Silent Records was a record label established in 1985 by Kim Cascone when he released PGR's debut LP, titled Silence. The label went on to produce primarily electronic experimental and ambient music. From 1993 to 1996, three imprints (Flask, Furnace, and Sulphur) were started in order to highlight different genres of electronic music. It was Silent Records however, that moved into the ambient techno arena. In 1996, Cascone sold the label to an employee, who shifted the label’s focus to beat-oriented dance music. In 1998 the label shut down, having released over 140 titles during its 12-year existence.

Artists Released on Silent Records and its sub-labels[link]

• !Bang Elektronika
• 23 Degrees
• 303 Terrorists
• 68000
• 69069
• Abominable Snowman Effuse Anal Tibet
• Abstinence
• Agencement
• Alaura
• Alpha Wave Movement
• Alpine Vortex
• Ambient Temple of Imagination
• Anstalt Flesh
• Antihouse
• Apollo
• Arcane Device
• Arthur Dent
• Artificial Paradise
• Asmus Tietchens
• Astralfish
• Astral Matrix
• ATD Convention
• Attack Squad
• Aube
• B-9 D-Vine
• B So Global
• Bad Data
• Harvey Bainbridge
• Belt
• Bilting/Karkowski
• Bleep & Edit
• Boards of Canada
• Bola
• Brain Unltd
• Burning Sea
• Capslock
• Kathleen Cascone
• C.C.C.C.
• Cirrus Minor
• Closedown
• Command Co.
• Controlled Bleeding
• Cosmic Breeze
• Cosmic Trigger
• Crawling With Tarts
• The Dark Beautiful
• Deeper Than Space
• Deisel Guitars
• der Spyra
• Dialux Rouge
• Digital Poodle
• Din
• Dislocation
• Dismembered Quietly
• Dreams Without Number
• Drome
• Dutch
• Earth Leakage Trip
• Earth To Infinity
• Earth Trance Interlude (ETI)
• Eighty Nine
• Electronic Counter Measure (ECM)
• Entrancing Iris
• Flying Testicle
• Freeform
• Gescom
• Jeff Greinke
• Ray Guillette
• H2O
• Hafler Trio
• The Hanatarash
• Hawkwind
• Heavenly Music Corporation
• Hyperdelic
• Jega
• Jojo Hiroshige
• Horizon 222
• Hydrosphere
• Hyperdelicious
• Illusion of Safety
• Incapacitants
• Industrial Heads
• Institute of Technology
• Instrumental Transkommunikation
• Mariann Kafer
• King Felix
• Kinkakuji
• Dr. Timothy Leary
• Tim "Love" Lee
• Lego Feet
• Legion Of Green Men
• John C. Lilly
• The Lads of Acid
• Lightwave
• Liquid Nitrogen
• Lotus
• Love and Sincerity
• Love Spirals Downwards
• Makyo
• Mataray
• Michael Mantra
• Mark Riva
• Martyr Colony
• Masonna
• Chris Meloche
• Merzbow
• Mild Seven International
• Mindope
• Mona Lisa Mescaline
• Monde Bruits
• Mortal Vision
• David Moufang
• Mushroom Nation
• Nature's Sound Creation
• Nonplace Urban Field
• Nurse With Wound
• Ohmega Tribe
• Orange Sky
• Parade
• Patternclear
• Pelican Daughters
• Permutation Test
• PGR
• Phauss
• Pounce International
• Psychic Surfers of Zuvuya
• Psychic TV
• Michael Redolfi
• Jorge Reyes
• Robert Rich
• S*Core
• Satellite IV
• Dave Scott
• Shades of Acid
• Elliott Sharp
• Single Cell Orchestra
• Skozey Fetisch
• Solitaire
• Solmania
• Spacetime Continuum
• Spice Barons
• Steel Porn Rhino
• Syntax Error
• T2F
• Tapeworm
• Temporary Temple
• Fiorella Terenzi
• Terminal Sect
• Thessalonians
• Trancendental Anarchists
• Tylervision
• The Ultraviolet Catastrophe
• V.A.L.I.S.
• Violent Onsen Geisha
• Vuemorph
• Waveform Transmission
• Westside Chemical Phibsborough
• White Stains
• XKP
• Yarn of the Moonfruit
• Yellow Cab
• Tatsuya Yoshida
• Z-TRON

See also[link]

• List of record labels

External links[link]

• archival site website
• Silent Records @ Discogs

Dog Fashion Disco
Final bow from their farewell concert on January 14, 2007.
Background information
Origin	Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Genres	Avant-garde metal
Years active	1995–2007
Labels	Outerloop Spitfire Artemis Rotten
Associated acts	Polkadot Cadaver Knives Out! The Alter Boys El-Creepo! Ideamen
Website	http://www.razortowrist.com
Members
Todd Smith Jasan Stepp Brian "Wendy" White Jeff Siegel John Ensminger Matt Rippetoe
Past members
Sennen Quigley Tim Swanson Greg Combs Mark Ammen Stephen Mears John Ensminger Mike "Ollie" Oliver D. Holocaust Geoff Stewart Kristen Ensminger

Dog Fashion Disco was an Avant-Garde Metal band from Rockville, Maryland, that was active from 1995 to 2007.

Biography[link]

Combining many different music styles (70's psychedelic, jazz, piano recital, heavy metal, circus music and vocals, among others) Dog Fashion Disco was primarily considered an avant-garde metal band. The band's lyrical content is often highly esoteric and satirical, with constant tongue-in-cheek references to the occult, drug use, and mutilation. A major influence on the band's sound was the California genre-defying act, Mr. Bungle.

Early Years (1995-2000)[link]

Dog Fashion Disco, or DFD as many fans refer to them as, was originally formed as Hug The Retard^[1] in 1995 but changed their name to Dog Fashion Disco before releasing any material, as they felt the name Hug The Retard was too offensive and might cost them fans.^[2] Their first two releases were self released and low budget products. The first - Erotic Massage - was funded by a loan taken out by drummer John Esminger, which his father had to co-sign on and "took nearly a year of local shows to pay off the part of the loan that was used for studio time, printing and pressing" ^[3] and was released independently by the band in 1997. The second self-released album was titled Experiments In Alchemy and released in 1998. Experiments saw more heavy metal numbers, as opposed to the more ballady feel on many of Massage's songs.

Dog Fashion Disco was managed by Maryland resident Derek J. Brewer, of Outerloop Records from 2000 until they disbanded. It was with this label that they released the album, The Embryo's in Bloom.^[4] Polkadot Cadaver is now also managed by Derek J. Brewer^[5]. In support of the Embryo's, DFD opened for Anthrax^[6] and later that year played on stage along side acts such as Stone Temple Pilots and P.O.D., which was then aired on USA Network's FarmClub^[7].

Rising Popularity & Personnel Changes (2001-2004)[link]

With the release of Anarchists of Good Taste in 2001 on Spitfire Records, DFD saw much wider popularity and distribution of their music - as well as more extensive touring - than ever before. They recorded a track with System of a Down frontman, Serj Tankian called "Mushroom Cult" on the album Anarchists of Good Taste. This song is often wrongly attributed to System of a Down, although Serj Tankian was the only member of System of a Down to perform on the track.^[8] In support of the album, DFD toured with the likes of Mindless Self Indulgence^[9] and Tub Ring.

In 2003, they released Committed to a Bright Future on Spitfire Records and toured with Lacuna Coil in support of it^[10][11]. Although the album contains the same lineup as Anarchists, both guitarist Greg Combs and drummer John Ensminger left the band before it was released. Ensminger was not credited on the album (which he preformed on), instead, Ensminger's replacement Mike Oliver was given the credit for drumming on Committed; the spot of lead guitar was filled by Jasan Stepp. Also, bassist and original member Stephen Mears left soon after the tour for Committed began, being replaced by Brian White (who, oddly enough, is thanked in the liner notes for the 2001 release Anarchists^[12]) This lineup recorded the Day of the Dead EP and the live album The City Is Alive Tonight, released in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

Adultery through End (2005-2007)[link]

Guitarist Jasan Stepp in the foreground performing with DFD at Fletchers Bar in Baltimore, Maryland.

They were signed to Rotten Records and completed their sixth studio album, Adultery, early in 2006, which featured the return of original drummer John Ensminger. It was released on April 4, 2006, and held their CD release part at Peabody's in Cleveland on the 6th with Tub Ring^[13]. The band toured in support for the release of Adultery along with Tub Ring during the summer of 2006.

The members of Dog Fashion Disco hugging after performing their final song.

On December 5, 2006 Dog Fashion Disco posted a blog entry on MySpace stating that the band had decided to call it quits.^[14] They performed their final show together at the Sonar Lounge in Baltimore, Maryland on January 13, 2007 to a capacity crowd. Fans came as far away as the United Kingdom for the final show. The band played a marathon 25+ song set, ending with the crowd-favorite "Albino Rhino" from the 1998, Experiments in Alchemy album (this was a common concert-closer), and played the song "Sweet Insanity" from their newest album, Adultery, for an encore song. Other past band members turned up to show their support for their former musical family such as Sennan Quigley and Mike "Ollie" Oliver. The show was opened by the band Oddzar^[15].

The event was recorded & then released on the DVD (DFDVD II) on October 28, 2008.

Post-disbandment[link]

On April 17, 2007, a bulletin was posted on the Dog Fashion Disco MySpace page, announcing a new project, Polkadot Cadaver, which is stylistically similar to Dog Fashion Disco. The project features Todd Smith, Jasan Stepp and John Ensminger. The project's MySpace page has four songs and an album (Purgatory Dance Party) which was released on the week of November 17, 2007 for pre-orders and had a street date of November 27, 2007.

"Its not a DFD song but it's the closest thing that you are ever going to get again. Todd and I have been putting in quite a bit of time working on material for all of you kiddies. We are excited about the direction of this project and we are looking forward hearing what you think."

—Jasan Stepp on "A Wolf in Jesus Skin", via a Dog Fashion Disco MySpace Bulletin

Brian White is currently involved in a project named Phantom Communique, with another Baltimore native, Brandon Thomas. He joined the new band in September 2006 and the band played their first show in Baltimore on November 13, 2006. Todd Smith, Matt Rippetoe and Jeff Siegel are members of The Alter Boys since 2005, but it is unknown whether they will release another album. Tim Swanson has returned to his older band, Ideamen^[16].

In late 2008, Todd Smith and Jasan Stepp teamed up with members of Nothingface as well Hellyeah to form Knives Out!. On April 17, 2010, Dog Fashion Disco reunited once again with their side projects Polkadot Cadaver and Knives Out! opening at the Ottobar.

On June 25, 2011, at the second of two consecutive reunion shows, Dog Fashion Disco announced it will be releasing an acoustic album. This album will be released on their new record label, Razor To Wrist. Attendees of the reunion shows with VIP passes were provided with a code that allowed them to download an acoustic version of their song "Sweet Insanity." That concert series will also be released via DVD at a later date.

There are also tentative plans for another reunion in the summer of 2013^[17].

Members[link]

Final lineup[link]

Vocalist Todd Smith performing with DFD at Fletchers Bar in Baltimore, Maryland in April 2006.

• Todd Smith — vocals (1995 - 2007)
• Jasan Stepp — guitars (2003 - 2007)
• Brian "Wendy" White — bass guitar (2003 - 2007)
• John Ensminger — drums (1995 - 2003; 2006 - 2007)
• Jeff Siegel — keyboards (2000 - 2006; 2006 - 2007)
• Matt Rippetoe — horns (2000 - 2007; never an official member)

Previous members[link]

• Greg Combs — guitars (1995 - 2003)
• Sennen Quigley — guitars, keyboards (1998 - 2000)
• Mark Ammen — bass guitar (1998 - 1999)
• Stephen Mears aka "Grand Master Super Eagle Sultan" — bass guitar (1996 - 1998; 2000 - 2004)
• Mike "Ollie" Oliver — drums (2003 - 2006)
• Tim Swanson — keyboards (2006)
• Kristen Ensminger — trumpet
• Geoff Stewart — saxophone
• Jason Stevens — guitar

Discography[link]

Compilations[link]

Dog Fashion Disco has appeared on several compilation albums.

• Sounds from the Trenches Vol II — "Baby Satan"
• Feoh 2004: Summer Dying Fast — "Rat on a Sinking Ship"
• Kerrang! Magazine's The Best of 2001 — "Mushroom Cult"
• The Devil's Music - Volume 3 — "Leper Friend"
• JägerMusic Rarities 2004 — "G. Eye Joe"
• We Reach: The Music of the Melvins — "Anaconda"
• Up From the Depths - Vol. 7 — "Leper Fiend"

DVDs[link]

• DFDVD (June 15, 2004)
• DFD-Day (Bonus DVD packaged with The City is Alive Tonight...Live in Baltimore (August 25, 2005))
• DFDVD II (September 12, 2008)

See also[link]

• The Alter Boys
• Polkadot Cadaver
• Knives Out!
• El-Creepo!

References[link]

External links[link]

• Dog Fashion Disco on Myspace
• Rotten Records Website
• Unstable Ground (DFD video/DVD producers)
• Working Class Rock Star (documentary inspired by DFD)