Switzerland by way of Santiago de Chile’s Inhumano Records has been putting out varied and well contrasted hardcore punk and alternative records since 1998 and is surely one of the most representative record labels in the South American / European creative, independent music scene (see Inhumano related features on IDIOTEQ, including SPORT, RAINCHECK, QUITTERS, HEAVY HEART, WILD ANIMALS). Here, its founder Carlos Gálvez talks about the principles behind his prolific label, the obstacles he encountered, the relationship between record sales and other label activities, and the philosophy that has allowed him to do what he loves and to be happy and satisfied with this amazing project. See our interview below.
Browse through Inhumano records at Bigcartel, and follow the label through their Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bandcamp.
First and foremost, thank you for taking some time with us and being a part of this platform. Inhumano and a good numer of your records have been a part of my promotion here on IDIOTEQ for years now, but tobe honest, little I know about your operations and the backstory of the label. Please take us back to the late 90s and tell us about your early days with Inhumano. What’s your background and what led you to create a DIY label in the first place?
Hi Karol! In the late 90s I was beginning my higher education at an architecture, design and arts campus, which allowed me to have access to technology and information that most people in Santiago de Chile’s hardcore punk scene didn’t; computers with editing software, internet and a photo camera made possible the release of a semi-professional quality offset fanzine called “Inhumano”. This fanzine was oriented towards the political and social situation at the time. The copies were developed by a mixed group of social sciences, photography and design students, with an emphasis on articles and personal visual works. This first approach to exchange allowed me to get in touch with an important amount of local bands, where soon after a cassette tape compilation of seminal bands from the first wave of Santiago Hardcore was released. 300 copies of this tape were sold, although I bought mine just a couple of years ago when I went back to Santiago on vacation and could get it from a local collector. Times were a little wild then, so management and logistics of a record label weren’t as important as the urgency of documenting a moment from a particular perspective. I still keep photos and material from those teenage times, when we were slim and our hair was intact.
What independent labels influenced you back then? What was your profile when it comes to genres and styles and what bands you wanted to promote in your early days?
The music we listened at that time was what we could order to Revelation Records via handwritten letters, something very romantic. We used to listen to bands from this label’s first age, such as Gorilla Biscuits, Bold or Chain of Strength. We also listened to some releases by Indecision or Smorgasbord Records, we got in touch with these people through fanzines. Our musical dichotomy came through all the emo records we listened to study and get concentrated instead of thinking about stagediving during the weekend’s gig. I think that getting into emo/indie at that time was pivotal for what our label would turn out to be later on, because we could see for the first time records played by punks and released under DIY ethos that were characterised for a more elaborate sound and careful aesthetics. I believe that Jade Tree was fundamental in that quest for the love of both punk music and design as an art object and I believe this duality still plays an important role in our eclecticism when it comes to music.
Consequently, during the early years of the label, bands were a reflection of what we listened at the moment, a lot of youth crew hardcore, many straight edge bands with vegetarian members, which was very uncommon for society at that point because politically it was considered a radical stance. Anyway, and without a doubt, the records we put out have been and will always be by friends, for us this is still a free association, supportive community rather than a market-based label.
How did you pick the name Inhumano?
I think the idea came out once I saw the word “inhuman” while watching an old skate video… or a hardcore video, I don’t remember. Then I had the idea of taking a black t-shirt and drawing the word on it in Spanish, “inhumano”.
Ok, so back to the story, what led you to relocate to Europe?
I met my dear wife in Santiago, she still had to finish her studies at Lausanne University in Switzerland so we decided that I should move there to see if things would work well for both of us living abroad. Once settled in this small town I thought about the possibility of pressing records in one of the factories here and send them to South America, which was how I started a second stage for Inhumano. Once we set some projects with South American bands, another stage started, which involved developing projects with local bands. Then, after going to many gigs I decided to set up a situational distro, the idea was to do it with the urgency required by an alternative outlet such as the punk scene, that means, wherever you are.
So what are the elements of your operations right now? Online distro, physical distro at shows and festivals, what else? Tell me about your distribution methods and how much you’re involved in artists’ promotion on daily basis.
Our distribution is mainly carried out at gigs and independent festivals, I think that socialization in a thought provoking space allows the fuelling of sensory and political capabilities in our community, we want to create as well as provoke something every time we go to an event. Of course we also sell records online through the usual platforms to people who we can’t meet face-to-face because of distance concerns, but we try to make the exchange something more than merely sending a record.
Although for promotional purposes we use and adapt to social media available, we understand that many times people just can’t afford to buy a record so that’s why, in agreement with the bands, we always try to have their music available to listen for free.
How do you view the massive change and the impact of the digital revolution on independent labels and artists? What are some of the most noticeable pros and cons?
I have never seen it as something negative, in fact, I find it great, this idea of getting access to content for free through different digital platforms. Listening and visualizing a record before wanting to buy it in physical format seems to me like the best exercise to push bands to develop their creative skills to the very best.
I believe that the independent scene has been benefited from these changes, leaving mediocrity behind and giving room to a new understanding of DIY, more demanding and transparent. Consequently, our philosophical stance as a label is to be able to publish the best art object as possible. The only flaw I see is that due to the great variety of promotion platforms I need days longer than 24 hours. At least tiredness reminds me that I’m alive.
So is this label operations your only occupation on daily basis?
Not at all, I have a full-time job and a schedule to keep to. However, I decided to reduce the amount of time I dedicate to this formal job to get more free time and therefore more time for other things such as the label.
Was there ever a point when you almost shut the label down?
This question submerges me into intimate emotional subjects, I don’t have any memories of thinking about it, and at the same time I believe it’s a call to self-criticism and introspection. Our work at Inhumano is related to an existentialist experience manifested through different means of artistic expression, being visual, written or sonorous. There was a long hiatus due to personal matters of great significance as I said, such as changing continents, beginning an intense couple’s life, restarting social life, reassessing my aims in life. In spite of all what was going on, the wish of continuing was waiting for its moment. I hope that Inhumano ceases to exist when we’re not in this planet anymore.
Oh, I sincerely wish you exactly that! What type of records and projects can we expect on Inhumano, give us a sneak peak of what’s to come? Also, what’s the key of selecting what’s worth a proper quality treatment from your end?
This year will be a little calmer, because I will be busy updating the website and the label’s graphics in general. We have just released a tape of the Swiss Überyou and will release a record by another local band called The Meeseks, we’ll take part of the new record by the Spanish band Accidente, who are a blast! Finally and if the plan goes as expected, we’ll have news from a French band called Jodie Faster, you should definitely check them out!
On the other hand, we associated with other people in the region to set up gigs, soon we’ll be hosting War on Women and in September we’ll arrange another bigger gig. Meanwhile, we’ll continue on the road participating and attending to gigs and festivals, where we meet new people as well as old friends. In fact, most projects emerge from those meetings with lovely people who play music that makes us feel thrilled. We’re far from being a label that just signs bands and celebrate the likes obtained in social media.
Oh yeah, we hosted a nice little premiere for JODIE FASTER last year and they are definitely a band to watch!
Gig wise, how has setting up shows changed over the years? How do new solutions and digital tools enrich the process of organizing concerts? Has it become easier or harder?
We are regular attendees at independent gigs, but last year we started getting involved organizing gigs in our town by setting up a parallel association with eight incredible human beings (IFA/Inhumano Fest Association). Being only two at Inhumano as a label, we didn’t have time to do much more. I think that many people are adopting a more openly inclusive policy for the organization of gigs, therefore moving on towards respect to the attendance and participation of trans people for example. I believe that social media is just another tool that we have to use consciously and responsibly, without a doubt it’s an important and economic information channel for small organizations working on a budget that doesn’t allow them to print or to afford a bigger marketing strategy, but that on the other hand have a high level of creativity to generate innovative content to deliver the information. I think that the communication channels were very different back then, but taking advantage of them is still among our responsibility as a movement.
Can you think of some creative ways and examples of putting out shows and records, promoting them or setting up other DIY projects that probably wouldn’t come up if it wasn’t by thoughtful independent artist? Like super inventinve record packaging, cool ideas to promote shows, alternative shows formats, ou of the box zines, etc.?
We’ve been 20 years thinking about how to build new things in the punk scene, that support our friends, how to deconstruct old ideas and how to spend 20 years more talking about packaging, colors and materials, haha.
For festivales, two examples that immediately come to my mind are Obenuse or Booze & Cruise, which take over whole neighborhoods in Zurich and Hamburg, or how at a moment two bands are put face to face in two stages and the audience in the middle listened to a band and then turned to listen to the other. To have a look at nice records, it doesn’t take more than go to a gig and browse at the distros’ catalogues, where you can find impressive stuff such as tapes with handmade covers. We always try to play with mixing and combining colours, and with the packaging. You can find pictures for all of our releases through Discogs!
Cool! For shows, what’s your best setup and venue characteristics that significantly boost chances of making it fun and successful? Can you recall some tightest and most insane gigs you’ve attended so far? What made them so special?
I think that bars and small venues best summarize the hardcore punk environment because they condense the energy and intimacy characteristic of this culture. I always remember the gigs a friend of mine organised in the main hall of his house in the middle of nowhere, because of the degree of mutual understanding with the audience (Le Trou/Salavaux). People stagedive from the top of the fridge, haha.Everyone collaborates bringing drinks and everyone drinks what they want and there is a voluntary entry fee, or you can also check Espacio 56 in Chile, for exemple, a new spot for playing or eating vegan.
On the other hand, gigs in Santiago are just insane. People can perfectly carry on a circle pit all throughout the show while at the same time there’s a torrent of stagedives on your head. Last year I went on holidays to Santiago on the same date Judge played and so did Face to Face a couple of days after. It was crazy, you entered the pit and it felt like a huge whisk. The most fun part of this never ending pit was meeting friends for the second they fell next to me before they got lost in it again.
Awesome. So what shows, festivals, releases and other stuff you’re looking forward to this year?
Now we’re heading to the Manchester Punk Festival, in a couple of weeks we’re taking our distro to Obenuse Fest in Zurich, which is organised by our friends from Uberyou, and during summer we’ll take our material to This is My Fest in Paris, which is organised by Till from Guerilla Poubelle. Then to Punk Rock Raduno and Venezia Hardcore in Italy to end the season at Fluff Fest in July, we hope we have the energy to survive.
From the label you can expect new releases from The Meseeks (CH) Cadena Perpetua (ARG), Fiskales Ad-Hok (CL), Jodie Faster (FR) and Accidente (ES) plus some extra surprise :)
How many Fluff Fests have you attended before? How do you see this DIY concept evolve over the years?
After going for ten years, the only thing I can say is that Fluff is the best punk festival in Europe, just go.
Haha, totally agreed, 100%.
Ok Carlos, thanks so much for your time. Is there anything else you’d like to share before we go?
A big highfive and a lot of stagedives for all of you and your awesome work, thanks for your time bud, I hope we will see you soon out there.
