thanks dog!
much appreciated!

I'd steal from the Journal for you dudes:

New label champions cassettes of a different colour

When it comes to quirky and retro gimmicks, Eric Ng and his pals are the champs.

His network of musicians, promoters and DJs were the masterminds behind Edmonton's Hipster Twister, where flexible types would tie themselves in knots while listening to the coolest indie music at a Whyte Avenue bar.

Ng is now on to his next venture with Taylor Schaerer, Tala Berkes and Eric Cheng.

Together, they've started their own label, Champion City Records, and are ready to show off their first indie-rock prizefighter, Hills Like White Elephants.

"Part of the mandate for the label is to really encourage the friends of ours who are writing music to be serious about taking that next step and doing some recordings," says Ng, who also plays in his own band, The Red Hot Daggers.

But forget about CDs -- Champion City is opting to release HLWE's first effort as a cassingle.

Ca-wha?

They're like cassettes -- remember those? -- but only 10 minutes long, enough to fit two tracks: Paper Tigers, a glimmery lullaby, and a remix.

Fans can choose from two different cassingles -- with either Artful Dodger's glitchy, uplifting remix or Westfalia's subdued, french house version.

"We've been going over artist contracts and whatnot and (cassingle) kept popping up and we thought it was kinda funny," says Ng.

"It seems like something no one else is doing and I think people will be pretty receptive to picking up a cassette. When's the last time anyone has done that, let alone a cassingle?"

In this day and age of iPods and MP3s, does anyone still own a cassette deck?

It's a question Ng has pondered, but he's not worried. Nor is HLWE's Chris Blackmore. The cassingles are pretty darn snazzy, covered with orange or black stripes.

"Great artwork goes a long way," he says. "I think it's a great gimmick."

Besides, his White Elephants will be releasing an EP soon, featuring sprawling, sensitive numbers filled with strings, glockenspiels, horns, and swells of chaotic drums and guitar scribbles. Premastered versions of three tunes, including Paper Tigers and Teen Wolf, are up on myspace.com/hlweband.

Blackmore says he takes his artistic cues from Toronto's indie-rock collective, Broken Social Scene.

"Just the mentality that it doesn't have to be a guitar band," he says. "You can put other things up front. You shouldn't be limited."

Champion City also doesn't believe there should be limitations placed on the relationship between the label and its artists.

Tonight, for example, two of the label's executives will perform with the HLWE foursome at the Powerplant.

"Everyone's really excited about each other's projects," says Blackmore.

This Civil Twilight, Columbus and headliners Fields To Flood are also on the bill.

Tickets are $10. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Read more about FTF's new EP in today's issue of ed.

Sandra Sperounes, Journal Music Writer

ssperounes@thejournal.canwest.com

do any of you have a subscription to the Edmonton Journal Online?

New label champions cassettes of a different colour When it comes to quirky and retro gimmicks, Eric Ng and his pals are the champs.

welcome back Tone!

Jet lag sucks.

hell yeah! will i find you there, Jesse?

anyone planning on hitting up the shout out/holy fuck concert tonight? if so, let me know?

That's just great Tay and Eric! When you hit it big just don't forget about the little people that helped you out along the way.

CHAMPION CITY ON THE MOVE
There’s a new and unique force rising on the local music scene and its name is Champion City Records. Consisting of Eric Ng (DJ Generic of "hipster-twister" fame/infamy), Eric Cheng (who has recorded bands like Souljah Fyah), business-mastermind Tala Berkes, and musician/designer Taylor Schaerer, the new label’s main goal is to organize and focus the immense wealth of talent available in Edmonton into a productive means.

"We have two studio recording facilities as well as our own in-house design, packaging, and promotion teams," explains Schaerer. "All of these services (from concept to product) we provide free of charge to the artist with the hopes that through promotion, the sales of their resulting record will re-coupe the cost of our expended time and effort. We are trying to give the musicians and artists we love the opportunity to further their own projects with as little to no monetary risk for them as possible. As well, I think we are somewhat unique in that we don’t intend to limit our roster by either medium or genre. Really, we’re just interested in putting out quality products by quality people."

This means Champion City Records could eventually evolve into a full-blown DIY collective of artists of all stripes–including visual artists, filmmakers, as well as musicians involved in a variety of musical styles. Case in point: the label has finished producing Hills Like White Elephants first super-limited cassette single which will be launched at the Fields to Flood CD release at the Power Plant this Saturday (Sept 30). A full EP should follow.

"We also have an album by the Portraits which is already completed and will be released in the very near future; it may be too early to make predictions, but I think the Portraits album is really going to impress people," enthuses Schaerer. "We are also looking at posthumously releasing LIME’s last album (the members of which went on to form Red Hot Daggers), and we hope to shortly put out releases by the Nouns, as well as a solo project by Eamon McGrath (ex-Morellos frontman/member of Red Medicine). Red Hot Daggers will likely begin recording their first EP very soon as well. You can find most of these bands (and many of our friends) on Champion City Records’ MySpace page at www.myspace.com/championcity."

The FM Dial heard an advance spin of the Portraits record, and it is absolutely mind-blowing. Stay tuned, as Champion City is likely to explode in the upcoming months.