Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Petke.
Hi Christian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started COP International in 1991 in San Francisco. I made a handshake deal with the band “Diatribe” after I saw one of their shows and was completely blown away. I told them that I would start a record label if I could find distribution. I went back to Frankfurt, Germany (my home country), and was fortunate enough to get the funding and distribution network we needed to get the company off the ground.
Techno Music was literally invented at my doorstep and within a couple of years, we had established ourselves as one of the premiere underground labels (23 Frankfurt) in this exciting new style of dance music. Needless to say, it was a very exciting time for a guy in his twenties. Fast forward 31 years – I have immigrated to the US for good and COP International is a thriving dark electronic music label that I am running with my Partner John Fryer. John is a storied producer with a ton of platinum and gold records under his belt (NIN/ Depeche Mode/ Cocteau Twins – the list is rather impressive). He came on board in 2020 and we have been working on a ton of great projects most notably engineering the comeback of industrial rock band Stabbing Westward in 2022.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The music industry is constantly shifting and this is part of the fun. Technology has changed the game dramatically and that has brought its own set of issues to our industry. Of course, the transition was not always smooth and easy. But at the same time, it has given us, and artists in general amazing tools to develop a career on our own terms. On a personal level – yes, it was difficult at times. When you run your own business, you constantly need to adjust and be hyper-creative to stay ahead. At some point, I burned out and I had to walk away from music for a couple of years to recharge my batteries. But in the end, I realized that this is my life’s passion and I have the capacity to help artists to develop and grow. Currently, we are working with 17 bands and it is an absolute pleasure to develop brands and strategies with them. Most people that work in our industry are driven by passion and love for music and our network very much reflects that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about COP International?
The label reached a turning point in 2020, teaming up with legendary producer John Fryer to form a production company under the COP International umbrella. Fryer is producing and engineering the majority of the forthcoming COP catalog and also working as A&R in helping to select appropriate acts. “The level of craftsmanship, artistic talent and meticulous attention to detail is what sets John’s work a world apart,” says COP International founder Christian Petke. “When we first started talking, I brought up John’s relationship with 4AD where he was the principal engineer and producer. This is exactly what we have in mind for this collaboration. Our philosophy is quite simple: Find exceptional talent, don’t limit ourselves or the artists, and build momentum based on the excellence of the releases. We have signed a couple of bands that have major chart potential based on previous entries, and we are very excited about our projects for this year. Another thing that is rather important to us is the level of closeness and mutual appreciation we have between the label and the artists. COP provides a nurturing environment that allows them to focus on their craft. We support and shield them and provide the business machinery that will develop their full potential. Both John and I are artists as well and that helps tremendously to build a bridge between the world of pure art and commerce without sacrificing the individual vision”.
What is our vision for a 21st Century Label? We are patrons of the arts. We are creating a community, a platform, not just for music but also for the visual arts. A record label deals with a broad spectrum of art and design, so the idea of unifying all of these aspects into a media company is not that far-fetched.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Bandcamp is an essential tool for any Independent artist or label. It allows us to directly connect with the consumer and bypass all other distribution channels and substantial fees. Hardcore fans know this and they are incredibly supportive. This is also a great place for limited edition options because again fans understand their impact. Producing and promoting the new Stabbing Westward Album was not a cheap endeavor because we wanted to work with the best people in the field. Bandcamp allowed us to finance this. So I can not overstate their importance.
This being said, we are also working with Music Video Distribution in a much more classic distribution model. It is a midsize company and they have been incredibly supportive of the label. They get our bands into the remaining brick-and-mortar stores as well as the major online retailers. For us, this combination of old and new has been critical in reaching a broad audience.
We also extensively utilize Spotify. Their payment structure is not really favorable for independent artists and companies but they are a vital tool for discovery. Their algorithm is comparable to a knowledgeable record store employee and it really offers you interesting new choices of music based on your personal preferences.
Contact Info:
- Website: copint.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cop_international/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/copint/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/COPInternational23
