Ep519: Inside Levitation, Greenway & Reverb Records w/ Harry Portnof

The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

Record nerd Harry Portnof started Greenway Records, revived Reverb Appreciation Society, and now leads Levitation's label operations - today we discuss the elaborate vinyl variants and the clear passion for music the Levitation festival inspires.

Topics Include:

• Harry Portnof runs Greenway Records, Levitation, and Reverberation Appreciation Society labels.
• Dad blasted southern rock and Allman Brothers at excessive volumes throughout childhood.
• Discovered dad's CD collection, dove deep into classic rock discographies.
• Taught himself guitar in high school after getting kicked off tennis team.
• Found grandmother's records in attic with broken turntable playing in mono.
• Mesmerized by grooves holding information, felt more futuristic than digital files.
• Got Project turntable in college, started seriously collecting vinyl records.
• College dorm had file sharing programs to download everyone's music collections.
• Became obsessed with seven-inch singles and exclusive B-side hunting on Discogs.
• Studied accounting, got CPA, worked Manhattan while spending money on records.
• Brooklyn DIY scene 2010-12: Death by Audio, Glasslands, 285 Kent venues thriving.
• Third Man Records inspired with collectible releases, impossible to get from New York.
• Playing in surf rock cover band The Midnight Snacks around Long Island.
• Started Greenway with friend Joey's pop punk band, 300 hand-screened seven-inches sold.
• Online forum of ten new labels supporting each other, Greenway only one remaining.
• Artist Dan Curran created lino cut covers for first thirty Greenway releases.
• Met LA Witch outside Music Hall, promised European tour records in two months.
• LA Witch success led to more touring bands wanting Greenway releases.
• Met Levitation founder Rob Fitzpatrick backstage at Desert Daze festival in California.
• Pandemic hit, launched Levitation Sessions producing concert films with thirty bands.
• Suddenly working with dream artists like Ty Segall and The Oh Sees.
• Levitation started as Austin Psych Fest in 2008, became major three-day festival.
• Flash flood disaster canceled festival one year despite bands and fans arriving.
• Austin's psych legacy rooted in 13th Floor Elevators and Rocky Erickson era.
• Levitation Sessions are filmed concerts; Live at Levitation are actual festival recordings.
• King Gizzard bootleg program allows labels to press their live shows freely.
• Learned vinyl manufacturing hands-on at New Jersey plant, experimenting with color pours.
• Most proud of Frankie and the Witch Fingers KEXP recording for Record Store Day.
• Market tightened post-pandemic, had to adjust pressing quantities and strategy accordingly.
• Creates regional variants for Australia, UK, EU retailers using Precision Record Pressing.

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