Most people into metal can agree on one thing...finding your
favorite metal albums in this society is not usually the easiest thing
in the world to do. Chain stores refuse to even stock an album if it
hasn't sold a half million copies while others refuse to stock an album
if there's controversial lyrics or artwork anywhere to be found on the
album. Then you have another problem... a problem yours truly has had
for the last twenty years when it comes to buying metal albums- Since
I live in the middle of nowhere in a highly unpopulated area, there's
just nowhere to buy any albums at all! Thankfully, we have another choice
for buying our beloved metal merchandise...mail order distros. Mail
order distros usually charge significantly less for their wares, and
they definitely give you a better selection than your mall-based super
stores. That said, even when you decide to go the mail order route,
you still must be made aware that just as in any other area of business,
there are people/companies out there just waiting to screw you. Company's
that just want your cash and to hell with treating the customer right.
You need to make sure you are dealing with a reliable and reputable
distro. Metal Coven will take a look into Red Stream, Inc., one of the
most respected mail order distros around and see what makes this well
oiled machine run so smoothly and so fast. Patrick MacCahon, Red Stream,
Inc's owner/CEO, was kind enough to take the time to answer some of
our questions and give us a little insight as to why mail order is the
way to go when it comes to metal merchandise.
Britton: Hello, Patrick! First I'd like to thank you for taking the time to do this
interview with Metal Coven!
Patrick: My pleasure! Come, come to the Metal Coven! And become Britton’s child!
Britton: Okay, let's start from the beginning. What year did you start Red Stream?
Patrick: 1993. Fuck!!
Britton: What were the circumstances that made you want to start a metal label/distro?
Patrick: A business associate of mine actually talked me into releasing a 7" EP and
I decided to continue. Too bad that guy acts in a fool’s way at times.
Britton: Did it take a lot of money to start Red Stream back then?
Patrick: No, I didn’t have a lot of money. I started with the bi-weekly check of a
part time job. And whoring myself out to all the grandmas helped.
Britton: What did you do to promote yourself in the beginning?
Patrick: The very first thing I did was buy some Relapse and Nuclear
Blast titles for resale. It was only 6 different titles but I advertised
them anyhow on a photocopied flyer. The first release I promoted was
the Satan’s Bake Sale-Taste it 7" EP! Ha!
Britton: Did you place magazine ads and other things of that sort?
Patrick: Nothing major… A few very underground zines printed my ad for free and
after a while I started. But I don’t think they liked me….
Britton: How many albums did you have for your customers to choose from back
then when you started? How many albums are in stock currently at Red
Stream, Inc.?
Patrick: Eventually I had maybe 20-30 titles. Currently we have 2500+ titles from
which to choose. But that doesn’t make us cool or anything.
Britton: What was the first album to appear on Red Stream Records?
Patrick: Well, by album I always think of ‘full length’ - and that would be SMELL &
QUIM- Your Enemy’s Balls. A noise fest of the highest degree…… from England. Fuck
you all.
Britton: How many albums have been released on Red Stream up to this point, and what
is the biggest seller of them all?
Patrick: We have out like fucking a million releases…..but seriously, between RS, and
the sub labels, about 80-100 releases….. but think of some of the labels with 200-300
releases! It can happen…. Our biggest sellers are Necrophagia, Bethlehem and Judas
Iscariot! I am not sure which has sold more. I consider them all even.
Britton: You have recently moved the home office of Red Stream, Inc. from Camp
Hill, Pennsylvania to the Orlando, Florida area. What prompted this move?
Patrick: I like to have e-mail arguments about the weather with Britton. That was
the major reason for this move along with the fact I must have access to alligator
remnants at certain times of the year.
Britton: Do you see any benefits to having Red Stream in a warmer climate?
Patrick: Not really…..except that a majority of folks want to burn in hell, and
we’re closer to the heat.
Britton: Do you like whiny old people?
Patrick: I think so.
Britton: Do you think those big square-looking sunglasses old folks wear
are cool?
Patrick: They remind me of the alien.
Britton: What business ethics do you try to adhere to?
Patrick: "Get the fucking order out, motherfucker"
Britton: What philosophies do you have in running Red Stream, Inc, in terms of
prompt delivery, pricing and customer satisfaction?
Patrick: Any loser can delay an order…. fuck them. Overpricing is for homosexually
driven music. Customers come first, always!
Britton: What is Red Stream, Inc.'s return policy?
Patrick: We will return damaged, scratched, or wrong items!
Britton: Like I'm sure you wouldn't return a CD if someone just plain didn't like a
CD they ordered, but are there are other situations where you would let people return
merchandise, like say if someone got a CD that was broken upon delivery?
Patrick: Exactly….if you are ordering from Red Stream, and you are taking a
gamble, then that’s your risk, not ours. Please don’t blame Red Stream because
you did not like an item you ordered from it . We are a mail-order not an
encyclopedia research page or even a 1-900 number like some think…..
Britton: I was amazed recently when I went into a chain record store and saw the
prices marked on their CD's. I hadn't been in one in quite a long time and was
kind of shocked to see their CD's going for $18.99 and $19.99 for domestic
releases!
Patrick: Yeah it’s fairly laughable……
Britton: Red Stream charges considerably less than that for IMPORTED CD's.
I think that is great that your prices are so reasonable, and it really
says something for the greed of the big companies charging that much for
a CD when a company like Red Stream, Inc. can process your order for far
less, and ship it to your door free of charge (In the USA).
Patrick: That is fuckin cool, I agree. We like to keep the prices low because we
can afford to, and it is more incentive for folks to order CDs.
Britton: What is your opinion on the current prices these companies are asking in
their chain stores, and what factors into your decision for the final price of the
CD's you have available at Red Stream?
Patrick: About the chains I have not much of an opinion. As far as our pricing, it’s
about keeping it low. This is the underground, not some lame-ass fucking idiotic
bullshit! Most underground black/death metal CDs might not have a belonging in the
mall……maybe again, maybe they do. You’d almost have to be anti-human to not have to
buy something at the mall at one point of you life… so why not something underground. At
any rate, our pricing is based on what we feel comfortable with offering to customers
and being able to generate profit to make improvements, hire more employees, get better
products or a bigger variety of material.
Britton: As stated above, you are located in the US, but I know you send orders
throughout the entire world, right?
Patrick: Yes, most every country except Iraq, where my country is heavily involved
at the moment.
Britton: Do you have many problems with foreign orders reaching their destination?
Patrick: Sometimes, with customs…. They tax the packages, particularly in Belgium,
and England. The English are probably #1 in the world for tax. England tried to tax
America back in the day and currently they tax packages American’s send in the
mail or UPS….
Britton: How does anyone that may be reading find out how much shipping is to their
country?
Patrick: Shipping should be clearly marked on our Website…….but if
it’s not, please contact me at RedStream@aol.com for shipping instructions!
And believe me, there is confusion with this, but we are willing to
help!
Britton: Does Red Stream, Inc. have any new album releases coming up in the
near future?
Patrick: Yes, tons!
Some are:
KRIEG - The Black House CD
ENOCH - Graveyard Disturbances CD
LUGRUBRUM - De Vette Cuecken CD
NECROPHAGIA - Goblins be Thine mCD
BETHLEHEM - Dictius Te Necare 2CD
HEADMEAT - CD
OBSCENE EULOGY - Defining the Hate CD
Britton: Are there any new band signings you want to tell us about?
Patrick: No one has been signed for a long, long time!
Britton: What is it you look for in signing new bands to Red Stream, Inc., and
how would any band that is looking to be signed go about contacting you to
talk further about possibly being signed and/or sending you a demo of their
bands' music?
Patrick: I would like to continue with what I have to be honest.
Bethlehem, Skepticism, Necrophagia, Sear Bliss, and others on the label
are the staples of Red Stream.
Britton: I have to comment on Red Stream. Inc.'s site here. Do you update
the site yourself, or do you have someone else do it?
Patrick: Thanks, that’s the work done by Brent Colflesh. And yes, that is
his birth-given name! RedStream.org is completely Brent’s brainchild, design
and layout. But the way he designed it, is in a way where it is able to be
updated within seconds, by me, or anyone else that has learned the
RedStream.org online database editor.
Britton: I really like the way it is laid out, and the best aspect in my
opinion is that you give the person browsing the site the option to search
for what they are looking for by specific categories. Like you can
search "By Genre", "By Label, "By Format", etc. It really makes it
easier to find whatever it is you're looking for, and more importantly, it
can help you find something you may not know existed if you are clever
with your searches.
Patrick: Again-Brent’s work… and an excellent idea it is.
Britton: Most distros give an alphabetical listing of their merchandise, and
that's fine, but I appreciate the options at our disposal on your site.
Patrick: Thank you…… I really like some of the smart-ass comments
on there as well.
Britton: From what I gather, you will take an item completely off your site
if it is out of stock, then put it back on there again when you restock it. I
love that as it helps the customer to not order anything that isn't in stock.
Also, I hate it on some of the other sites when you see an item you want, click
on it and it gives you that dreaded "Temp. NA" message! Grrrr! Taking the item
off the site when it runs out of stock as you do means I never will see that
dreaded message!
Patrick: I think around ‘97 we had a Temp N/A system for the out-of-stock
titles on our Website…..it was primitive and dirty, like you’ve conveyed.
Britton: Anyway, just wanted to make those few comments, and the question I'm
getting around to is this... What do you think of the recent boom in Internet
usage and how has it helped you and your business now that everyone seems
to be online now and can easily access your site? I'm sure you have a
lot more business now than 5 or so years ago when there were far fewer
people online.
Patrick: We’d be nothing without our online experience-web
page and e-mail. The best thing about Red Stream besides all the bands,
CDs, and great merchandise is the online experience, and electronic
commerce. Online rules, hands down. Combined with a working staff, quick
processing and a good selection, it somehow comes together as a force.
Sometimes we are getting 50 or more mail orders a day.
Britton: I remember for the first few years I ordered from Red Stream, I had to
order through those mail order catalogs you and all the other distros used to
send out because I had yet to buy a PC.
Patrick: Yeah? The one with you on the cover flipping off Santa?
Britton: Haha! Yeah, I almost forgot about that! That was years ago... It also
had two of my friends flipping him off alongside me. I still have a few
copies of that Red Stream mail-order book. We hate Santa and everything
he stands for. Do you still print those out and send them to those that
still have no Internet access? If so, how can they go about getting a
catalog from you?
Patrick: A paper catalogue (Edit: Why the European spelling, Patrick? :)) is
something I’ve only been able to speculate on for months now. We haven’t even
had a simple paper sheet listing titles in a while. My remedy is to buy a copy
machine and have an employee do this specific task. The result with is a 10-20%
increase in orders and also pleased non computer-owning customers.
Britton: Red Stream, Inc. deals mostly with Black and Death Metal, but that isn't
all you offer. What other types of music can be found at Red Stream, Inc., and what
other merchandise aside from CD's do you carry?
Patrick: We carry folk, industrial, ambient, rock, experimental, and some things in
between……stoner rock, power metal, doom metal…..and some other titles that hardly
anyone else in our field seems to offer. Although it can be taking a chance I like
to keep the company open minded rather than acting like an musical elitist. While
we are mainly about Black Metal, there’s a good selection of Death……and then the
rest is composed of the other styles. Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Gothic, Gothic
Rock….we would have it all - maybe one day….well, to a certain point anyhow. I
think right now we are in a good niche where we can ‘cherry-pick’ select titles
for offering in the United States. I also have helpful hints from good, long time
customers to help pick and chose.
Britton: Anyone that looks at the merchandise listed on your site will notice
that Red Stream, Inc. has literally hundreds of items in stock that no other
distro in the country carries. I applaud that as it is great to be able to
have the opportunity to buy something I may not have even known existed until
you got it in stock. I mean, I've seen and gotten some of the most kick ass
CD's through Red Stream that the other distros just never ever get in. Do you
actually seek out and search for these hard to find and obscure albums?
Patrick: Thanks, dude! I am adamant in appreciation of you buying
everything you have from Red Stream, helping us grow, and spreading
the word. That’s how labels/distros work: A person will appreciate what
is going on - and will spread it like the plague! From there it grows,
grows and eventually gets huge. In obtaining our merchandise- product
is offered to us on a daily basis, just like we offer our products on
our Website or through e-mail advertisements. A good customer might
mention a CD they want- and I will try to get it, although I definitely
cannot get everything I try to get. Sometimes there is product I think
will do well in our program and therefore try to order it… these are
some of the ways obtaining products happen. In time someone or I will
spend many hours trying to get more obscure albums. Within just a few
months of this we will have a better/bigger selection.
Britton: Now let's talk a bit about Patrick, the man. I know that before you
started Red Stream you were a drummer, and were at one point was in Exit-13.
What other bands have you been in?
Patrick: Candiru, Scorn, S.B.S.
Britton: Do you still drum either for yourself as a pastime or for a band, or
does Red Stream, Inc. take up all of your time? Do you have any other hobbies?
What does Mr. McCahan like to do for fun?
Patrick: Yes, I am currently an avid drummer now. One of my current favorite
things to do is drumming to ULVER’S acoustic album, Kveldsfanger. Some of my
other hobbies include causal sports and physical activity, bars/drinking,
movies/TV, hiking, and that’s about it. I still work 10-15 hour days depending
on my mood/availability.
Britton: What are a few of your all time favorite bands. And what are some
of the newer bands that have interested you lately?
Patrick: I love all the classics, like AC/DC, Black Sabbath,
Rush, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin. Also all the Red Stream bands Necrophagia,
Bethlehem, Skepticism, Judas Iscariot, Krieg, Sear Bliss, Bloodthorn….additionally
the classic metal like Iron Maiden, Venom, Destruction, Sodom, etc…
And sometimes I listen to lots of ambient, deathindustrial and ritual
music. I have so many CDs, LPs, and tapes, I am not sure if I could
ever listen to everything. I just found a bunch of tape box-sets I have
with 6-10 tape each in them, 90 minutes, double sided. I didn’t even
know I had them. A lot of the time I weed through my collection to see
if I really need all the items I have.
Britton: A few years ago, Killjoy decided to raise Necrophagia from a long
slumber. You re-released their "Seasons Of The Dead" album and not too long
after that, they released their first new album in eons on Red Stream,
Inc. titled "Holocausto De Lamorte". How did that album come to see the
light of day on Red Stream, Inc.?
Patrick: Killjoy and I have been ancient friends…..so he thought
to call Red Stream when the time was right for bringing Necrophagia
up from the dead. First, Killjoy and I finalized the deal to release
one of my all-time favorites metal classics, "Season of the Dead". The
next step was a new Necropahgia record with a new lineup and new songs.
This took a great effort to realize and then it came spewing forth and
it fucking ruled. Now, Necrophagia has released a lot of material through
Red Stream which has all done successfully well continues to move and
sell units. Necrophagia is ever more so a growing monstrous vision now
and will continue in this year in full force with their second full
length feature DVD and the full length CD "Harvist Ritual." Both to
be produced and released under the Red Stream banner. Killjoy the Viking
attacked the alien!
Britton: Did Killjoy see that the reissue of "Season Of The Dead" sold well
and decided it might be a good idea to give the fans more?
Patrick: No, the reformation had already well begun before Killjoy
even contacted me about re-releasing the "Season" CD. The devil seed
had already been planted deeply before the infernal contact.
Britton: Speaking of Killjoy, I may be wrong, but didn't the two of you start
a label together, or maybe it was you helped him with a label of his own or
something?
Patrick: Yes, Baphomet records. We have released almost 20 CDs for this dark
label. There has been a huge improvement with this label and it continues to
shape and form like a great sickening mass. Most people know what has been
released on Baphomet, so to talk about it’s future…..the best releases are
around the corner: HEADMEAT-debut mCD and OBSCENE EULOGY-full length CD.
Britton: And while were on the label subject, aren't there a few other labels
associated with Red Stream like Cicatrix?
Patrick: Cicatrix and Noble Wolves are done for after 2-3 releases each, respectively.
Blood Fire Death is a label I release Black Metal CDs and records for a friend of
mine, Neill from Krieg. Upcoming for this disturbingly darkblack label is the
new Lugrrubrum CD.
Britton: What would you say to anyone reading this that may be thinking of
placing their first order with a mail order distro, and what could you tell
them that Red Stream, Inc. offers them that no other distro offers in order
to persuade them to do business with you instead of anyone else?
Patrick: We are probably one of the most dedicated, fastest and reliable
mail-order service in the United States for Black/Death and related merchandise.
In fact, I know we are quicker than a lot of distributions around the world,
because we get a lot of orders universally. I can make a claim like this and
know that it is true. But I digress….. Try other distros and see what you
like if you wish. I realize that Red Stream only carries a certain amount
of stock/styles and cannot please everyone. But to those that order from us
are generally very pleased so you may want to consider ordering from
RedStream.org
Britton: Well, we have come to the end, folks. Patrick, I want to thank you
again for doing this interview. And I want to thank you for the many years
of great mail order service you have given to me and to others as well. It
truly has been and is a pleasure for me to place orders with you. You are
the fastest distro out there, among the cheapest, and the service is second
to none. I have ordered thousands of CD's from Red Stream, Inc. over the
years and have had no complaints to give. The very small percentage of times
there has been a problem, you have always made it right with me, and that's
what I look for in a distro. I hope you decide to keep Red Stream, Inc. around
for a long time to come so we all have a great reputable distro to order from.
I leave the last word to you to say or add anything you wish to.
Patrick: Thanks from the bottom of my heart for this interview and all your
support! Britton, you are definitely a top customer and a dedicated word-spreader
of the Stream!!! Thanks! I have to say I appreciate that- but can’t express that
in typed words. It’s great to get to know people like you though these last
10 years. I have come to know and love a lot of cool customers (and some real
oddballs too that I dislike-hehehe)…. I hope we will continue to grow and
flourish in a way that we can get more stock and merchandise and offer more
obscure finds too. So far our relocation to Florida has ironed out some bugs, but
left some to still be squashed. I wish everyone reading this well and thanks for
sticking with Red Stream over these years. There are hundreds of great people
out there and I’d like to thank everyone involved with Red Stream for the last
close-to decade. It’s been a great time and here’s to it getting better!
Salute/cheers/toast-Patrick
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