Apes Tapes Celebrates First Birthday With Holocene Bash and Brand New Mixed Ape

On Thursday, 11/17/2011, Portland’s supercool, cassette-only, indie label, Apes Tapes, will celebrate one full year in business and the release of a sensational new mix tape (Mixed Ape) of local artists with a celebratory show at Holocene featuring ONUINU, ADVENTURES! WITH MIGHT, (a reunion performance of) VANIMAL, XDS and PEGASUS DREAM with special mini sets by 3 surprise artists and a surprise DJ. Videos from all five bands can be found below.

Started a year ago by Cameron Spies and Lizzy Ellison of Portland band Radiation City, Apes Tapes began with clandestine posters tacked up all over the Rose City declaring “Apes Tapes is Coming” with the simple graphic of a cassette tape. Since then the label has put out 11 releases featuring 20+ local projects, many of them limited run tapes unlikely to be reissued (and therefore instant collectibles).

Spies places a great deal of emphasis on his dual role as an artist and label owner. “Continually exploring what it is to be an artist and an artist-run label,” writes Spies on the Apes Tapes website, “walking the fine line between musician and businessperson, maximizing quality and quantity, often with little-to-no money – the label is as much a project as the music itself. It is the epitome of the DIY Portland music scene, and that’s what makes Apes Tapes important. Like a lot of other great labels in this town, this collective wasn’t started to ever make a bunch of money, it was started so that a bunch of friends with a bunch of projects could put out a bunch of music.”

Not only is Spies’ label a success, his band, Radiation City, played at CMJ this year and they’re going to play at SXSW next year. They recently signed with Tender Loving Empire, one of Portland’s most influential labels and publications (such as Elle, Nylon and MTV Hive) have referred to them as, “fast risers,” “the new romantics” and “rightly hyped.”

On November 17, Apes Tapes will also release yet another mix tape—the label’s third—of 16 different top-shelf Portland musicians such as Adventures! With Might, Vanimal, dopebeds, Onuinu, Pegasus Dream, Queen Leaf (formerly Housefire), Rico All The Time, Summer Ono, XDS, Grandparents, Death Songs, Aan, Youth, And And And, Support Force, and The Tomorrow People.

Apes Tapes also promises that the first 25 people through Holocene’s doors on the 17th “will receive appreciation bags containing a variety of special little angel pokes from the label and featured bands – including, but certainly not limited to, free music from Apes Tapes and the bands that are playing the show, as well as limited edition screen printed tote bags, and other special prizes.”