Wrtten by Shea Roney | Photos Courtesy of PPM

As a small music journal, we rely heavily on the work of independent labels to discover and share the incredible artists that we have dedicated this site to. Whether through press lists, recommendations, artist connections, social media support or supplying physicals, these homemade labels are the often-unsung heroes of the industry. Today, the ugly hug is highlighting the work of our friends over at Post Present Medium, who are celebrating 25 years of label operations.

Post Present Medium is an LA-based record label started and run by Dean Allen Spunt with the help of Roy Tatum. Beginning back in 2001, PPM has released over 100 records from an extensive catalog of artists, giving home to some of the loudest, fastest, strangest and most endearing bands from all over. With a focus on the found community that comes with sharing art, PPM has become a staple in many scenes across the country. Over the years, the label has shared the works of exciting and unique artists such as Wives, David Scott Stone, Baby?, Chronophage, Chalk Circle, Blue Dolphin, The Spatulas, Syko Friend, No Age, Abe Vigoda, Cockfighter, Gun Outfit, MAYAKO XO, Brontez Purnell, Cate Kennan, The Intima, Mika Miko, Eric Copeland, Lina Tullgren, Flaccid Mojo and semi trucks.

We got to talk to Dean about the label’s origins, the music he’s drawn to, and 25 years of PPM operations.

Post Present Medium Label Sampler Playlist

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Post Present Medium. Looking back on it, how has this label shaped your life as both a music fan and someone invested in the work? 

Wow, yeah 25 years is a quarter of a century, so it’s a long time no matter how you look at it. I love the label, I love the artists I work with. I get to stay in tune with new music and happenings because of the people I work with and their affiliates. It feels like a Gesamtkunstwerk sometimes, something that is all consuming, building it while wearing many hats. I appreciate music and bands more by working on the label that is for sure! It’s an art project, a small business, a maker space, a very long wooden table where we all gather for soup and bread I mean, it’s everything and anything really.

Did you have any initial goals as you started to share releases under the PPM name? Have you seen them shift around at all the more you put out? 

Initially it was to be a part of something that was happening around me. I was heavily into going to shows that were happening in the American underground in the mid to late 90’s in Southern California. Mostly Punk, Hardcore, Indie and all the adjacent stuff. I realized the importance of indie labels early on as a youngster getting into bands and labels like SST, Alternative Tentacles, Dischord, so I was looking to be something like that, a name and house for a collective mindset of vibes. Goals still pretty much the same I must say.

What were some of the first few releases you put out? How did you find them and how did you approach the releasing process? 

The first band I put out was The Intima from the PNW. I saw them play down at The PCH club in ‘99 or 2000. I thought they were great. They were mining this British post punk that not a lot of folks were doing then, and they had the politics of Th Ex or other anarchist types that I really dug too. Very cool and interesting band. I approached them about a 7” for a brand-new label and they didn’t hesitate to say yes! I had no distribution or anything, so I winged it. I designed and silk screened the covers myself, photocopied the inserts etc. I didn’t sell too many. The next record was for a band I was in at the time called Wives. Nobody else was going to release it and I remembered I had a label basically, so we did it. From there it had a focus on LA stuff for the next couple years.

What are some memorable releases that you have worked on over the years? Either releases that taught you something about running a label, those that you were more involved in or just those that you found enjoyable to work on. 

So many. A few are the first Mika Miko 7”. I screened that one myself and we all glued the 7” covers together. It was fun to work with Abe Vigoda on their records, their album Skeleton was a pretty big one. I was briefly distributed by Touch & Go during that era. It was cool to work with Mississippi Records and co release the Chalk Circle record. They were an all female punk band from Washington DC in the early 80’s. We collected all the stuff they had on Comps and some unreleased stuff. Jeez, this is hard. Gun Outfit are amazing, and I am glad I got to work on those first few records with them. Very inspiring people. 

Going through your catalog, PPM has a vast variety of styles and artists. How do you find the artists you work with? What makes you excited to put something out? 

I usually find new artists from going to shows or getting tipped off by friends. People on the label will tend to hip me to stuff they think I will like. It works sometimes! I just can’t put everything out unfortunately, not that I want to obviously, but there are a lot of records I get sent that I think are cool and should be out in the world, but I just can’t do it. I get excited by artists I like and once we get to know each other we usually become friends and then we just keep doing this thing together. We keep rolling until it doesn’t make sense anymore. More often than not it keeps making sense.

How does your own experience playing and putting out music in your own band No Age shape the way you run the label? ‘

Being in No Age gives me the artist perspective. So, I tend to think of things from that side of the coin. What is fair or honorable. What would I like to happen on tour from a label. How much support do I need, when are too many emails just too many. What not to do. What to do better, hopefully.

Do you have anything on the horizon for Post Present Medium? 

Coming soon we have an excellent new LP from The Spatulas who are really great, you already know this. A new Double LP from NYC pranksters Callahan & Witscher, not to say it’s funny, it’s serious stuff, but it’s smart and can make you chuckle and hold your breath at the same time. Guiding Light from Austin just signed on, they are fast punk-y stuff with German / English vocals. It’s wonderful, that will be out in the summer. AND it’s 25 years, so we are going to throw a party in LA mid-August, be on the lookout for that as well.

Explore the entire PPM catalog HERE.