Recognized for their thrashing stage antics and raw, experimental sound, A Place to Bury Strangers’ frontman and guitarist Oliver Ackermann has gone through a myriad of transitions within his creative realm. Forming a new lineup as a three piece with former Skywave member John Fedowitz on bass and his wife Sandra Fedowitz on drums, their latest EP Hologram treads the line between cacophonous noise and deliberate songcraft.
Staying inspired and productive during lockdown came naturally to Ackermann. Hence out of the ashes came his latest collaborative record label, Dedstrange. Formed with Berlin-based experimental DJ and musician Mitchell O’Sullivan and A Place to Bury Strangers’ manager Steven Matrick, Dedstrange materialized out of a joint affinity for the dangerous and unfamiliar, boasting a global roster unbound from creative restraint. “It was exciting for all these bands that were underground that we know of and that aren’t seeing the light of day,” Ackermann said. “It seemed like the right thing to do.”
Despite COVID-19 putting a halt on the music industry at large, Ackermann and his team found an abundance of interest and energy in their newly formed label.
“We instantly got distribution through Redeye and they’ve been really excited about the prospect of the project,” stated Ackermann. “[Generating] the excitement was easier than I thought it was going to be […] now it almost becomes a tough decision of, ‘okay, hang on, we need to figure out exactly how to make all of this stuff work and do all of these things’, just so we don’t leave these bands behind. We want to give everyone as much attention as we possibly can.”
Including released singles from Berlin’s Jealous and Plattenbau as well as O’Sullivan’s project Data Animal since the spring, Dedstrange have a prolific 2021 ahead of them. However with vinyl production taking upwards of eight months to come to completion, there’s the added difficulty of artists transitioning past their initial outpouring of work and moving onto the next record.
“On one hand as an artist you want to be producing work that speaks to this moment that’s happening,” he said. “It’s weird to be like, ‘I’m going to release this record in 2023’, or something.”
Yet physical vinyl is something Dedstrange’s team feels passionately about releasing despite its laborious undertaking. “I’m old school, so I definitely want to be putting out records or cassettes,” Ackermann said. “I just love those formats. I think there’s something where when you’ve gone through that process, it just seems legitimate, that your album came out on a record.”
Invited to play for SXSW’s virtual festival this past March, Dedstrange’s showcase included the new A Place to Bury Strangers’ lineup as well as sets from Jealous, Data Animal, Toronto’s Holy Fuck, Montreal’s Paul Jacobs (of Pottery) and No Age’s Randy Randall. Attempting to capture the in-person chaos of SXSW, Ackermann incorporated wild sequencing and weird visual clips, manifesting a variety show rollercoaster for attendees to watch from home.
In terms of starting a record label, Ackermann emphasizes the collaborative aspects of working with artists that align with your vision, something he’s no stranger to after starting Death by Audio’s effect pedals’ company and Williamsburg music venue in 2001.
“You’ll be working with artists that you love, you’ll be working with people who are creating a cool experience and you’ll be supporting these people,” he said. “It’s a lot of work and you have to do it for the love of it, otherwise I think you’re just going to drive yourself crazy.”
Touching on the notion of self-doubt that can run rampant when performing in front of an audience or displaying artistic endeavors to the public, Ackermann highlights how even a little bit of enthusiasm and encouragement from fans can provide encouragement for an artist to continue creating.
“Even if you’re at a show with 1000 people there you [may] think, ‘my voice doesn’t matter,’ ” he said. “But if you stand there and you cheer your ass off for them to keep on playing or dance like crazy, being an artist on stage, you notice that stuff.”