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Abyss Records - Dan Ferguson

28/06/10 || Daemonomania

As you’ll soon discover, Dan Ferguson runs Abyss Records. Home of Torture Division amongst others. When ordering stuff from ‘em, he comes across as a cool guy. And therefore I interviewed him. Awesome, right? So instead of a band guy you will hear from a label guy. Enjoy.

GD: Hello Dan, and welcome to Global Domination. Are you familiar with our little corner of the World Wide Webs?

Dan Ferguson: No, I have not heard about your little corner of the World Wide Webs…

Introduce yourself to us. What makes you tick?

Well, my name is Dan and I’m the owner and operator of Abyss Records, a great underground metal music label and huge mail order from the U.S. and I have been active in the metal scene since 1990. However, been into metal since the early to mid 80’s.

And now tell us about Abyss Records. What bands might we recognize from your lineup?

Abyss Records start the label in late 2008 with HORDES OF NEBULAH (US) debut CD release, now adding more killer bands and releases to our roaster. (GD Note: Roaster?) Well, the biggest sellers on the label are TORTURE DIVISION (Swe), CHRIST BEHEADED (US), DIE HARD (Swe) so far, but all our bands I think bring a special quality to each genre they support! Artists consist of:

HORDES OF NEBULAH (US)
CHRIST BEHEADED (SWE)
BULLETWOLF (US)
DIE HARD (SWE)
F.U.C.T. (US)
MAAX (US)
TORTURE DIVISION (SWE)
HAT (NOR)
FAUST (ITALY)
WAN (SWE)
HUMANGLED (ITALY)
ANGREPP (SWE)
CHAOSSWORN (SWE)

… soon will be working with other like NOCTIS IMPERIUM (VENZ), FESTER (NOR), BANE (SERBIA) and more….

How does one get into running a record label, anyway?

Long story short; because my love for the music and it felt like it was time to do more than run just a mail order, etc… Plus I wanted to prove myself that I could create a killer label as I had a great mail-order for metal fans worldwide.

And what else does Abyss on the side? For example, in Torture Division’s case it looks like you do some distribution for bands that are unsigned/from other labels. Correct me if I’m wrong or sound like someone who has no idea what he’s talking about (which I don’t).

I’m going to release TORTURE DIVISION second album trilogy as well, as I just spoke to the band today about that. So I am their label (Note by The Lord: No, you are not “our” label. No one is “our” label. You get to release our demos on CD, just like anyone else if they feel like doing so), but they just handle things different. The thing is I don’t control the bands, I only work with bands I have faith in and stand behind. So, no need to try and control and take the bands rights away forever. I also have worked with DARKER THAN BLACK RECORDS and done release under Division Vinland, but have cut ties with that for now. Also just started to take over and help run IBEX MOON RECORDS mail order as well. So lots on my plate all in the name of METAL!

Cheerful Dan So, how was dealing with Lrd. K. Phil DMD? Did he use profanity in his communiqués?

Hell yeah, he does… Hahaha… He seems to be a great guy and loves what they do best: play brutal death metal. I enjoy working with TD. (Note by The Lord: Ofcourse you do, we are your best selling band. We are even selling better than a fucken Celtic Frost patch! Treat us well.)

Are you a fan of TD? Be honest.

Glad you asked this question! Hell yes, I’m a huge fan of Torture Division, as well as the other projects and bands the members of Torture Division have done like The Project Hate, Vicious Art, Vomitory and Jörgen ex-Grave vocalist. I’m a personal fan of all the bands I work with otherwise why should I release them on my label?

Switching gears here. Might do that several times during the interview. Let me know if you feel uncomfortable.

No reason to feel uncomfortable here…

Let’s say I started a fantastic Italian power metal band called Wizardsword, with lyrical content based solely around the ejaculatory fluids of ancient mages. Why would I sign with Abyss Records? What do you have to offer the MIGHTY WIZARDSWORD?

Well, to be honest, power metal is not my thing for the most part however I do like some bands who do fit in that category. I think Abyss Record will stick with more old school, dirty type of death, black & thrash metal bands. Not too polished and boring type of bands/albums which have no feeling to the music itself, but over all good quality music & releases.

You ever been in a band, Dan?

Well, yes I have. I was in a old band called INCISION but never released anything but played a show with classic Macabre back in early 90’s. We were old style European style death metal band at that time. I’ve also done some backing vocals on ambient black metal side project (of Mike Ford/Black Funeral) Darkness Enshroud which was distributed by Moribund Records at the time. I play around on the drums some today and have a guitar to play around with, but with label and family I don’t have much free time at all to play anything. I would like to do something along the lines of old Entombed, Autopsy, Carnage type of stuff for fun.

Always good to find a fellow death metal fan. If you could have one old school European DM band reform and release their new album on your label, which one would it be?

PUNGENT STENCH album which they recorded before they broke up! Maybe DAWN (Swe), EUCHARIST….

Being a man of more old-school taste, what are your thoughts on the new wave of technical death metal bands?

I like some, but if the band lacks feeling who fucking cares how talented it is? It’s not all about how fast and technical, but the feeling that comes from it.

Going to completely switch tracks again. Buckle up. No question here. Free pass, so just relax and vent about some problem you’re currently experiencing below:

Ok, well… I hate the way people care more about fucking iPods these days. I think those are more for the top 40 hit type of people to use. Real metal heads in my eyes are still collectors and buy CD, LP, merchandise and stuff to support the bands they love.

Is there any money in running a record label, or is it all toil in the name of metallic love?

It can be hard and is an up and down roller coaster at times for sure, but you have to have the heart to run a real record label and I don’t have $10,000 to put into promotion and be sponsored by Hot Topic, Best Buy, etc… However, I don’t care, people are smart enough – they will track down my releases direct through me, the bands and or other distributors and labels who carry out releases.

Your thoughts on downloading? Has it just about killed the business?

Well, it’s fine if you support the release, but fuck off to those people who think because they have a 2 TB Hard drive full of free downloaded music is one who support bands and label, and in fact that does kill the business and bands in long run. So, people are cheap fucks though and could care less about the scene, but want to act like they really are into the music & try to fit in, but are gone in a few years most the time and onto the next trend.

How about those who say that they download things to “try before they buy”? This is an endless, ongoing discussion at GD, so it is of course interesting to hear it directly from someone who runs a label/mailorder.

Well, if that was the case, but to me it’s more a I think I have 2TB of FREE downloaded material and that makes me a collector. No it makes you a cheap piece of shit, I think! Not ONLY does it kill the bands, but the labels as well as the “real” stores. Sure, I run an online store and that’s fine if you support it, but I would also like to see Ma & Pa music stores and be able to check them out and shop at them as well. It’s all part of being a “real” collector I guess. It’s a sad sight to see the people of the world all become zombified behind their cell phones, iPods and game systems today and that being the only thing that matters to them. Generation Twitter… Hahaha…

President of The Happy Camper Motorcycle Gang Also, you don’t have an iPod I’m guessing? I broke down and got one a few years ago. I have so many cd’s, there’s just no way I could lug me around with a Discman any more. Am I losing scenepoints by the day?

I don’t have a iPod no and as for lugging around cd’s all day, I listen to a few of everything daily and it’s no big deal to carry a stake of cd’s, is it really? Have the people in this world become that lazy? I guess to each their own, and it’s fine if you still support and buy the cd and/or pay to download it. I’m just sure most all bands would rather cd music stores do well and people buying up cd’s, records and merchandise as they did back before all this new technology which has made people lazy and careless of their surroundings outside electronics. Even when I play and listen to music, I do something constructive with my life if not driving between destinations.

Any major US or international metal festivals you attend to hawk Abyss merchandise? Or is it all just run from home from a computer screen like an evil shadow corporation?

Well, I had planned Michigan Deathfest, but canceled due to a very unstable situation with dates, venues, bands, and no ticket sales after 9 months. I would like to do Maryland Deathfest, Central Illinois Fest and any others I don’t know about that actually do well. Main problem is the cost for these vendor spots and then cost to travel there, etc… Unless you clean house and sell most of everything (which doesn’t happen these days) you might break even or lose money every time. It’s kind of like bands paying to play… sad!

Now ‘tis time to do that thing we do in Domination interviews = below are five bands. Give them a rating from 1 to 10, and compare them to an extreme sport. For example:

Gorement: 8 – whitewater rafting

Now your turn:

Abscess: 8.5 – Extreme Caving (dragging through the mud).
Nasum: 5 – Bowling (fun but boring).
Watain: 10 – Bull Fighting (the final kill).
Judas Priest: 5 – Men’s Curling (sorry “J.P.” fans).
Elton John: 0 – Figure Skating (just GAY).

Thanks for participating. And for running a pure metal label in these dark times. Any last words for the hungry hungry hippos of the Domination?

Well, if your a fan old old school extreme music and different genres of the Underground and open to new bands as well, check out Abyss Records!!! I think the bands I represent all have a great quality about them and something for everyone out there to enjoy from our label new and older generations. Thank for the interview and support!!!!

ABYSS RECORDS
c/o Dan Ferguson
8063 S. Madison Ave. #360
Indianapolis, IN 46227
USA
Phone # (317) 887-2302

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