Think of the music genre Punk and the country of Spain. One may not expect them to go very hand in hand. Well, think again, there was actually a label that believed they did. Barcelona-based independent record label BCore changed the popularity of Punk in Spain over 30 years ago. Being young fans obsessed with the underground Punk scene led to becoming a pivotal label for many Punk bands’ distribution of music in the genre. Bcore walks us through memory lane of 35 years as an independent record label that started with a vision.
Tell us about yourself and the early days of BCore Disc. How has the label evolved over the years?
BCore started in the mid-80s. At the end of 1984, a show by Decibelios, a Catalan skinhead band, blew my mind and sparked my interest in punk and the city’s underground scene, and I haven’t stopped since. Around 1986, we started making a fanzine (Lo Kurkó de les Corts), distributing tapes and records, and hosting a radio show on Radio PICA (Atac de Core). Back then, we were called “B-Core Productions,” but in 1990, we changed our name to BCore Disc with the release of our first album, Corn Flakes No Problem LP.
What are some of the most memorable releases from BCore Disc over the last 35 years?
I think aside from the initial surprise with Corn Flakes and the creation of an independent label focused on Hardcore and Punk (something not very common in Spain at that time), the label’s most popular era was the early 2000s. It featured bands that have clearly shaped the current national independent scene, albums like Aina Aina, Standstill The Ionic Spell, The Unfinished Sympathy’s Rock for Food” Tokyo Sex Destruction’s Le Red Soul Communitte, and later bands like No More Lies, Delorean, Nueva Vulcano, Betunizer, and more.
Who are some of the exciting current acts on the label?
The label has undergone a bit of a shift these days, returning more to its punk roots. Most of the bands that brought it to popularity have now broken up, and the shift in current musical tastes, with audiences more interested in new trends, Latin music, and less guitar-driven music, has led the label to reassert itself and once again focus on local bands with a rawer sound. Bands like Saïm, Serpent (who sing in Catalan), and others like Comic Sans and Weak.
What advice do you have for other independent record labels, artists, or entrepreneurs?
Tough question, since the rules of the game today aren’t the same as when we started. I think it’s very complicated these days to maintain an independent label with a business structure. I think most small labels operate more as a hobby, as music fans who dedicate time to releasing bands they like and from their surroundings, where projects can be loss-making, since they’re done out of love.
What do you look for when bringing new bands onto your roster?
We’re always looking for interesting things, but since our target audience is very specific, it’s also more difficult to find them. It’s becoming more difficult for us to release current bands every day, because it’s hard to find people who are interested. Most people listen to the same thing and aren’t interested in digging too deep.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in recent years and how have you worked to overcome them?
Well, the most important challenge, even though we’re in the age of communication, is reaching an audience. It exists, but as I answered in the previous question, it’s interested in the same thing. Everyone listens to the same thing. It’s what the algorithm dictates.
I have the feeling that since music has become digital and easier to find, everyone ends up with the same bands. Now there are only the groups that are really popular, and the rest simply don’t exist. There’s no middle class.
How are you celebrating BCore Disc’s 35th anniversary?
Well, this year we’ll basically celebrate by releasing albums we love and that are part of our lives. Reissues that we’re really excited about.
For the 25th Anniversary, we already had a big party with concerts, dinners, etc. For the 30th, we wanted to do something, and then the COVID pandemic hit. And this year, we focused on the format.
We’ve published a book with all the show posters we’ve designed or organized, reissues of the first albums by Subterranean Kids, Regulator Watts, and Kerosene 454.
Bcore’s dedication to the underground Punk scene allowed smaller bands to have a platform where they could distribute their music to an up-and-coming demographic. For almost four decades, BCore has continued to be a label for artists seeking a real and authentic platform.
