Tripsquad Records is a brand new label headed by Tim McMurtrie, perhaps best known as the former guitarist of M.O.D. and Rhythm Trip and currently of Full Scale Riot. The label already has three announced releases, with big aspirations for the future.
McMurtrie holds few reservations about starting a new label and is confident that the interest is there from fans of hardcore, metal and punk, three of Tripsquad’s main genre focuses (the fourth being hip-hop).
“The hardcore scene loves records,” McMurtrie says. “They like 7-inches, they like vinyls, they like collecting stuff. They’ll still purchase CDs, and the thrashers too, they still like all that stuff and they’ll collect that. And also metalheads.”
The future will remain bright for the fledgling label, McMurtrie believes, as long as Tripsquad remains unique and innovative.
“We basically came up with lanes for bands that don’t have any lanes,” he says. “There aren’t many lanes open anymore.”
Coming up first on Tripsquad’s horizon is compilation album Just For Us Hardcore Kids, which features music from McMurtrie’s own Full Scale Riot plus a variety of other bands that include current and former members of Leeway, Agnostic Front and Underdog. (Keep reading for track premieres from Full Scale Riot and Huge!)
Linking the various genres of music that Tripsquad plans to release is the idea of “street music,” according to McMurtrie.
“They understand that hip-hop is street music just like hardcore is, and the hardcore scene will tell you — and punk scene — as long as it’s respectable, I’ll put it out,” McMurtrie states.
“I believe that anything that is street music… that’s what we are based on,” he adds.
August will see a 20th anniversary re-release of rap metal outfit Rhythm Trip’s debut album, Bring Da Ruckus, plus a metal-focused compilation called Metal on Metal. The months following will see more releases from the label.
“The bottom line is that we’re just trying to be that new label that cares about the bands and the artists, and try to help them,” McMurtrie concludes.
Because we’re stoked to see the release of Just For Us Hardcore Kids later this month, we’re exclusively premiering not one but two new songs from the compilation.
Full Scale Riot’s “Outshine” showcases the band’s ability to write music that falls between groove metal and hardcore. In addition to McMurtrie, Full Scale Riot features bassist Jeff Wood (ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan, ex-Mind Eraser), drummer Evan Rossiter and singer BJ Allen
The second premiere comes from Huge (featuring Underdog bassist Russel Iglay) and is a more straightforward hardcore punk song and features plenty of opportunities to mosh and circle pit to your heart’s content.
Once you’ve given “Outshine” and “Home Free” a listen, check out Tripsquad Records on Facebook and their website to learn and hear more.
Full Scale Riot
