My name is Ashley. I am a sparkle faerie riot grrrl come to kick down yr door. Actually, chances are I won't kick down your door because I'm not into that whole violence thing, but I will infiltrate your home with mail and other assorted D.i.Y items! Mwa ha.
I first decided I was going to start a zine distro when I realize how much of a lack there is of Canadian zine distros. There must be something like two or three in all of canada (if that). This is not ideal by any means, so I had to do something, right? Well, here I am, doing something!
Regarding the name of the distro.....
I came up with the name "basement freak's d.i.y distro" from an idea I had previously. I thought it would be neat to set up a kind of loose network of people, similar in mind-set and ideals and call ourselves, "Basement Freaks". See, the kind of people I seemed to relate best with were those folks who spent a lot of time alone children, figuring stuff out for themselves and creating their own realities. This deepened as we became teenagers and we spent hours in our bedrooms, basements, attics and other hidden away places making zines, painting, listening to music, scheming to change the world or at least try and wake it up a bit. These kinds of people (and myself) were often considered "weird", "strange" or yelled "freak"! at. Hence, "Basement Freaks". The strange kids that do it differently. The kids who create a world for themselves when the "real world" has failed to capture their interest or tried to get them down.
Update:
08/01/03': As of September 5th 2003 Basement Freaks (D.i.y) Distro is going on a two month hiatus. Orders received that have up to a september 1st postmark will be filled and sent out. After that the orders get returned un-filled or it may even get lost in the mail since i'm moving.This means i won't be taking orders during this time. I'm
going to be travelling and then moving back to Nelson, BC where i finished high school and spent six months. Once Billy and I get set up there his parents are going to help us get our stuff moved down there. From there I'll set up my distro again. While Basement Freaks Distro is closed I'll be gathering up new stock, adding stuff to the distro, working on my zines, BF productions infosheet #2, and hopefully, the first paper catalog.
Added to the FREE WITH ORDERS PAGE we have History, and Transcendence #3 and 4. How To Start a Revolution # 6 and 7 have been added to the zines A-L page. A preview of the cover picture + info of/on Alien Basement Food #17 has been added to the Alien Basement Food page
06/28/03'
A few new musical items added tonight. Check out the 'MUSIC' section for two new 7"s (Render Useless and M Blanket) as well as a cassette, an electronically styled concept album (Saigrob Ichelean: The Poncho Sanchez Project). Quantities updated in the patches, pins + other things section, "coming soon" list updated.
06/10/03'
Just so that it is clear I am sold out of Pussy Pucker Pots for the time being but I will try to get more (in different flavors ) as soon as i can.
06/01/03'
Positif: A personal zine done by Juls Generic and Transcendance #3 added to the Free with Orders page, Don't Fall asleep #4 added to the ZINES A-L page,
Cover pictures added for Pick Your Poison #1 and 3, The Pleiades #6 and 7, PLacenta #2, and Positif. Descriptions added for Placenta #1& 2, The Pleiades #7, Pick Your Poison #1 & 2, Don't Fall Asleep #4, and Positif.
05/09/03'
Wrote a description for Four Letter Word #2 in ZINES A-L, zines added to ZINES M-R (Placenta #2, although the cover isn't up yet because I'm having problems uploading it right now), LINKS ADDED to Ashley's List O'Links page. Tidied up the site in general, made some new distro ads today although they'd likely look like shit so i didn't bother scanning them. If you wanna help promote the distro email me at BasementFreak@antisocial.com and give me your mailing address and I'll send you some distro ads to pass out with yr mailings. I'm working on the first paper catalog for Basement Freaks' and it's basically everything on this site as well as a couple of extras relating to the distro. It should be finished soon and will be available for $1.00 or 3 stamps PPD in Canada and $2.00 PPD if you're in the US. Catalogs come with free flyers and other neat little goodies.
04/11/03'
I finished and copied the first official Basement Freak Productions infosheet which is essentially the stuff me and my friends make/do (zines, audio, crafts, etc.). If you're interested in becoming a basement freak or reading about the existing ones then send me a stamp if you're canadian or 50 cents well concealed if you're American and I'll send you the infosheet and some distro flyers.
Pick Your Poison #2 has been added to the ZINES M-R page. Pick your Poison #1 and 3 will be here shortly as will The Pleiades # 6 and 7, Don't Fall Asleep #4 and Placenta #2. I copied tons of Distro flyers so if you want some then email me your mailing address at: BasementFreak@antisocial.com and I'll send you an envelope full to pass out with yr mailings, put up on poles, and give to your friends.
Just in case i hadn't made it clear before my distro site is full out non-profit . Any funds that are made from the selling of zines + merch go back into the distro to perpetuate it whether it's ordering more zines for the distro or for high postage costs. The $$ is not for me. It's for zines + sharing + community based on the d.i.y ethic. Apologies if this sounds too cheesy but it's true. Thnx . <3
Coming soon to Basement Freak's DiY Distro.....
String Section,Saliva Girl, Arts and crafts Revolution, Only Hoodlums Write on Desks # 2 + 3, Civil, Words Like Theives #1-5, Dusk is for the Enlightened, How To Start a Revolution #8, Pocket Stuff #1+ 2, Figure 8 (comes w/ a 1" button), Paper Crush, To be Discreet #3, Alien Basement Food #17, Abre Los Ojos #3,
and more.
