zum started out as a small, photo-copied zine meant to serve as a forum for us (sibling team George and Yvonne) and our friends in 1990. We grew into an internationally recognized, well-respected indie music-based zine, and then label. We organized numerous shows in the SF Bay Area (including UC Berkeley noon shows and evenings at the Berkeley YWCA) and shared our love of music on college radio.

Instar is a California band started by Karl von Kries. Instar first EP Rich Girls was called Excellent by NME. It was recorded mostly in a loft apartment overlooking Fenway Park in Boston.

We are the web presence of Ignition Productions, an independent management company based in California. We manage a small roster of bands worldwide and devote every waking hour to them. NewMusic Network was started 10 years ago as a web based promotional site for indie bands that like to DIY, this was before Itunes, Myspace and MP3s, we had the leading technology back then of streaming audio allowing bands to have basically an online press kit. Since the internet has evolved so have we. We will still accept and add bands that are not managed by Ignition Productions, as long as they are submitted by the band or label themselves.