It all began in the late 1990s in Omaha, Nebraska, with a simple idea and a strong desire to make recording and releasing albums easier and more affordable for bands. At the time, Skinsuit founder Aaron O’Keefe was running an all-ages venue called Area 51 out of a spare bay at a dance studio in west Omaha. Immersed in the thriving hardcore, punk, and indie scenes of the late ’90s and early 2000s, O’Keefe was inspired by the energy and creativity surrounding him and wanted to become more deeply involved by helping bands record and release their music.
Aaron purchased an eight-track digital multitrack and began recording bands in the same space used for Area 51. Many of the early Skinsuit recordings were created with an extremely bare-bones setup, including live drum mixes bounced down to two tracks, with additional tracks layered afterward. Mixing was done after hours at the local college’s classical radio station by Steve O’Gorman. Mastering was done by Doug Van Sloun at Studio B (now Focus Mastering). At the time, O’Keefe was also working for a local media manufacturing company, allowing him to secure discounted manufacturing costs. With recording, mixing, mastering, and manufacturing in place, Skinsuit Communications was officially born.
In 1998, Skinsuit released its first album: a 7” record by longtime Omaha punk rock staples Stacka Dimes. Between 1998 and 2003, Skinsuit released albums by Episode, Creatures of Habit, Day Old Brutus, The Still, Eclipse of Eden, Row 8 Plot 30, Richard Schultz, Buzzo, and Ravine, as well as a compilation titled, West End Murderer. As the years passed, the recording gear improved and the productions grew larger, but the raw energy and visceral power of those early eight-track recordings remain a defining and endearing part of Skinsuit’s legacy. O’Keefe also recorded bands outside of the label, working with artists such as Plosion, Release, and The Fonzarellies, among others.
As life grew busier, Skinsuit entered a dormant phase around 2006. During this time, Aaron focused primarily on his own projects (sympathy For Mr. Vengeance and Interlude) and selectively helped other bands with their recordings; none of which were officially released on Skinsuit.
Between 2006 and 2023, the complexities of life slowed Skinsuit to a near standstill.
This new era of Skinsuit focuses primarily on vinyl releases and digital downloads, with limited CD releases added along the way. In December 2024, Skinsuit released the debut EP from Violenteer, marking the label’s first release of its second chapter. Throughout 2025, the focus was on promotion, live shows, and building a grassroots distribution network. O’Keefe is a firm believer in relationships—especially with record stores. While traveling, he makes a point of visiting shops, supporting them as a customer, and getting to know the owners and staff. Every store listed in the “Where to Find Us” section of this website is a place Aaron has personally visited and built a relationship with. For him, it has always been about more than just the music—it’s about the friendships formed along the way.
In late 2025, while working on the upcoming Drum Corpse project with David Silver of Season to Risk, Skinsuit expanded its reach by securing distribution through MVD Entertainment.
In 2023, everything changed. While catching up after a show, O’Keefe and longtime friend Randy Cotton began talking about Randy’s new project, Violenteer. The conversation sparked something that had been missing for over a decade. Almost offhandedly, Aaron mentioned the idea of starting Skinsuit back up. What began as a whimsical thought slowly grew into something impossible to ignore—and Skinsuit was reborn.
Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy year many ways. In the spring, expect to see releases by Drum Corpse as well as a digital release of the entire back catalog of Skinsuit releases newly remastered. The archives digital releases will be offered on a pay-what-you-want basis, with all proceeds donated to the Buffalo Youth Nation Project, a foundation supporting Native American youth across the Great Plains. In the Summer of 2026, Pagan Athletes will be releasing their 3rd album and Violenteer plans to release a split 10” album (the other band involved cannot be disclosed at this time). Sometime in the fall of 2026 Violenteer will be releasing a full length vinyl release to follow up their 2024 EP release. Work has also begun on a 2LP compilation tentatively titled, “Warm Words For Sagging Hearts” featuring bands from across the country that Skinsuit has crossed paths with over the past several years. That release is currently planned for 2027.
Skinsuit continues to grow its network and musical community and has recently partnered with several music festivals across the Midwest, with more announcements coming soon.