By José Gandue @Gandour
When someone creates an independent label in Latin America, they face a high probability of failure. And if they decide to venture into unconventional genres, the chances of success increase even further. But fortunately, it's not always like that. Peruvian Luis Alvarado, since 2004, has Buh Records, a record label that, since then, has taken the risk of promoting artists and bands with a different sound than what we hear repeatedly on commercial radio every day. Some, no doubt, resorted to the Quixotic metaphor to say that Buh Records was about fighting windmills, and that their efforts would soon run out. They were wrong: In 13 years he has released 85 albums in various formats And it has a loyal and committed clientele around the world. How many "geniuses" in the music industry can say the same? Therefore, given our interest, Alvarado answers our questions and allows us to learn more about his company:
What is Buh Records?
It is primarily a record label, concert producer, and booking agency, but it is also a multi-faceted platform for my various research projects.
What is the label's philosophy?
The label's name alludes to the sound made to frighten. Hence the logo, a ghost. And with that idea, the label was born: to promote music that disturbs. I'm interested in all musical discourse that is oppositional. I'm interested in personal projects; I don't like genres. My label isn't based on musical genres, even though there's a preference for radical music.
What do you call radical music?
Music that's unsettling, not easily categorized. Music that somehow tries to discover different or new paths. For me, being personal is already a form of radicalism; standardization is a scourge of the music industry.
What are the results obtained by a seal of this type in Lima?
Being sustainable without having to compromise. I think Buh Records has managed to carve out a niche for itself in Lima, also organizing record fairs and independent labels. These are very large events where more than 40 record producers gather. I believe this has helped to foster a greater appreciation for and curiosity about local production. On the other hand, I think that festivals and artists increase the audience for experimental music. Our Essential Sounds collection rescues Peruvian avant-garde records from the 70s and 80s, and that has allowed us to raise awareness and add new narratives to the history of our music. I dedicate myself to this full-time, and in that sense, it's not just a hobby; it's a job and, of course, a personal passion.
How many times was your effort described as utter madness?
Fortunately, there have always been people who believed in this, and I must say I've been able to find support for many of my initiatives. It's not easy to pull off, but, well, nothing in life is easy, and you have to be consistent with what you preach, so I've always taken risks and will continue to do so.
Where is your market? Who are your customers?
I have many distributors in Europe and Japan. And I sell a lot of material at record fairs. Perhaps my target market is people who like experimental music.
What do you look for in an artist? What qualities must they have to attract you and make you sign them to Buh Records?
Well, I wouldn't know exactly; obviously, I'm looking for something that surprises me. But it's always a mystery how that happens. I really believe that if you listen to an album and it suddenly compels you to write to a friend to tell them how incredible it is, it's because that album is worth releasing. It's kind of like that; I look for albums that obsess me before I release them. And I should mention that many of the people who release on my label are also people who regularly come to my concerts. I suppose it's necessary for someone to be interested in the kind of world that Buh Records offers to be a part of it.
How important is the digital platform Bandcamp for Buh Records?
It's the one I use most. I'm also uploading everything to Spotify now, but I like Bandcamp because I feel like it's a platform that's widely used for independent music. I think music lovers explore Bandcamp more. I think it's the most appropriate for a label like mine, but I also try to be on all platforms.
Who are your "most popular" artists?
Well, there are several: Liquidarlo Celuloide, Varsovia, Ale Hop (who are playing on November 4th in Bogotá), Fifteen Years Old, Manongo Mujica, Efraín Rozas
What is the future of Buh Records? Where will you direct your next efforts?
The future lies in maintaining what we've built, continuing to reissue older material, and releasing new stuff. We need to make more vinyl records and keep bringing in bands we love. I have a lot of amazing releases coming next year. Right now, I want to get more material into distribution, and something that really interests me—since I also write quite a bit—is revitalizing the music journalism scene. I was reading the other day that Thurston Moore was talking about the importance of reviews for the underground, because it's a consumer audience that enjoys reading reviews, and I think that's something that needs to grow. A website like yours is fantastic, and initiatives like this should be replicated. I've been thinking about some ideas to grow or stimulate this in Lima; we'll see how it goes.
More Buh Records discography at https://buhrecords.bandcamp.com/
