The First (and Only) I've Come For Your Children Podcast [2006]

Gauge Means Nothing... and me in a pink bandana

I used to do a label called I've Come For Your Children, which I might've mentioned. It started in late 2003 with the release of Gauge Means Nothing's LP, The Absent Trail..., and culminated with a final spat of releases towards the end of 2007, when I went completely broke and decided to pack it up. The whole point of the label in the beginning was to put out Japanese music, but I ended up getting really distracted and started putting out bands from other countries instead, which was kind of lame. But, before I went off the deep end, I had some grand plans for how Japanese screamo would take over the world. This podcast was part of that world domination plan.

Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned (Obviously. Is Higu the POTUS? Has Testu ascended to Emperor of Japan?), and what we're left with is a weird little podcast that only happened once. My friend Roy, who also helped out with ICFYC, co-hosted it with me. This was something like 2004 or 2005. I totally embarrass myself on here, but it's such a nice little piece of personal history that I can't help but post it up here for your enjoyment.

It's not too long, and you might have already heard all the songs, but it's a dang good mix if I do say so myself. We mention some releases we'd planned to release, but unfortunately never came out, like an American version of the Doors split (with Revival Sleep, Folio, Sora, and Forgetmenot) and the 3cm tour collection (which was released by Salvation). Both were due out at the end of the label's life and I sadly had to cancel them. Still wish I would've had my stuff together enough to release those. But, the past is the past. Learn from your mistakes, right?

So! Enjoy. Here's an early vid of Killie, cause why not:

The First (and Only) I've Come For Your Children Podcast

1. Dip Leg

2. 3cm Tour

3. Sora

4. Bright and Dark Side

5. The Black Line Fever

6. Killie

VA - I've Come For Your Children Summer 2003 Sampler [2003]

Here's a little blast from the past. When I first started the I've Come For Your Children distro in 2003, I put together a sampler CD to give out to people (I'm not sure if I even gave them to anyone). It had a track from every release I was carrying at the time, which is on the inside with prices. It also included a track from the demo of my band at the time, The Baldwin Mass Suicide (of which Matt and I went on to form Cease Upon the Capitol, and Roy joined on Bass later).

VA - I've Come For Your Children Summer 2003 Sampler

1. Gauge Means Nothing - Right Hand

2. Envy - Color of Fetters

3. Torico - In the Air

4. Black Film Dance - Escape

5. Amanda Woodward - Pleine de Grace

6. Enforce - Kusari to Kaembin

7. The Jhai Alai - Wise Old Man

8. Iscariote - Moonbeam and the Dark

9. 324 - Quarter Moon

10. Kulara - Your Own Gain

11. The Baldwin Mass Suicide - First You Broke My Heart, Then You Broke the Hula Girl on My Dashboard Confessional

12. Vanilla - Body Fever

13. The Carnival of Dark-Split - New Normal

14. There is a Light That Never Goes Out - Hijou Jitai

Gauge Means Nothing - The Absent Trail of an Echo and My Future Plagued by Surrender [2003]

Gauge Means Nothing (GMN) is a band that is extremely important to me and played a huge part in my life. When I was studying in Japan in the winter of 2002, Yuichi (bass) was one of my first close friends. I met him at the after party for an envy show in Tokyo. A few months after that GMN came down to Kyoto and played a show, and I was totally blown away. When I came back to the States and heard that they planned to release an EP, I asked if I could release it on vinyl. With the help of my friend Roy, we started the label by releasing "The Absent Trail..."

Here are 5 songs (the track listings for the CD and LP were different by one song each, so there were 4 on each release but 5 total) that bottle up more intensity and passion than most bands could ever dream of having. There's no posturing, no disappointingly pointless filler. Each song is crafted as an individual masterpiece. There's post rock, screamo, hardcore, punk, metal, pop, and rock combined into an intoxicating mixture.

The album was extremely polarizing on release. It received both top scores (even ending up on some favorite lists) and dismally low scores (some distributors refused to even carry it). To me, it seemed like some people got it (and what they got was what was truly important about music) and some people didn't (because they were too caught up on music bullshit).

You'll see more about GMN on this blog for sure. There are a few other releases, videos, promo materials, and some inside info on the release to come later. In the meantime, enjoy these songs and welcome to the blog!

Also, I uploaded a PV that was supposed to be included on the CD version, but never was. Here it is:

Gauge Means Nothing - The Absent Trail of an Echo and My Future Plagued by Surrender

1. pilgrims

2. my glasses reflect an untrue view on my eyes

3. boku wa bikaiin [i'm idealize commissioner]

4. (surely) dyes black

5. right hand