DDRProjects; A word exchange between John Geldbach & artist John Bell

John Geldbach is DDRProjects. Two independent record labels (Devil Doll Records & This Dark Reign), an art gallery (DDRProjects), & just one guy doing it all. He is the quintessential definition of indie. I had the good fortune of meeting him & working together this past spring at his gallery in Long Beach with my "SURVEY" show, here is
what I've learned about him so far...

John launched Devil Doll in 1995 with the release of a compilation entitled "Pogo, Strut, Slam, Swivel & Mosh. This Dark Reign began five years later with another compilation release entitled "Doomed". A three CD set that he describes as "over 220 minutes of music from (at the time) some of the worlds most progressive doom, stoner, groove, sludge, ambient bands from around the world. Absolutely no one had ever released something of this magnitude before. Guaranteed!"

It's Kiss's fault he's in the music business, he has a low tolerance for art snobs, loves art & beer, his favorite whiskey is Vodka, he has the occasional need to drop his head & raise the devil horns, Kick Out the Jams (MC5 & Entombed) gets him off his ass, & he feels like it's time for a fucking revolution. I had requested a couple of discs from his labels for our playlist & he sent me 22 of them, so after a couple of passes with a looming deadline this is what I chose, hope you like them.

Here's what we talked about:

1. so john, let's start off with your love of music... when did it start for you & what bands or musicians caught your attention & imagination first?

** It's hard to call it a love affair, but I do enjoy music immensely. It's one thing to be a fan and another to work within an industry like this. There's this mystique that is perpetuated by the industry that completely gets kicked to the curb once you involve yourself directly in it. But I wouldn't continue doing it if I didn't have a penchant for it, would I. You would have to blame KISS for sending me down this road. It's definitely their fault.

Funny story. I actually called Gene Simmons once. I got his number from a friend of mine and thought I would call and ask if he had any positions open in his Simmons Records imprint. I was out of work at the time and thought why not. Initially, I thought it was a business line, but it was actually his home number. So, I called and he actually answered. I was a bit put off at first cause I wasn't expecting to get him on the line directly. So, I stumbled for a moment, regained my composure and asked if he was hiring. He responded by saying that the label was no longer operating and left it at that. We hung up and I sat there for a moment and thought I should call him back and yell at him saying that it was his fucking fault I'm in this business and currently out of work and that he should hire me for something. Furthermore, that I should have listened to my parents and furthered my education... lol. He seems to be back in the spotlight. Maybe I should give him another call. lol

2. what part does music play in your everyday life? (aside from running your labels... how do you use it, what does it do for you, etc..)

** I think music affects me not unlike most everyone else. On a fan level I still find myself getting excited every now and then. However, on the business side, that's an entirely different story. I am a HUGE sucker for a good pop song though. It doesn't matter what genre or style it is, if it has that predictable hook, no matter what, I'm on it.

3. how did all this (questions 1 & 2) translate into you starting devil doll & dark reign?

** Like most arrogant people, I felt I could do it better than everyone else. lol. I honed my skills working with people like Greg Ginn and Chuck Dukowski at SST, which helped me out tremendously. Then I went on to work with the Stern Brothers (BYO) who also helped expand my sights within the indie world. Lots of invaluable advice and experience working with both of those labels and I basically took that experience and ran with Devil Doll at first and later with This Dark Reign. I pretty much gave up playing to play a role behind the scenes. And, I feel we've done an incredible job working with some of indie music's stalwarts early on. We were the first label to use an unreleased NoFX track on our first record. Hell, aside from the two labels that band is directly affiliated with, we are the only label I know of that worked with them for a long time prior. We also released the first US domestic release from Gluecifer, long before any other label touched them. So, I'd say we set a pace from time to time.

4. tell me about being an independent label in today's music industry, pro's & con's? & with what band's like radiohead & nine inch nails have done lately, allowing fans to choose what they want to pay or giving away music for free online...

** Owning an indie label these days is a tough. The old-school industry has changed dramatically and with the Internet, it actually has given far more control to artists and bands making it far more democratic... very punk rock. However, the bands you mention are in a slightly better position to give their music away since they make it up on the back end with their tours and merchandise sales. It's not so clean cut for indie bands.

what's the future of the industry look like to you?

** Record labels becoming obsolete and more like consulting firms that take a percentage and smart bands finally taking control of their art. Indies will stay relatively the same though because there will always be bands comprised of stupid, lazy individuals not knowing how to take care of things and completely reliant upon a label to take care of it for them. However, in this day and age, THERE IS NO REASON FOR A BAND TO SIGN TO A RECORD LABEL!

5. in my experience, you seem like a very laid back, easy going guy. there are some pretty heavy & dark sounding bands on the dark reign label, what draws you to that genre of music?

** Sometimes you just wanna drop your head and raise the Devil horns John. I'd like to think that my diverse tastes in visual art also extends into music. The one driving force behind the labels has always been our diversity and development. Most labels and artists have lost sight of that, in my opinion.

6. what's been the most satisfying experience you've had working with musicians? (& the funniest & the strangest?)

** New Model Army have been the best band to work with. Very easy going and easy to deal with. Very professional. Not greedy at all and completely get it. Know exactly what it takes to make a living as a band.

** I work behind the scenes. It's either all funny and strange or it's neither at all.

7. from earlier conversations i know you're a "Rush" man... describe rush's music in 21 words (or 12 if you like).

** Yuck, yuck, yuck John!

I guess so. I like the band and haven't denied it even when it wasn't trendy to be into them. If that's what it means to be a "Rush man..." Guilty.

Innovative, intelligent, listenable, influential, accessible, sonic, not trendy, acquired, required, progressive without being arrogant, lyrically silly at times, undeniably rawk

8. listening to the sounds of life in long beach, the mash-up of cultures, the people, the cars, etc.. all the white noise that makes up the day, what kind of band would long beach be? (& would you sign them?)

** It wouldn't be a band, but a poet. Steven J. Bernstein and yes, I would sign him. But, Sub Pop already did and then he committed suicide, so I guess it's moot.

9. in addition to running two labels, you now also run an art gallery (ddrprojects in long beach CA), what got you into that, & what correlation's can you draw between the two?

** My love of art is what drew me into opening the gallery really. Other than the obvious correlation's between the two, fine artists are a lot like musicians, album covers and promotional materials are usually visual...

10. tell me about the differences between working with musicians & artists?

** There are none. Some people are professional and easy to deal with. Others are complete pains in the ass and amazingly unprofessional. They're all just people. Some you want to have over for dinner and others you want to drag behind your car.

11. art scene... NYC or LA? (again, just go off on it)

** Neither, Long Beach.

12. what roll does art play in your personal life? (aside from the gallery)

** I'm not into intellectualizing art at all, so it all boils down to whether I like it or not. If I enjoy a particular painting, sculpt, photograph, designer toy and can afford it, I buy it and hang it somewhere in my home. Certain pieces make me smile and appreciate it while others make me wonder why that person is supposedly making art.

13. would you like to weigh in on the next president? predictions? hopes? complaints & grievances?

** Nope

For more information on Devil Doll Records, Dark Reign Recordings, and DDR Projects please visit their website: http://www.devildollrecords.com/

This print was created by artists John Bell exclusively for DDRProjects & can be purchased on their website at:
www.ddrprojects.com
or by calling the gallery direct at:
562-590-9030

identity, memory & loss #4, 2008
printed on hahnemule torchon paper 285gsm
12" x 17" edition of 12