booksmusicfilmstv.com: Home Books Music Films TV
booksmusicfilmstv.com Underground & Indie Music Index
The Peace & Freedom Magazine Obscure Delight Interview
(Originally appeared in Peace & Freedom Vol. 5, No. 4, Autumn/Winter 1988)
Well, it all started in March 1987. I had just finished a C60's worth of material and thought I should do something about it. At this point "The Third State" was born. "The third state of existence" describes the subconscious state or dream state. This sums up more the way I write music rather than the content. With that out of the way I tried to put together a band for live work, with success, hence my recording work.
A few months before, I had become friends with Clive Richards of Fragment and he gave me many addresses for the tape circuit. The first compilation came out in June 1987. I had 50 copies duplicated and expected people to be really keen. This was not the case, but people who had heard it generally thought it was good. I was also getting a lot of new tracks coming in - due to contacts.
October saw the release of the second compilation. This sold much better, mainly due to the success of a local band, "Them Geezers Over There", having a couple of tracks on it. I also started giving out leaflets at gigs and selling tapes at these, which really helped. This also started to get the first compilation moving.
"The Now!", a band from Kansas, had sent me a track for the last compilation and remarked that they had an 8-song tape that they did not know what to do with. We then worked out something for our mutual benefit.
Closely following this was a project with "Gypsy", from Forest Gate. They had sent me a track for the second compilation and then a mass of material, which I hope re release in various ways.
So, what else for the future? Well, there is a live project that I am working on, which is "The Leisure Victims". "The Third State" will continue as a recording only outfit, with, probably, just myself and the odd guest contributing.
As far as sales go, it is quite slow, but much healthier than at the start of the label. We only use chrome to keep the quality up and to provide a good value-for-money product. If a customer dislikes the tape, I am happy to take the tape back and refund 75%. The 25% covers my postage, but a tape has never been returned.
Releases so far:
| OBS 1 | In Subconscious Moments | The Third State |
| OBS 2 | A Guide to Healthy Listening, Vol. 1 | Various artists - including Man's Hate, Third State, Modern Art, WeR7, Erick, blue Water, Brother Sister. |
| OBS 3 | A Guide to Healthy Listening, Vol. 2 | Various artists - including Mystery Plane, Them Geezers Over There, Cleaners From Venus, The Now. |
| OBS 4 | Connections | The Now & Third State |
| OBS 5 | The Other Side of a Tear | Gypsy |
This website is designed by booksmusicfilmstv.com.
