Notes From The Record Room: Ipecac Celebrates 25 Years of Making People Sick

I’ve been, for better or for worse, one who prays at the altar of Mike Patton for a long time. Growing up in the ‘Burbs during the ascendency of so-called Alternative Metal in the early 90s, us of the plaid-clad lovers of loud persuasion were all in when Faith No More delivered unto us the magnificent Angel Dust, an album that cemented my adoration of the band and its vocally malleable frontman.

Following the dissolution of Faith No More, Fantômas showed up in 1999 with their debut, its cover a foil-printed update of a Spanish version of a 1960s poster for the French film, Fantômas se déchaîne. A foursome composed of Patton, King Buzzo of The Melvins, Mr. Bungle bandmate Trevor Dunn, and Slayer’s Dave Lombardo, Fantômas wasn’t at all the FNM follow-up that I was expecting, sounding at the time more like a series of scream-laden vocal exercises set to prog metal-adjacent snippet-length arrangements than actual songs or compositions. Patton had already ventured well-past conventionality with Mr. Bungle’s self-titled debut and their 1995 follow-up, Disco Volante, plus the two solo efforts he’d produced in the 90s. Fantômas was weird, but in line with Patton’s penchant for vocal experimentation, which isn’t for everybody.

As an intro to Patton’s then-newly minted record label, though, Fantômas provided a perfect mission statement, an early demonstration of the label’s commitment to propping up underground and avant-level artists while also establishing high standards for packaging and visual presentation. Celebrating 25 years as of April 1st, Ipecac Recordings, the label owned and run by Patton and co-owner Greg Werckman, has earned brand loyalty by staying true to the vision set by that first Fantômas album.

While it can’t be denied that Ipecac serves to some extent as a means for Patton to satisfy all of his musical whims and indulgences without needing to bend to the will of some record label exec or glorified intern with a “finger on the pulse of what’s happening”, Ipecac has also platformed a diverse array of artistic odds and ends, mostly pushing genre aside (though a significant chunk of the label’s discography admittedly leans on the heavy side) in an effort to attract an audience drawn to the periphery. This is an audience they’ve served well through recordings and performances for the last 25 years, myself included as the shelf space I’ve devoted to Ipecac CDs and LPs can attest.

As tribute to Ipecac’s anniversary and its first release, the label is reissuing three Fantômas albums for the first time on vinyl: the self-titled album, 2002’s The Director’s Cut, and 2005’s Suspended Animation.

Just a note: A vinyl edition of the band’s 2004 single-track surgical nightmare, Delìrivm Còrdia, was issued. I’m proud to say that I have a copy.

From Speakeasy PR:

To commemorate this milestone anniversary, Ipecac Recordings has planned a series of special vinyl reissues. Today, the label announced three reissues from Fantômas, the band that started it all for Ipecac and features Patton, Buzz Osborne, Dave Lombardo and Trevor Dunn. The trio of albums include the band’s self-titled debut, which was the first release on Ipecac, as well as The Director’s Cut and Suspended Animation.

Links and knowledge were handed over courtesy of Speakeasy PR.

Pre-order link: https://www.blixtmerchandise.com/collections/ipecac-recordings

Links:
Ipecac Recordings — Official / Bandcamp / YouTube / Instagram / Facebook

And since this is also somewhat of a fanboy entry, here are some of my favorite albums from Ipecac:

Self-portait of the author with a 21 year-old GEEK SHOW t-shirt.

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead