In an interview with Downtown Music, Gil Gastelum, founder and president of Cosmica Artists recalls his time working in record shops, sleeping in his truck for seven months, temping at Hollywood Records, managing (now Grammy-winning) musician David Garza — and ultimately launching his record label where he had to burn CDs by hand.
The following recaps an interview with Gil Gastelum as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.
Gastelum grew up listening to Tex Mex music, and oldies like Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly. “They loomed large in my household, and they’re still a big musical influence on me.”
Attending school with primarily Latina students who were listening to rock, R&B, and rap, Gastelum struggled to ’embrace’ his roots.
The ‘big connection’ that Gastelum says ‘forever changed’ his life finally came when his father, a button accordion player, made him watch a group called Los Lobos. “They played the traditional Mexican music mixed with rock — and they were part of the first real wave of punk rock here in LA.”
“Back then, Latin music was segregated and siloed from general pop culture. Very rarely did it cross over. But Los Lobos was so visceral that it forever changed my life in terms of what I gravitated toward.”
But Gastelum’s plans to become a musician disintegrated the night he went to see guitar player David Garza ‘playing his ass off.’ “Made me think: I’m never going to be that good.”
Ultimately, Gastelum started working at a record shop. “I was obsessed with linear notes and putting together the different executives, producers, engineers behind some of the greatest music.”
On a visit to LA, Gastelum met punk artist Robert Lopez aka El Vez, who invited Gastelum to join him on a tour of the States, Europe, ‘and whatnot.’
“I was the kid that hardly went anywhere, and all of a sudden I’m in a Winnebago for the entirety of the summer.”
After the tour ended, Gastelum returned but didn’t have a place to stay. He relays that he slept in his ‘little pickup truck’ for the next seven months, and got another ‘record store gig.’
Gastelum went on to get an internship at MCA Records (now Universal) just because he didn’t want to be in his truck anymore. His residence for the duration: the mailroom. “I’d show up every day and do whatever needed to be done.”
That was when someone who’d just come in recommended him for a marketing position at A&M. Gastelum worked there for three years, working with the smallest of bands, and ‘some of the biggest’ — then left A&M to help filmmaker Robert Rodriguez with ‘some music stuff.’
“At the time, you didn’t leave a major to go to an indie. Indie wasn’t like what it is now; it was no man’s land — tumbleweed. Everyone said you’d be back. But I’ve stayed independent since.”
Ultimately, Gastelum moved to Austin and came across the same guitar player who had long ago made him quit wanting to be a musician: David Garza.
“Originally, I came in as his administrative day-to-day guy, and about a month in, he fired his manager and said ‘you’re the guy.’ That’s what started my true management career.”
Garza and Gastelum released a record and went on tour — until 9/11 halted everything on the music, and Garza decided to move to LA.
“I thought I needed to get back to LA as well. So I was temping at Hollywood Records at the Disney lot in Burbank, and had a flip phone. [I see] messages from all these people I know, executives and staff, congratulating David and myself.”
“David had been named number-two Album of the Year in the New York Times. Back then, news like that really changed your life. Then, David’s label called to say they were dropping David.”
“One day, booking agents are calling me for potential shows, and I’m like, oh my god, we’re back. The next, David lost his publishing deal as part of a merger that happened — when AOL was around and bought off Time Warner. It was a decision that was made prior to the NY Times list.”
That pretty much kickstarted a long process of ‘showcasing your artist and trying to get signed again.’ But David soon put his foot down — ‘no more showcases.’
“David calls me and says I can’t do this anymore. The only way I’m going to put out a record is if you start a label.”
Gastelum knew it was easier said than done, and it took him nine long months — but he did start a label: Cosmica Artists.
That’s when Gastelum got a call from the senior VP of Business development at Redeye. “He said I want David with us — and that’s how it started.”
Gastelum reveals Garza had already put out twenty-one records, and within just one month, Garza had rerecorded much of his catalog. “I had to burn CDs on a real-time burner and take out a loan. Didn’t have any money to send out promos. And that’s the beginning of Cosmica Artists.”
Gastelum also took the time to share his ‘unpopular take’ on the industry’s shortcomings, “Several are self-inflicted; we limit ourselves — the industry only likes to promote wins rather than folks trying to come up.”
Talking about ‘unfair budgets’ for Latin artists, Gastelum says, “A marketing budget for a Latin artist is a fraction of a general market artist’s budget — even though the artist sells just as much.”
Nonetheless, Gastelum reports he’s always ‘blown away by the innovation of imagination with people who are able to create music.’
“That fascinated me — the ability to create something out of nothing. These people can barely function in society — barely tie their shoelaces. But put a guitar in their hand or a piano in front of them? They become absolute masters at what they do.”
Gastelum says it was Downtown Music-owned FUGA that took his company in, when a lot of other companies don’t take someone on the smaller end of the business spectrum.
“A lot of them wouldn’t even see us as a blip, and FUGA looked at us like — this is something we can work with.”
“I’m fifty-three years old now. I want to work with the people I want to work with — and these are the people I want to work with.”
About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.
