Remembering Rioux’s Records

It’s easy to overlook just how spoiled we are nowadays when it comes to discovering new music. Algorithms offer playlist after playlist of customized recommendations while Bandcamp’s “Discover” page makes it easy to peruse numerous genres. And of course, online music platforms make it trivial to sample new artists and albums with very little risk involved. You don’t have to worry about shelling out $10-$20 (plus shipping) for a single CD, unsure as to whether you’ll actually like it or not.

This was not the case in the late ’90s and early ’00s, when I experienced arguably the biggest growth in my musical taste and awareness, an experience aided by the still-nascent web. There were no streaming platforms, though, and Amazon was far from the e-commerce juggernaut that it is today. The closest we had was CDNow, but it leaned more towards mainstream releases. (Although to its credit, that is where I bought my copy of Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus’s The Gift of Tears/Mirror set.)

Fortunately, there was Rioux’s Records, a small online distributor that I discovered via one of the many music-related email lists that I belonged to at the time, most likely the long-defunct 4AD-L list. Originally started by Jason Bryant around 1996 to support the artists and labels of Michigan’s “space music” scene (e.g., Windy & Carl, Füxa, Burnt Hair Records), Rioux’s offerings eventually grew to include releases from a broad spectrum of indie, underground, and experimental artists and labels.

Getting the latest edition of Rioux’s email catalog (view an example) was always a thrill because it contained so many new (to me) artists and releases, and Bryant’s descriptions were those of a true fan and music lover, not some marketing/PR hack. I don’t remember everything I bought from Rioux’s and unfortunately, I no longer have access to the email address I used back then. I’m almost certain, however, that I bought the following:

• After the Flood’s After the Flood and After the Flood 2
• Hood’s The Cycle of Days and Seasons
• Locust’s Weathered Well, Truth Is Born of Arguments, and Morning Light
• Lucid’s Baby Labyrinthian and Idylls and the Secret Remain

There were, of course, numerous albums that I passed on due to my limited funds at the time. (I’m still kicking myself for not buying those Maeror Tri CDs when I had the chance, though.)

I also recall Bryant being very professional and generous with his time whenever I emailed him. Which, to be honest, was probably quite often as I eagerly sought to learn everything I could about all of this new music that was now available to me. Musical discovery may be easier now than it’s ever been, but algorithms and recommendation engines will never compare to the personal and human touch of a distributor like Rioux’s.

I know saying that makes this seem like yet another curmudgeonly “Back in my day…” post. However, I really can’t overstate the role that Rioux’s Records — which Bryant shut down in 2003 to focus on running the Infraction Records label — played in shaping my musical tastes, as well as my own desire to promote and support indie, underground, and obscure music as best I can.