Superpang

Superpang is a Rome-based record label, run by Christian Di Vito. It has released 132 records since 2020, going from radical electronics to sound-art.

“There’s no point in creating an artwork that is too complicated”

You started the label in 2020. Why? What was your reason to start a label?

Christian Di Vito: I have been friends with Roc for a long time and I wanted to publish some records for EVOL, in the end I thought of expanding the field of action.

Why did you want to do it as a Bandcamp label? Why only digital releases?

We thought about Bandcamp because initially, with digital releases only, it seemed like the best place to release this type of music. It is no longer just a digital label, we have 4 titles out between LPs, CDs, books, tees and many physical things in the pipeline.

Is Superpang a one man operation?

I founded, own and curated Superpang, and I have some regular collaborators, such as Tony Lugo, Joe Gilmore, Roc Jimenez de Cisneros …

You’re from Italy.

Yes, Rome.

Or is that something that doesn’t matter anymore?

It’s important if you want to drop by for a beer.

I really liked the lay-out of the first 100 releases. It was very conceptual. Very clear. All the information was on the cover. Why did you choose this lay-out?

Because in my opinion there’s no point in creating an artwork that is too complicated for a digital release, people just want to recognize the record on their computer / phone on the fly and play it.

Why did you change the lay-out after 100 releases?

There is no particular reason, we loved that, but we changed graphics because the old one was stale after 2 years. It will happen again.

You released 132 albums in two years. That’s a lot. Ok, there are labels like Amplify who released one album a day, but still… Anyway, releasing 132 albums in two years, is this something you can only do if there’s no physical release?

We were in full lockdown and the aim was to lend a hand to all the artists who could not play live for obvious reasons.

How do you pick the artists for a release?

Connections built over time, live concerts, emails, advice from friends et cetera.

What’s your definition of an artist that could fit on Superpang?

There are no definitions for me, I am very self-centered when it comes to the choice of artists. I don’t hustle, and I only publish what I like. A couple of times I succumbed to pressure from artists and regretted it.