Supreme Echo is a label dedicated to restoring and releasing lost musicial releases from the worlds of punk, metal, psych, and all points in between.
One of the label's latest projects is Patterns of Dominance, an 11-track collection from obscure Victoria, B.C. '90s grinders, Jonas. Cut at 45 rpm direct from the original 1996 master tape, the album comes in a deluxe large-format 4-page booklet featuring an interview with the band.
Fans of The Swarm, Iabhorher, and the stuff Pessimiser Records released back in the day should definitely take note of this Jonas release.
I spoke with Supreme Echo's Jason Flower to get the lowdown on the label, Jonas, and his future plans. By the way, Jason also runs a brick and mortar record store in Victoria with the same name worth visting for your vinyl needs.
First off, tell me a bit about Supreme Echo and what inspired you to put the work in behind the label.
Supreme Echo is an archival record label done from an anthropological perspective, restoring and releasing unissued lost recordings from the past. We put our albums into a geopolitical context, time and place.
The aesthetic is to look authentic to the group's era; with generous booklets for people to learn and enjoy from.
How were you introduced to Jonas and how did you go about putting this release together?
Jonas had members of another group named Deadset, whom I'd produced and recorded one year earlier. It was a natural inclination for the guys to ask to record again, they trusted me and knew I was into it.
It came out as a demo tape in 1996 and I kept the master safe. 25 years later I reached out to the guys and proposed issuing the recording as a 12" EP. For their brief tenure in the Victoria underground, Jonas was a crucial group that went unmatched.
LIkewise, the story for Distorted Influence goes back to the '80s and culminated in the recording we did in 1992... which sat unpublished for 31 years.
What was the most difficult part about the Jonas project?
Tracking down the members took a bit more work than I'd expected, but once it happened it was like old times and the entire project was alot of fun for everyone. When it came out we got three members together for the first time for a radio interview, it was alot of fun to hear them reminisce.
What’s next on the Supreme Echo's schedule?
Our next release will be a second full-length album by North America‘s premier all-women punk rock group, the Dishrags, entitled Four. It should be out by early 2024!
We currently have close to 30 other archival releases underway. Punk rock, death metal, thrash, garage/psych, proto-punk, heavy rock, and more. I’d love to mention who but unfortunately the reissue world has become somewhat competitive and so I have to guard the projects until they reach completion.
What would be your dream Supreme Echo release?
The only dream release that I dare to mention without sabotaging plans [laughs] is to see the original demos by W.A.S.P. issued and/or the pre-groups such as Sister and Circus Circus.
In the past few years, quite a few of my dream releases were issued by other labels and I think they did a great job, so bravo to them: Mistreater, Winterhawk, Sorcery, Da Slyme, Blast, Viletones, etc.
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Check out Supreme Echo's online store to find out more about the label's releases.
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