We had literally just gotten our demo out. Derek's girlfriend's mother had become somewhat of a financial investor for Grasshopper. She fronted the money for us to have our demo produced and duplicated, and we slowly paid her back with the money we made selling our demo, which was selling quite well I might add. We started off with a run of 500 copies and they were moving fast. When approached about doing the comp, we were more than eager. We were very excited to have a song on an actual cd and not a cassette tape. We were all on board with this idea, so we paid our fee, submitted a song, and patiently waited for our 60 CDs to be manufactured and delivered to us.
One very cool aspect about this compilation was the exposure factor. We would be alongside 15 other bands, who would each have 60 CDs to distribute in any way they seemed fit. This essentially meant great exposure for everyone, as all these bands would be selling their CDs in different stores and areas of Ontario. The whole project was a DIY independent production that we all poured our time, money and effort into, but Jim was the ringleader. He organized and oversaw the entire project and eventually released it under the label name "Input Rage" and the compilation was entitled "Stereophonicus Disruptus".
We decided to use the song "Heshien" as it was our personal favorite as a band collectively. Each band was also given creative control to design their own page for the cd booklet, which could consist of photos and lyrics. Asides from Grasshopper, the cd featured 15 other bands including: Goatdance, Mudfish, Y.A.P., Stew, Bob Dogdog, Marc Grainge, Full, Demon Barf, Morgan Olden, Two Line Filler, Herbal Scream, Outta Bounds, Rocktopus, Headcramp, and Mr.Nobody. Each band gave forth their best song which made this a pretty kick ass comp. I remember how excited I was to finally get my hands on the cd, and I listened to it over and over. Some of the bands I didn't even like at first, but then they all grew on me.
Each band was selling their CDs by any means necessary, and they were also being sold at Rotate This, Record Peddler, and HMV, where the comp ended up landing on their Indy charts with lightning speed. The comp was also getting quite a bit of press coverage in the local papers, which only increased sales even more so. Most of the press we received was very positive, but my Brampton boys Demon Barf seemed to be getting the brunt of all the negativity. Mainly because of their lyrical content and offensive imagery they contributed to the cd. Regardless of that, it didn't take long for the 1,100 CDs to find their way into the hands of eager listeners and collectors of fine Indy music. We even played a few shows in support of the cd with various bands on the comp, which again greatly helped with sales.
I can recall being so curious to hear how we sounded on cd, but much to my surprise our song sounded pretty much exactly the same as it did on cassette. I didn't quite comprehend the fact that the recording methods and quality dictated what the finished product sounded like, despite what form it was released on, be it tape, vinyl, or cd. I was still stoked regardless to be able to hear my band on a cd.
Looking back on this it truly was a magical thing. A bunch of misfit bands coming together for one common cause, to help each other's exposure and fan base growth. There was a true sense of brotherhood and comradery, and each band wanted to help their brothers and see them flourish and grow. I'm not sure if events like this are common in the music scene these days with the whole new age of technology, but I feel blessed and proud to have been apart of such a noble attempt at unifying and solidifying a scene for ourselves at that point in time. It was truly a magical thing...
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