{image1}Ben Schulman and Michael Wojtasiak are no strangers to running an independent record label. After all, they did it for a while in Milwaukee with No Karma, a Web site that sold other labels' releases and was also a label that issued its own discs.
But the duo, which now straddles Milwaukee and Chicago, has changed the focus of No Karma and launched a new label, Contraphonic Music.
"We decided to turn No Karma solely into an online store and launch Contraphonic as a decidedly more focused sister label with a new aesthetic," says Schulman. "So now we have two facets: the No Karma store and Contraphonic the label."
The result is that Schulman and Wojtasiak can focus on making No Karma a successful Internet record shop and separate out the label business. But that doesn't mean the set-up is getting less grass-roots, according to Schulman. And he's happy to keep it that way.
"We definitely enjoy the familial, communal feel we have going so far," he says, "and at present time, there tends to be a bit of a local focus. But that all change in April with our next releases ... our family (will then be) broad and wide, all across the land."
The label launches with three initial releases: IFIHADAHIFI's "No More Music," Sounds Like Braille's "Right Out of Left Field, Straight to the Middle of Nowhere" and "String of Bees" by Lesser Birds of Paradise.
Two more discs will follow in April or May: a split EP by The Wrens and The Five Mod Four (a reissue of a No Karma release with some new and bonus tracks) and "Leftover Blues: 1991-2003" by New Radiant Storm King.
How do they do it?
"We do have a budget," Schulman admits, "that has seen us sink into the gaping debt hole. We work with our bands on splitting certain costs and certain costs that are covered by each party. It's a secret equation taken from old eighth grade textbooks."
Maybe Schulman will share his secret formula with you if you can catch him at the party/gig celebrating the first releases, Fri., March 12 at Onopa Brewing on Center Street in Riverwest. Otherwise, Schulman expects that there will be label showcases in Milwaukee and Chicago in May.
In the meantime, visit No Karma online at www.nokarma.com and Contraphonic can be found at www.contraphonic.com.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
