of this electro scene in Texas and the United States, in terms of creativity and audiences? And the scene in other countries?
I have lived and traveled in many parts of the US and it is different everywhere you go. Every cit has it's own uique scene. It seems that the heavier Metal edge industrial is still more popular but we are starting to see the electro-EBM style sounds growing. We'll keep pushing the music out to the clubs and radio and hope things get better here and gain the number of fans we see in Europe.
Out of all of your album, or your up coming albums on the Sigsaly Transmissions label, which album would you say is your favorite album? Why?
I would have to to say Autodafeh's "Hunt For Glory". While I love every release we have so far, otherwise i would not have released them, but this album is special in that it has the true EBM flavor, like Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb.
Tell me more about all your album in Sigsaly Transmissions label ?
SIGCD001 - Machines Against Hunger: This was our first release and is a 2 CD sampler that is dedicated to the International Aid Organization, Action Against Hunger. It included many great bands like, Psyche, The Weathermen, Dean Dennis (formerly of Clock DVA), Modern Cubism ( a side-project of F242's JL DeMeyer), Destroid, Dive, K-Bereit (former Cobalt 60) and a total of 34 bands. Great stuff, and a collectors item!
SIGCD002 - Autodafeh "Hunt For Glory"
SIGCD003 - K-Bereit "Distort Neural Unit" (... with Dom L. former Cobalt 60)
SIGCD004 - XP8 "The Art of Revenge"
SIGCD005 - Portion Control "Crop"
SIGCD006 - Autoafeh "re:lectro' EP (to be released Aug.21, 09.)
SIGCD007 - Autodafeh "Identity Unknown" (new album to be released in October 09.
We also are planning new releases by Belgium's NTRSN (with help from Pankow). Also Red Flag, Impulse Control and Void Kampf.
What ideas, movements and personalities would you say were crucial for the definition and development of Sigsaly Transmissions label as a creative entity?
Simple, a love for electronic music and a desire to succeed!
If there was one thing you want people to know about your Sigsaly Transmissions label what would that be?
While our foundation is the wide spectrum of Electronic Body Music, we are not limited to it. If it's good and we think you will like it, we will release it.
Tell us a little bit more about yourself. What do you do in your spare time?
I work full-time in the telecommunications industry. I'm married for nearly 15 years with 2 wonderful (sometimes) kids. I like playing Call of Duty (4 & 5) on the PS3, find me as user: helosix and we'll play together in the EBM clan!
What do you think of the intermingling with the electro, Darkwave and EBM scenes? While electro is your main musical pallet, what other music do you listen to?
Honestly, I have no problems with it. It has really always been that way. Even back in the 80's the clubs would play everything and everyone liked a little of this, and a little of that. I am open to all styles, but EBM is and will always be #1.
How long have you been in the music industry and how has it changed over time? Now I have to ask,what's the inspiration for the Sigsaly Transmissions label story?
We'll, I started working in the DJ booth of a night club in 1986. I was always interested in what the DJ's were playing, how they got the music and all that surrounded it. I was also a DJ on High School and had a specialty (EBM/Industrial) show on a local college radio station. All the years I stayed connected to the scene and was a collector. Not until 2001 did I start doing net-radio, then podcasting and now the label.
Please let us know about your upcoming plans, some new releases you like to confirm here Sigsaly Transmissions label.
I would ask everyone that reads this to go buy all our releases... really! I know you will love them.We are honored to have released Portion Control, masters of Electronic music since 1979. And soon, Red Flag.. they were a big New Wave band in the US, with Top Ten chart songs back in the late 80's. Now Red Flag is back with a harder edge. watch for it!
It has been a pleasure to interview you on your musical activity. Well,any last words to your ebm-industrial fans?
Thank you very much for the opportunity. As for a word to the fans... thank you too! Please go buy one (or two) of our releases, please. When people tell you that sales are bad, it's true.We know there are thousands and thousands of fans of this music but we only sell hundreds of CD's! It's crazy!We need you to support all of us, the labels, the bands, the clubs. Even if you get one CD every month or two... it's cheap and will help keep the scene alive.
Thank you very much for the interview. It was a pleasure .....All the best mate
Any famous last words for your fans that read this?
Never Stop, EBM United
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