Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Pasch.
Hi Scott, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
So about me, I grew up in the DC area from 1989 until 2008 playing in hardcore punk bands and touring the USA and Europe. In 2008 I moved to FL where I became a middle school teacher with two kids. Mike, the bass player in my band, Call in Dead, and I used to do booking and show promotion. He’s from Port Charlotte, and I’m from DC, so we are called DcxPC Live. When the pandemic hit, we started doing live streams, and then we started turning those livestreams into live albums on vinyl with covers that pay homage to the VMLive series that I loved in the 1990s. Each album preorder comes with a chance to win the corresponding VMLive album. So when DCxPC Live Vol. 5 The Goons came out, all who bought preorder had a chance to win VMLive Vol. 5 Sloppy Seconds.
In 2023 a new concept was introduced: Live & Dead with live recordings on Side A and dead (studio) recordings on Side B. Our first release of this type was Orlando’s Moat Cobra, make sure to check it out and the others that follow. My family and I moved to NY in 2023 to work on my PhD, but DCxPC Live is still releasing vinyl from all over the United States and internationally (Just Costa Rica so far…but just you wait!).
Despite living in NY, I’m still putting on shows in Orlando, specifically my home away from home Uncle Lou’s where Josh and Danger Room Recording Services travels out there to record bands such Killed by Florida, Goat Rope, Billy Doom is Dead, 2Amature, Vicious Dreams, Sick Dogs, The Palmettes, Tight Genes, The Rottens, M.A.C.E. and more. Additionally, I’m an annual sponsor of Florida Underground Fest in Orlando which I have attended each year even after starting my PhD. I may be physically in NY, but I am still heart and soul in Orlando and the amazing scene down there.
DCxPC Live has one goal: Document the music and scene we love in the way we love it most–Live!
We released four albums in 2021:
DCxPC Live Vol. 1 Call in Dead/2AMature Live at the Danger Room 7” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 2 TV Generation/Sinema Live at Lou’s 7” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 69 Two Man Advantage Live at CBGBs and Punk Rock Bowling (Sold Out) 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 4 Year of the Fist Live at the Ivy Room 7” (Sold Out)
In 2022 we released:
DCxPC Live Vol. 5 The Goons Live at the Black Cat in 2001 (Benefit album for guitarist who died of Cystic Fibrosis) 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 6 Grave Return/The Hamiltons Live at the Danger Room 7” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 7 Curtains/Swift Knuckle Solution Live at the Danger Room 7” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 8 Ann Beretta Live Like a Riot at the Broadberry in Richmond (Acoustic set they did when opening for Face to Face) 12” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 9 Some Kind of Nightmare Live at Lou’s 7” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 11 The Ratchet Boys Live in Baltimore (Benefit album for their singer who died of Hodgkins Lymphoma) 12”
In 2023 we have thus far released:
DCxPC Live Vol. 10 RATH & The Wise Guys/The Kutoffs Live at Lou’s 7” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 13 Degenerates of Punks Live at Ralph’s Diner 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 14 Rise Defy Live at the Pie Shop DC (Members of Scream, HR Band and more) 7” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 15 No Coffin Live at Lou’s 12”
DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 1 Moat Cobra (Side A is live and Side B is Studio) at Lou’s 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 22 4-way split with Sticky Steve/Dougie Flesh & the Slashers/Jacob Danielson-Moore/Borrowed Sparks Live at Lou’s 12”
DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 4 Antagonizör 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 12 Fortitude Live at Lou’s 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 16 NYC’s Skappository/Scum Shots Live at Mr. Beery’s split 12”
Released in 2024:
DCxPC Live and Dead Vol. 2 NYC’s Necrotic Society 12”
DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 3 Luxury Teeth 12”
DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 5 Some Kind of Nightmare
DCxPC Live + Punk Rock Mag Vol. 17 Costa Rica’s Sentidocumun / Chuck Jones split 12”
DCxPC Live + Shiny Dome Records Vol. 18 Rebelmatic 12” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 19 Inquisition Live 12” (members went on to form Ann Beretta, River City High, and Strike Anywhere) (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live + Wax Mage Records Vol. 20 Middle-Aged Queers/Raging Nathans Live split 12” (Sold Out)
DCxPC Live Vol. 21 ann beretta Final Show Live 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 23 The Phensic Live 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 26 Except You / Trash World Live at Lou’s split 12”
DCxPC Live + Locked in the Basement: 20 band Compilation Live 12”
Sent to Press and awaiting release very soon:
DCxPC Live Vol. 24 Outerloop Live 12” Preorder 9/6
DCxPC Live Vol. 27 Killed by Florida / Goat Rope Live split – Preorder 10/7
DCxPC Live + Punk Rock Mag Vol. 28 Costa Rica’s Altercados/Xpunkha split 12” – Preorder 8/20
In the works for 20242025:
DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 6 Billy Doom is Dead 12”
DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 7 M.A.C.E.
DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 8 2AMature” 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 25 American Jetset 12”
DCxPC Live + Swamp Cabbage Records Live Vol. 29 The Caffiends 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 30 Ninety Pound Wuss Live 12”
DCxPC Live Vol. 31 The Rottens Live 12”
DCxPC Live + Swamp Cabbage Records Vol. 32 Vicious Dreams/Sick Dogs/The Palmettes/Tight Genes Live split 12″
Plus recordings in the works for Sick Move, Pickaxe, Menstrual Tramps, Scum, Urban Waste, Soji, After the Fall, Marc-Alan Prince, Red at Night, The Overprivileged, The Revelevens, Submachine and more!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The whole thing was born out of a struggle since it started due to Covid. The transition to live streams was shaky and a bit DIY since neither Mike nor I have a lot of technical prowess. It was only with the amazing assistance of Josh at Danger Room Recording Services and Steve/RATH from No Vacancy Media and RATH and the Wise Guys that we were able to pull this off and then turn it into a record label.
Recording live albums is itself also a challenge. I’d love to say that every live recording comes out, but the reality is that technical errors happen such as missing a a floor tom or a guitar track (though never when working with Josh) or the band just doesn’t play well for whatever reason (usually alcohol). So getting a good live recording is the first hurdle that one has to get over because I don’t want to release music that sounds like it was recording off of my phone. I want to dispel the myth that a live record sounds like crap.
Building off of that, bands usually just play 30 minutes, so when I switched to doing all 12″ I ran into only have 20 minutes of usable music which is technically just one side of a 12″. While Circle Jerks “Group Sex” clocks in at under 16 minutes and is about as perfect a hardcore record as one could get, I didn’t want to put out just 20 minutes. So I came up with the idea to do Live and Dead with live on side A and dead (studio) on side B. This allowed bands to also release studio music of either new stuff or stuff never released on vinyl without deviating from my niche of doing live albums.
The other road blocks are bands that break up which can severely limit the amount of money that I can quickly recoup and put into the next record. But that’s just part of any music label.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
DCxPC Live release live hardcore, punk, ska and metal albums on vinyl.
I’m an old DC hardcore kid, and I’m a former history teacher, so I really love the idea of documenting the scene. DCxPC Live is a small DIY label run by just one person who believes that every band, even the ones that never leave their hometown, deserves to be physically documented. I want to be able to say that this show happened here on this day, and no matter how many or how few people showed up, it mattered to everyone that was there.
I’m not like traditional labels that sign bands. I do one release for each band, and I try to cover as much costs as I can to make it feasible for bands to make a profit when they sell their records at shows. Once the release is sold out, it’s done. I won’t repress, but the bands can do whatever they want with the music afterwards.
Even when I record bands I tell them that since it’s possible it won’t come out for one of many reasons, that I’ll cover the cost of the recording and if they hate it, I’ll delete them forever. If they love it, they can either work with me for a release or if they decide not to, they are allowed to take the songs and do what they want with them. I only ask that they attribute the recording to DCxPC Live.
On top of the label I also do album reviews, co-host a podcast called Stage Banter with Mr. P and RATH, and promote shows in Orlando and the Hudson Valley of NY.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I already had a few good friends who I could reach out to like Adam from Say-10 Records or Andrew from Swamp Cabbage records at the start of this. About a year into it I was invited to join Scene to Scene which is this amazing support group of record labels who provide each other emotional support and advice. We have the aforementioned Say-10 Records, Allegedly Records, Sell The Heart Records, Little Lost Girl Media, River Monster Records, and more! They have been invaluable. So I recommend finding a group of like minded people and forming a community where you can share ideas and ask for help.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dcxpclive.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dcxpc_live
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dcxpcbooking
- Twitter: https://x.com/dcxpcl
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dcxpclive6848
- Other: https://dcxpclive.bandcamp.com/
