about asking for trouble

asking for trouble started as a record label and has now expanded to include all my handmade doings. The whole shebang is run by me, Marceline Smith from my home in Glasgow, Scotland. In my spare time (hah) I run the independent music website diskant and play keyboards in Uter. In the daytime I'm a web designer for an internet company.

The Label

I never had any intention of starting a record label as I've always had plenty other ways to throw my money away but there comes a point when you find some bands and you can't believe no-one else is releasing their music and that's where it all starts.

So blame A Roman Scandal. They sent me some of their new MP3s and they were so good my brain started making plans. I'd also been sent some new stuff by Sunnyvale Noise Sub-element and a split single seemed like the obvious choice. Add the fact that I'd just joined Uter after Declan gave me a demo when we were both sorting mail and the UK/US double split idea was born. Except I couldn't think of any other US electronic bands. Luckily A Roman Scandal suggested Denim and Diamonds and we were all go. You can read all about how that first record came into being via the diary I kept so that everyone could laugh at my misfortunes, learn from my mistakes and hopefully be inspired to do something similar themselves.

The first release soon showed me that releasing records is hard work and getting things done exactly how you want them is usually impossible unless you have unlimited time and money. By the end of it I was exhausted and very skint, and vowed to quit while I was ahead. But two years later I was tempted back. There's still too many ideas in my head and too much fantastic music out there that no-one else is releasing. So, Asking For Trouble has returned and will be here for a while yet.

we won't make you famous: the demo policy

I only release music that I am hugely excited by and that is made by people I know and trust. Mostly I'm excited about electronic music at the moment. I also like to be the one doing the asking. You can send your music to diskant for review - I usually pick out the ones that interest me - or you can contact the label via Myspace and I might listen to your songs. I might not though, that's just how it is.