INTERVIEW: Omnium Recordings and Drew Miller: Independent and On-line

- Jon Steltenpohl

Picture all of the colors of the musical rainbow: the subtle earthiness of folk, the flashy show of rock, the dark depths of the blues, the rough abandon of punk, and the swirling sounds of world music. Each has a style and mood that sets them apart as distinct and individual. Now, chop them up and throw them into a sound kaleidoscope. Notice how they float between each other in a random promenade that churns with a beauty that each of the parts could never hold. And before you know it, with the blink of an eyelash, you are mesmerized and engaged by the musical mix.

This is the only way I have to describe the style of music featured on Drew Miller's Omnium Recordings label. Omnium features a broad collection of sounds and moods and feelings that fit together in a cosmic way. Like the Pogues merging punk and traditional Irish music or Enigma splicing Gregorian chants with electronic dub beats, the music found lurking in the halls of Omnium has many faces and many ways to appeal to every listener. The latest releases from Omnium include Cordelia's Dad, who's sound Miller describes as "really loud versions of traditional music songs," and the Swedish band Garmarna that specializes in cold-blooded fairy tales.

Consider Drew Miller's own band, Boiled in Lead. For over ten years, Boiled in Lead has been a cult favorite inside the Minneapolis music scene and throughout the world. They started out as a Celtic/world music band, and through the years have evolved into something broader Miller has been with the band from the start, and his bass and dulcimer are Boiled in Lead's backbone. With the addition of a new lead singer, Adam Stemple, Miller considers Boiled in Lead "more rocking, more improvisational."

Boiled in Lead's on-stage presence is what has earned their cult status. Says Miller, "We all love improvising, yet we know what each of the songs require." At a Boiled in Lead concert, you are as likely to hear a bawdy, drunken Irish jig as a simple, acoustic Hungarian tune. From listening to their two latest albums, Antler Dance and Songs from The Gypsy, this comes as no surprise. Boiled in Lead might start out giving you a southern blues song straight from the Allman Brothers archives and then take a wide u-turn to Bulgaria for a folk dance. After Bulgaria, it's off to a mid- western bar known as the Hook'em Cow for a crazy, inebriated romp through the pasture.

If all this seems a little weird, don't be scared off. Just because Boiled in Lead draws from many wells doesn't mean they won't quench your thirst. Instead, Boiled in Lead will quench a thirst you never knew you had. The combination of traditional and modern music satisfies in a surging, primal way. It may be as fundamental as the appeal of Beethoven or Mozart.

But, as that music was timeless for the aristocrats, the songs of the common folk and gypsies who danced in moonlight and sang around campfires were certainly just as eternal. Perhaps the immediacy of traditional music is more vital than the classics. Miller puts it this way, "There's so much powerful traditional music out there that, if you succeed in presenting it in a powerful way, you can take it to the next generation."

And just as Boiled in Lead's music combines the sounds and textures of the old and the new, Miller's label is finding it's own way. With a classic DIY style, Omnium Recordings is a true independent label. Miller explains that it "comes from wanting to see things done right. We're always looking for people to work with, but it's more important for it to be the right people."

Although Omnium is now distributed nationally by a larger record company, it isn't a big fish like Sony or Atlantic. Instead, Omnium's distributor is one of the United States premier folk and traditional labels, Flying Fish. Why did Miller go with Flying Fish? Miller explains that "they're good people to deal with. They're honest."

While Miller's business dealings may be as traditional as a handshake, promotion of the Omnium label is established on the internet. To start with, there's the "leadheads" mailing list. "The mailing list has been around for 3 years now," comments Miller. In addition to their mailing list, Boiled in Lead can be found hiding out in the Usenet news groups, and Omnium has their own corporate address "tunes@omnium.com". A quick note to say "hello" will produce a 25 page catalog of the entire Omnium catalog.

In another modern move, the latest Omnium release is a CD-ROM that contains both a full album and a full novel. Songs from The Gypsy is one of the first albums to feature the new I-trax technology. I-trax allows a CD-ROM to be played like a normal audio CD without that annoying first track featuring 30 minutes of fuzz. The songs act as something of a soundtrack to the Steven Brust and Megan Lindholm book, The Gypsy, which is the ROM portion of the CD-ROM. Not only do you have a book to read, but a stunning album to listen to after you're done.

Drew Miller, Omnium Recordings, and the artists of Omnium are doing something right. In the world of music, Miller is one of the good guys. When asked about signing on with a major label someday, he downplays the idea. "I don't know that everything we do would be suited for major distribution," says Miller. "We're definitely looking for music that's going to endure. We're looking for people who take chances, and people that will be listened to for a while." The result is that every Omnium album is a treasure chest. As Miller proclaimed, "If people once get the chance to listen to it, they'll like it." Without a doubt, one listen will light a flame of passion in your heart. To get in touch with Omnium, e-mail: tunes@omnium.com or use: Boiled in Lead listserv: send e-mail to leadheads-request@apocalypse.org WWW homepage: http://www.apocalypse.org/leadheads/home.html Snail mail: For a catalog, send a SASE to Omnium Recordings, Postbox 7367 Minneapolis, MN 55407 USA Phone: (612)379-0405 Fax: (612)379-0354