Manhattan’s one and only noise/black metal/free jazz record store seemed to simply up and vanish last week. The physical retail presence of noise label Hospital Productions provided locals with rare and obscure noise on cassette, vinyl, or CD, and was operated by Hospital founder and Prurient noise-god Dominick Fernow, with several other metal-buff employees. Now, not long after Hospital’s announcement of their 300th release compilation double-cassette, customers and fans arriving to the shop on 3rd Street will stop in shock and horror to an empty, locked room and a “for rent” sign.
Although no official statement regarding the closing has been issued, rumor (as in one guy’s Tumblr) has it that the plan is for Hospital to maintain itself as a label and online retailer while relocating to L.A. Hospital Productions themselves are at this time unavailable for comment (at least by means we actually know of).
The good news is that Hospital Productions will indeed continue as a label, no doubt, and there is perhaps hope for another relocation of their physical store, I guess. But the real tragedy is that the store was my last reason left to stay in NYC. Now I’m packing up to move to Massachusetts, where at least I can buy a noise tape at RRRecords. You fucking kids will be sorry for downloading everything when all that’s left is the internet.
[Update: According to Apop Records, a majority of Hospital’s retail store stock was sold over to them right before the closing. Apop is currently sorting through the vast inventory and slowly adding new titles each day.]
• Hospital Productions: http://hospitalproductions.net