Label Profile
Level Plane Records
New York City
Profiled by Chris Smith
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What began with a 1997 7” culled from the demo tape of now legendary screamo act Saetia and grew into a steady stream of releases from the late-nineties vanguard of brash, rip-your-own-lungs-out hardcore bands like You and I and Usurp Synapse has since blossomed into what may simply be one of the most diverse, intelligent punk labels in the business. With their output becoming far more prolific—and steadily encompassing more diverse acts like Melt Banana and, posthumously, Muslimgauze—as of late, Level Plane seem to be at the peak of their game.

Like Troubleman Unlimited, GSL, and others, the trajectory of Level Plane’s releases begins with a simple love for the bombast and frenzy of emo (back, that is, when the term referred to the falling-on-the-floor irruptions of “emotional hardcore"), wanders off topic into what some may have considered aesthetic dead ends for a while, contains a few bewildering releases that listeners still may not be ready for, then seems to return to its source with a renewed passion one can only imagine is inspired by a lack of enthusiasm for most of the derivative music currently being made. Lately, this has led to a greater number of split releases with international bands, including Kaospilot (Norway), the aptly-titled Nova Scotians North of America, Yage (Germany), Iscariot (Switzerland), and Envy (Japan).

While it may be a bit early to declare their output cause for a punk renaissance one could liken to Gravity or Ebullition, Level Plane nonetheless seem to have an eye for consistency, their roster seemingly geared towards those who’ve been for some time disillusioned with the genericism of so much louder-faster-by-numbers punk rock (and, equally, uninspiring post-punk retreads), to say nothing of the seeming primacy of fashion and little else among the current wave of neo-mods that seem to make up the bulk of an audience at today’s all-ages venues. Nevertheless, bands like City of Caterpillar and Hot Cross (a post-Saetia project) manage to restore the inspiration and power we all felt in our initial exposures to DIY culture in their explosions of nervous energy; in this sense, it seems like this could be the rare label that unites veterans and neophytes alike.

Label Roster: City of Caterpillar, Racebannon, Hot Cross, Song of Zarathustra, Yage

Five Essential Releases:
City of Caterpillar – City of Caterpillar
Racebannon – In the Grips of the Light
Melt Banana – 666 6”
Hot Cross – A New Set of Lungs
Jerome’s Dream/Usurp Synapse – split 7”