About Alien Feedings

Jerry Morgenthaler and Kurt Hoffmann of Otto's Revenge playing a basement punk show in 1990.

Alien Feedings.

Established 1989. St. Louis, Missouri.

We Exist.

Alien Feedings began as the record label for our own band, Otto's Revenge. 

Our blood is punk rock from the 80s. Our first concerts were Black Flag (at a roller rink on Delmar in St. Louis), JFA (at that awesome club up in North St. Louis), Fishbone, the Dead Kennedys, so many more sweaty, mind-blowing, life-changing shows.

In the spirit of the 1980s punk rock and alternative culture we grew up on, we wanted control of our destiny. So of course we weren't going to wait around to be "discovered" by some record label. We were going to make our own. 

Like our contemporaries we spent many nights at Kinko's making show flyers, then spending weekends distributing them around town. We booked our own shows. We produced and mailed our own newsletter to the mailing lists we built at shows. We worked the local press including local zines. We produced our stickers and hand-assembled our first cassettes and cds. And a myriad of other duties that came with the responsibility of managing a band that made no money. 

And it all came out under the moniker Alien Feedings.

Otto's Revenge show flyers, including a main one with an X ray of lead singer Kurt Hoffmann's middle finger from a 1996 show at the Side Door in St. Louis, Missouri.

Why "Alien Feedings"? Like many of the great artistic endeavors it was really just an accident. I called a friend Brian Barclay who was a freelance graphic designer and helping us with a cd cover design. I got his answering machine and thought I heard it say "Alien Feedings" for his graphic design business name. I thought that was the coolest name ever. When he called back and I asked him about it, he said, "No, it's Alias Productions."

And in that moment, Alien Feedings was born.

A second critical moment for Alien Feedings was in 1994. Otto's Revenge was midway through recording our latest record when our bass player quit. This was par for the course for Otto's Revenge to have members quitting at moments that thrust months of effort into a death spiral. We had one song completed and I was determined to not let it die on the mixing desk. 

I decided I was going to put it out one way or another. I had an idea that I could do a b-side with another local band. Then I thought I could put out a small compilation with some of the other punk/hard rock bands on the local St. Louis scene. I started asking around and the idea got a great response. 

I ended up with 18 local bands on "The Guide to Fast Living" compilation of St. Louis area alternative rock. The 2nd volume would have 20. All produced by Alien Feedings. 

I realized a new medium for art. I had always enjoyed the creative process: Writing lyrics. Creating a song with a band. Designing a flyer or record cover. But this was a new experience: creating art by supporting the art of others.

When The Guide to Fast Living records came out, I got to see bands get radio airplay, get press, and play in front of crowds unlike they had ever had before.

Kurt Hoffmann of Otto's Revenge, live at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis in 1994.


That is profoundly rewarding and the ultimate purpose of Alien Feedings: to support the realization of art that is deeply personal.

Kurt Hoffmann
Alien Feedings