Above: A 'contract' signed between Crucial John from Give and Marco from AP
AP is one of our favourite record labels in terms of bands, aesthetic and message. Based out of Huntington Park in California, with a stint in D.C, Marco has a real ear for top tier music producing releases for Diztort, Skourge, Vortex, Give (on VHS!), Abuse of Power, Mil-Spec, and Result of Choice amongst many. Here's some insight into the thinking behind the label in Marco's own words...
What's the idea behind the label? When did you start and why?
I started filming with a hi8 camera I found buried deep in a closet while I was snooping around. That was sometime in 2013. I would just upload sets online and eventually I wanted more than that. I got the idea of some sort of physical release sometime around 2014 when I filmed the band Title Fight - still probably my favorite thing I've ever filmed. But haven't got a chance to release it yet. Anyway, the entire idea of having a physical release didn't manifest until I met then stranger, now friend, John. I saw/filmed his band GIVE play three or four shows in California in 2015. I mentioned my idea, and after the tour he sent me an email insisting on a release. The rest is a boring old tale that i'll spare you and your readers from. Aside from that first release I just wanted to use AP as a cool creative navigation tool. I was surrounded by so many creative friends at the time, and I just wanted to hoard it all. Keep it one place. That sounds pretty dramatic and selfish right? It totally is.
What's been your favourite release so far and why?
I can't really choose a favorite release because I feel so strongly about every single one. But a noteworthy one (that hasn't even come out yet) is a journalistic zine project by Aaron Sanchez-Guerra (singer of NC sXe band, Substance, who also had a release with us). Its focus is to document the lives, stories, and thoughts of farmworkers in North Carolina. That should be out by the end of September I hope! I feel glad that we can release that sort of project, alongside a Diztort record, and not feel like either is in the wrong home. My biggest insecurity is feeling pigeonholed, and that soothes it.
What is the most fun, and also the hardest part, about running a record label in 2018?
The hardest part about it all is releasing something and feeling like it isn't doing so well (by my own standards) or just being self conscious on a drop day. I don't mind mail order, assembling, and the process. It's fun and I feel an overwhelming janitorial duty to anyone who entrusts me with their project, whether that be a zine, video, cassette, or record. The most fun is I can give any goofy thing I release under the Advanced Perspective umbrella a catalog number. (Inspo: www.factoryrecords.net/catalogue/)
What's the coolest thing about vinyl - why should people still care?
I think physicals are important. The present day is filled with streams, and links. And there's nothing wrong with that. It just feels one dimensional at times (for me). It's cool to take the extra second, minute, and hour to look into something. This is not mind blowing news, I know. But it's really cool to care believe it or not!
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