In 2005 Mike Echternacht and Zach Madden began Corporate Nightmare Records (CNR) as an alternative to the major label route for recording artists – a way to release records they wanted from musicians they admired. The goal continues today; Madden and Echternacht continue to release uncompromised music on terms that equally benefit artist/band and label.

Check this out…an interesting article about the place where Echternacht and Madden (with the help of many friends) built the first of the Corporate Nightmare Recording Studios:


This was a unique area underneath downtown State Street, a place where Old Navy now exists. There were about five or six studios in one subterranean maze of hallways and possible reverb chambers. In other parts of town similar basement recording paradises existed during this era. Mills’ article is fascinating.

In this particular hive of studios everybody helped each other out, played on friend’s songs, shared mics and gear. This is where the spirit of Corporate Nightmare was really born, a feeling of: “What can I do to help out, to make this song better? How can I be of service to that epic tune my buddy’s band is working on? Do they have all the gear they need to get the best recording of it tonight? What can I lend that I’m not using?”

Some talented so and so always popped in from next door to help with a mix tweak or to sit and listen during a mastering session. Sometimes one studio had to turn down if your neighbor needed to get an acoustic track down (there was a lot of bleed of sound between the multiple, poorly insulated rooms).

Like the Stones said, “Let It Bleed,” CNR believes in letting everyone’s unique talents bleed into your brother or sister’s unique set of talents until we have something truly magical, grounded in a hope and belief that the divisions of this fractured world are healing, and that music, art of any kind, truly heals, gets rid of the walls and divides that makes us think we are so different from each other.

We believe more unites the people of this floating miracle of a rock called Earth than separates; we have more in common than not.  We have so much more to sing about than complain about. We intend to continue singing our songs as long as you keep listening!

Corporate Nightmare

Corporate Nightmare Records is proud to present the first single Through and Through from the label’s newest band, State Flower.

Questions or more information?