DSR has been around for 8 years now and it’s been over 7 years since I released my first cassette box set (Root). A lot has happened since then and there have been years full of sacrifice, devotion and passion. Even if there were mostly only positive things, there were of course also setbacks from time to time. But I and later the DSR team always mastered these and the positive always outweighed them by far. What could be better than turning your passion into a career?
But 2022 was on a completely different page. Even though we can’t complain at all compared to others and our problems seem so trivial, this year was still not an easy one.
If we are completely honest, the corona pandemic in the years 2020/22 almost exclusively brought advantages for online trade (someone’s joy is another’s suffering, or vice versa). Sure, the shipping costs and production costs have risen dramatically, as well as waiting times, but we didn’t have to close our “shop” and were able to benefit from the fact that there were no concerts/festivals etc. Of course, that changed again in 2022 (fortunately). So these pandemic years were anything but bad for online retail and every label. Whether big or small like we are. You have to be honest about this.
Far away from the “normality” that is now back, so many other things have changed in the last few months that really scares us. As said before, our problems are small compared to others, but they are real and we feel them very much.
Due to the current energy and inflation crisis, this year we really experienced for the first time what the phrase “existential fear“ means. Of course, the buying behavior has changed completely due to this current situation and of course we feel that very much. Because let’s be honest, what is more important, a full refrigerator and a warm apartment or an expensive cassette box?
I am aware that our products are luxury goods and you don’t really need these things to live. Of course, these boxes are very expensive, but we have to call this price to be able to survive. It’s no longer the case that I only do it as a hobby. Now several employees have to be paid, the rent for a large warehouse etc etc.
And for me it’s just out of the question to minimize the quality of our releases just to be able to lower the price by a few euros. All of these boxes are a “once in a lifetime story“ and I still can’t believe I have the chance to release some of my favorite records from bands I’ve been listening to for almost 30 years now. Even after 8 years, this is still such a great honor for me that there is no other option than to give 100%. All or nothing. No compromise! The bands and the music didn’t deserve that. And that shouldn’t influence and destroy a current shitty crisis or politics either. Music is so much more …
We all don’t know what the future will bring. Maybe everything will calm down a bit and we will still have the opportunity to release such boxes in the coming years (we already have many projects). But maybe the shitty humanity will soon have made it and make this planet worth living again. We will see. Or not …
The DSR team would like to thank each and every one of you, in every corner of the world, who has somehow supported us in this year 2022 and also in the last 8 (we are aware that many would want to support us more, but simply cannot due to the reasons mentioned above ).
Even after this time, no negative routine crept in and it is still an honor and a privilege to be able to do this.
As a small thank you, we will be offering you 15% off everything (except pre-order items) in our shop from now until January 6th, 2023. So have a look around..
Stay healthy and strong, never look back! Never surrender!
Until the end …
D./DSR
