Firestation Records - Pre-Releases (1991 - 1994)

I first met Olaf back in september 1990 at a Soup Dragons concert. A couple of months later we released our first fanzine which was called “SMUF“. Although i never found out cleary why it was called so, Olaf should know for sure. Can't remember how many copies we've done of it, but most of them were sold with a flexi-disc by then Sarah Records artist BRIGHTER. Not so sure anymore how the deal was, but Bernd Kabs of Blam A Bit-fame passed over copies of it for letting us giving it away with the magazine. The fanzine has an interwiew with our flexistars among stories and live reviews on such bands as ACTION PAINTING, AZTEC CAMERA, GOLDSTEIN CIRCUS or THE PARIAHS. It was sold mostly through Mind The Gap mailorder.
Soon after we compiled a compilation tape which was called “It's All About Love“. Released in the year 1992 it has some fine bands on it in the likes of THE AURBISONS, JESTERBELLS or THE SUGARGLIDERS. The next tape we released was a compilation by Greece-based indiepopbands. I think it was some kind of “licensing“ as it was released in Greece also. “In Those Happy Days“
sold not much more than 50 copies back then, so i was surprised that it is a good seller on ebay these days.
Without having a job back in 1993 i decided to start an fanzine on my own. I named it “Happy To Be Sad“ after an unreleased song by alltime faves The Servants. I done a couple of numbers on my own before Annikki and Jan came by. I still wrote it when Firestation Records was found in 1998. There should be no more than 50 copies of the first numbers but last two numbers were an good seller on concerts so i decided to re-press it again. “Happy To Be Sad“ Number 3 lists english indiepopbands from the 80s from letter A – D. Although there was the plan to have a follow-up on it, not much happens.
The most important release in pre-Firestation days saw the light of day back in 1994. Olaf and me put together an compilation CD by Berlin-based Indiepop-bands which were around these days. The title of it was “19 Goldene Hits“ and we pressed 500 copies of it without having any distributer on our own. Beside tracks by the labelowners bands (Abramczyk, Going Down With Brilliance, Milchblumen FC and Thorn) it contains such wonderful bands as Most Wanted Men, Westway (pre Blochin 81/Lato) or Elektro Im Bus (later called Die Elektros). The releaseparty for it took it's place in oktober 1994 at then famous berlin club Die Insel. More than 300 people went by and we sold lot's of copies of the record. Although i have to say honest that i can't remember not the half of that night, i still have wonderful memories of it. After great gigs from bands as The Groovy Cellar or Milchblumen FC things went wrong when myself found his place on the stage to sang some songs with my band Thorn. Falling from stage, loosing my T-Shirt and breaking young girl's hearts.
It took another four years then before Firestation Records was found at a warm sunday afternoon around the Nollendorfplatz.