MAGNETIC EYE RECORDS merges with creative agency OVERIT

Boundary-pushing digital marketing firm expands music interests with investment in scene-leading independent label

The culmination of a musical friendship going back nearly a decade, Daniel Dinsmore andMichael Vitali, the respective heads of nationally-recognized creative agency Overit and trailblazing underground label Magnetic Eye Records, have agreed to intertwine their musical ambitions by joining forces.

As of July 2018, Magnetic Eye’s official headquarters will be relocated to Overit’s Albany compound, which houses expansive video and digital content studios as well as a state-of-the-art recording facility.

Vitali and Label Director (and MeteorCity founder) Jadd Shickler will continue to guide Magnetic Eye’s efforts as they prepare for their biggest release to date, the massive The Wall [Redux] / Best of Pink Floyd project, which features such artists as The Melvins, Mark Lanegan, Summoner, ASG, Ruby the Hatchet, Domkraft, and Scott Reeder, and is set to land this November.

The involvement of Overit Studios’ Michelle Dinsmore will further broaden the new entity’s reach, as her work with numerous booking agencies, distributors, and Astralwerks Records makes her the perfect complement to push things forward on the music placement and relationship-building side.

MER’s output will be bolstered with the re-channeling of various Overit musical projects into its pipeline, including the widely-anticipated new album from The Clay People in September.  Similarly, MER’s marketing initiatives will be augmented by the creativity and resources of the Overit staff, a development that can only mean great things for the label and its artist roster.

“I began Overit in 1993 with a ton of ideas and myself as the one employee,” Dinsmore explains.  “Today, we’ve grown to a 40-person company that works with brands from all over the world. I recorded and made music with Mike Vitali in Ironweed and have followed what he has done over the years with MER… we always talked about joining forces, and now the time was right.

We have seen record companies looking almost frantically for what to do about declining sales and digital being a problem for their bottom lines. MER brings their passion and love for releasing exciting new material, and with our machine of digital strategists, producers, engineers, developers, cinematographers, marketers and one of the only A recording studios on the east coast, we are going to help MER’s artists reach a bigger audience and propel the label to the next level despite these uncertainties.”

Vitali continues, “I’ve always admired Dan’s attention to detail in his musicianship and business dealings, and he’s truly a powerhouse of innovation and creativity.  Once we started playing in bands and becoming friends, I was pretty sure we had a larger purpose beyond playing music together.  I’ve watched him grow his business and artistic vision, and have always been blown away by the results.

The conversations about working together and ways to partner his media company and studio with my record label have literally been years in the making, and the time to bring together the experience and talent of Overit with the history and ambitions of Magnetic Eye Records is now.”