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Another year...
posted: 2009-12-11
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Johan
Reflections
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We just celebratied Jules birthday on December 1st. Less than a month and another year has gone by. The older you get, the faster time flies by? Well, try that with a baby! Last year was like a rollercoaster. For us it didn’t just mean becoming parents, but also buying a house, moving to a new city and Suzanne getting a new (very demanding) job. Stressfull? Oh yes!
Looking back, 2009 might very well be the year in our 14 year existence (yes. It’s THAT long already!) that we released only a handful releases. We kinda planned it that way, knowing that with a little kid, it would be difficult to work as hard and consistently as we’re used to do. It however worked out in our opinion as well, since there simply weren’t that many bands out there that made the hair on our arms stand up(= trying to help them out / releasing records). Add the worldwide financial crisis and the overall lack of CD sales and keeping a lower profile somehow worked out for the best for us.
Due to time going so fast and the consistency of work I somehow can’t even tell what happened in 2009… I NO TURNING BACK touring the world and going to South Africa, China, Mid- and South America, Korea and whatever other country you can think off… we started working with STAY HUNGRY, some of the coolest dudes I met in years… We released vinyl for SATURNALIA TEMPLE on Monumentum Records where we helped out BLACK ANVIL and NIHILL on our side label for a kickstart on to bigger labels. RITUAL truly delivered and became one of Germany’s biggest hardcore bands, and then right at the end of Novmeber I got an email from EdMcKirdy (Hands Tied, Mouthpiece etc.) about his new band SKULL CRUSHER wanting to do a record. The songs I heard completely blew me away and 2010 already promises us a great start for Reflections Records!
Personally I had to get used to the fact that I couldn’t be working 60 hours a week anymore and that going to shows every weekend was out of the question. I became ‘the father at home’ and even though I had my moments where it was hard knowing that shit had to be done, but simply couldn’t because Jules needed the attention, overall, I had a blast. I like being by myself and taking care of this little boy is simply amazing.
As at the end of every year, I have no idea what the future holds, and making big plans was never my idea of running a label and mailorder. Taking life step-by-step, never forgetting to live life and enjoying the beauty of it is how the stay sane…2010 however promises to be a good year. Hopefully a lot of new kids discover the greatness of truly independent music and start realizing to not take it all for granted. But ‘Real’Hardcore still lives. Maybe you just have to dig a little deeper… And well, there’s nothing wrong with that! Get ready for 2010 and make sure to say hi at the fests and shows we’re attending in 2010. We won’t be unnoticed! |
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