- 4:14 pm - Fri, Nov 30, 2012
- 2 notes
Q&A with James Nicholls & Alex Hornsby, Critical Heights
What is your inspiration for your label?
To work with artists that we love and get inspired by and to take a non cookie cutter approach to releasing & promoting new music. This can mean making zines & tapes with band X, or making videos and LPs with band Y. Or even just helping a band play shows… sort of letting the artist & the music dictate the medium really. We always put the question to the artist: what do you want to do?
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
Brian Clough and Peter Taylor put together some incredible sides in the 70s and 80s through sheer resourcefulness & tenacity. Sadly we can only speculate about what kind of amazing roster of artists they would’ve unearthed for their imaginary label… Garry Birtles journey from the non-league to double European champion is the blueprint for all Critical Heights artists.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
The artists are the most important element of what we do so given those two choices then we are a record label.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
When we started last year we started working on our 10th year anniversary. That says it all
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
The infamous tracksuit worn by Craig Dermody in the Footscray Station video, FREE Keel Her, Scraps, Diva and SACW Badges, Free Postcards, Signed 7”s and 12”s, Exclusive Tapes! And every purchase wins a free CD from our gigantic home-made advent calendar. Also grab yourself a slice of Scott & Charlenes Wedding - Wedding Cake.
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
Scott & Charlenes Wedding, with any track from the forthcoming Christmas Album.
- 11:42 am
Q&A with Quinton Scott, Strut
What is your inspiration for your label?
The compilation kings of yesteryear first inspired the label - I grew up with Street Sounds so Morgan Khan, definitely. As Strut has branched into artist projects, I’ve been interested in the tricky art of bringing back a classic artist to make new albums. I worked at Jive / Zomba for a while during the ’80s and saw at first hand how Andrew Lauder at Silvertone revived the careers of people like John Lee Hooker, which was a real education.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
!K7 in Germany now own Strut but, in the days when I was running it as a young indie, my Dad was a massive help. He had run an advertising agency during the ’70s and his style was always for his staff to be very involved and motivated. We had a small but really tight team at Strut in the early days and his advice was always very sound.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
A label first and foremost. I hope Strut as a brand is recognised to a point but it’s always secondary to the music and the artists.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
I have been really lucky to work in music all my life but who knows? I have the best job in the world but, if the industry all goes completely pear-shaped one day, I’d be up for a completely different challenge if it excited me. It would be another small business, though - I’d never work for the corporates again.
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
We’ll have some limited signed stock from Ethio jazz legend Mulatu Astatke and some one-off tasty bundles including tickets to our Christmas party. We’ve also been raiding the Strut archives so there will be loads of long deleted CDs and vinyl available at a snip for one day only!
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
Could suggest any one of them really but I’d maybe pick out The Souljazz Orchestra from Ottawa. Bandleader Pierre and all of the musicians are the hardest working, nicest group of artists I have ever worked with so a Number One and a perennial record that gets recognised forevermore as a festive classic would be much deserved.
- 2:09 pm - Thu, Nov 29, 2012
Q&A with Tom King, No Pain In Pop
What is your inspiration for your label?
Love.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
I guess everything we experience feeds back to the ideas we put in. The people we work with - rather then their music - is probably the single most influential.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
Label.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
I want to fall in love elsewhere, but I will always love this.
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
We’ve a few very rare test pressings - including Grimes and Forest Swords 12”s - and a grim sense of financial instability. Come take either away with you.
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
The Proper (Christmas Tree) Ornaments.
- 10:53 am
Q&A with Rob Da Bank, Sunday Best
What is your inspiration for your label?
Well we cast our net far and wide. we dont have one main inspiration. Three of us run the label, myself with my love of everything from pop to techno, Sarah Bolshi who is great at spotting the rock n rollers and Ben Turner who knows the electronic world inside out. we cover all bases.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
Many a staff night out fuelled by fine wine and food. we like to keep our companies very tight knit and Sunday Best recordings is a succession of mates, interns who stay with us for years and like minded souls so everything from nightlife to football creeps in to the mix. There are no rules!
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
Sunday Best Recordings is a record label for sure. My work as Sunday Best has obviously formed Bestival and ties in with my Radio 1 show and my DJ career but the label is a very old school independent business with a 21st century hat on!
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
Well I’ve got this far without worrying about getting a proper job and we’re a long way from achieving everything we want to and need to so yes i hope we’ll all still be down at the Label Market in 2032
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
FREE TSHIRT WITH EVERY CD BOUGHT
SIGNED DAVID LYNCH PRODUCT
SIGNED KITTY DAISY AND LEWISLPS
78 ALBUMS KDL SIGNED
VALERIE JUNE WHITE LABELS – FIRST 7” .. SHE WILL BE MASSIVE NEXT YEAR
DAN LE SAC VS SIGNED LPS
DAVID LYNCH TRENTMOLLER WHITE LABELS / MOBY REMIX WHITE LABELS
AND LOTS MORE..
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
Thats like asking which of my kids is my favourite so a bit tricky. I suppose Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip could come up with something suitably unconventional.. a techno rap version of Silent NIght possibly…
- 3:07 pm - Wed, Nov 28, 2012
Q&A with Tjinder Singh, Ample Play
What is your inspiration for your label?
Putting two in the jukebox, one at a time.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
The company is completely run outside of the influence of the music industry because the music industry hardly sets an example.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
We are a record label.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
Make music and sell for the rest of my life until I rest my life.
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
Every item will be knock down in price, and there will be a few free things to go with them.
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
Matsuki Ayumu, because it’s upbeat stuff, and he is a very pleasant fellow.
- 2:37 pm
Q&A with Simon Williams, Fierce Panda
What is the inspiration for the label?
Growing up in the ‘80s it would have to be Kitchenware, Zoo, Factory, Sarah, and the mighty Backs Records of Norwich.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
Obviously I’d like to say “Asian cinema, French philosophy and the trouser styles of the Central Americas” but I think once you’ve strapped yourself in for the record company ride I’m not sure if anything outside of music actually registers at all. Apart from nice trips to the seaside, perhaps.
Are you a record label or a brand?
Well we started off in 1994 as a bit of a joke, became a kind of hobby, evolved into being a proper record company between 1999 and 2009 and latterly, much like many of our peers, peering into the industry abyss and expanding into management, publishing, gigs and merchandise, I would consider Fierce Panda to be a brand like, say, Marmite or Tiptree Marmalade, only without the spreadability.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
For some reason this question sent a chill down my spine. But in all honesty I suspect that most label owners, much like Tigger gradually working out what food he likes by trial and honey-themed error, have tried various other jobs in life and decided that basically and intrinsically running a record company is the only thing they are capable of doing without endangering too many other innocent bystanders. So to answer your question, probably not but I don’t think I’ll have much choice in the matter.
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
We will have a world exclusive compilation EP release for our catalogue number of NING 250. In tribute to the 2012 Olympic table tennis silver medallist (female section) the number has been customised to DING NING 250 and it is a wee CD which will feature ten hypercuts from the ten albums released on fierce panda in 2012. It will of course be available on our stall for £2.50, or free if you purchase any of said ten albums. Continuing the theme of Chinese sporting excellence there will also be free Hello Panda chocolate-filled sport biscuits which we bought in Chinatown last week.
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas number one and why?
In the spirit of A&R democracy I think the The Crookes, Hey Sholay, Hawk Eyes, Hatcham Social, The Kabeedies, Electricity In Our Homes, Dingus Khan, Acres Of Lions, Ultrasound, Marilyn and The Drummer From The Boomtown Rats should get together under the Panda Aid banner and reboot ‘Do They Know It’s Ningmas?’ in a classic scuffed indie style. It might not keep Gabrielle Aplin and her heart-shreddin’ snowpeople off number one but by heck it’ll irk Midge Ure, and that’s good enough for us.
- 12:18 pm
- 4 notes
Q&A with Erol Alkan, Phantasy Sound
What is your inspiration for your label?
Having complete control over the creative aspects of releasing music and being able to help the other artists realise their visions.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
Yes, I’ve often likened it to how my club Trash was run. It’s a similar set of challenges, problems, successes etc.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
I’ve never liked the word ‘brand’ so I’ll go for record label. I always see labels such as Factory as a classic labels never as a classic brands, although it had been treated like a brand for the last decade or so.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
I have no idea how I want to spend the creative part of the rest of my life.
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
Good one’s I suspect, we are making a special item solely for the market.
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
Babe Terror, as that would probably change the course of chart music forever, and for the better.
- 1:58 pm - Tue, Nov 27, 2012
- 3 notes
Q&A with Edwyn Collins, AED Records
What is your inspiration for your label?
Postcard! Remembering what we did with no money. Making it up. Commitment. Beauty.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
No, I’m not a good businessman. Dragon’s Den, all that shit, I don’t care. In the record business, though Sylvia Robinson. She was a black woman in the seventies, a musician, a singer, a producer, and a label boss. (Two labels, Sugarhill and All Platinum). She had a huge heart full of possibilities.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
Not a brand, I’ve met a lot of marketing men in my time and they are all idiots. We are a record label.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
My label, my studio, my work work work until I drop.
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
Boxes, bundles, records from Colorama, Linden, me, Dead Flamingoes, birds, animals, art, lots of Christmas cards drawn by me, crockery, bags, shirts. We’re working hard to make it look nice..
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
Christmas No 1? They’re always horrible! Let’s go for a Christmas no 100! They are all my babies, I cannot choose.
Love Edwyn x
- 12:02 pm
- 1 note
Q&A with Korda Marshall, Infectious Records
What is your inspiration for your label?
The great independent labels of the last thirty years like Rough Trade, Mute, Domino, Bella Union and XL, we strive to be the best we can and to work in close proximity with all our artists so that everything we do truly represents them in the way they feel comfortable with.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
Not really, we try to be the antithesis of how some of the bigger companies work, we like to take an old fashioned approach to truth, honesty and transparency with everyone we work with and we have a very strong work ethic.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
Its not really about just selling recorded music these days so we like to think of ourselves as a ‘small specialist brand marketing company’; the digital side of creating awareness, then demand and the position of our artists in the market, how we present them and how they are then perceived is key to how we operate these days
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
Hopefully! I’ve been finding talent and helping them to make music for over thirty years now and I’m enjoying it more now then ever, the internet has really helped level the playing field so the small companies now have a chance to be competitive if the music is good enough.
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
Lots of Alt-J special formats and rarities, a few signed limited edition vinyl, cd promos which are one offs, special Christmas vinyl, various infectious t shirts, hoodies and the odd weird promo item.
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
Well we have a Christmas album by Tim Wheeler and Emmy the Great called ‘This is Christmas’ and quite a few of those songs deserve to be a Christmas number one!
- 5:04 pm - Mon, Nov 26, 2012
- 1 note
Q&A with Derek Birkett, One Little Indian
What is your inspiration for your label?
The driving inspiration was for independence and to give artists complete creative control.
I was in a band called ‘Flux of Pink Indians’, an anarcho-punk band and the label was started to put out Flux’s records. It was originally called Spider Leg Records, but was changed to One Little Indian when I left the band.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
People… Trusting, sharing and standing together. Our artists can do whatever they want; they call the shots, that’s the way I work and run One Little Indian Records. People working at the label share their experience with the artists and we ultimately stand together.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
We are truly, 100% an independent record label, in every single way. We do almost everything in-house, including press, radio, marketing, digital, international and A&R, and have our own warehouse and digital aggregation service to stock and distribute our records and we have a Publishing arm we use to publish some of the artists signed to the label.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
I’m 51!
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
All sorts of vinyl deals – Bjork’s new ‘Bastards’ album, rare white labels, signed and limited editions, Totem Series booklets and lots of other interesting anomalies from OLI’s 25+ year history. Plus The Computers will be there in person selling their Misfits covers mini-album, on picture disk.
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
We’ll leave that to the Cliff Richards’ of the world.
- 1:47 pm
- 3 notes
Q&A with Mike Paradinas (aka µ-Ziq), Planet Mu Records
What is your inspiration for your label?
Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, Marty Wilde, early (Hamburg) Beatles and pre-‘63 merseybeat, Channel 4 chart programmes about 1970s Britain.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
My therapist helps me.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
Yes.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
I hope not.
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
Freshly manufactured ‘merch’ and lots of exclusive mp3s available for illegal download.
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
My mum, because it’s her Birthday.
- 11:04 am
- 17 notes
Q&A with Mairead Nash, Luv Luv Luv Records
What is your inspiration for your label?
KISSING + DANCING
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
FRIENDS PLAY A BIG ROLE, THEY ALL GET ROPED IN TO HELP
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
BRANDING LUV
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, I LOVE A BAND!
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
LIMITED KOULDAM ARTWORK BY A GREAT FRENCH ARTIST CYPRIEN GAILLARD.
SPLASHH TSHIRTS
AND SOME FLORENCE GEMS :)
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
We’re getting all our bands to cover Crimbo songs this year for FUN probably wont get in the charts but will be a nice listen :)
- 12:32 pm - Sun, Nov 25, 2012
- 2 notes
Q&A with Andy McAllister, Ground Level Breaks
What is your inspiration for your label?
The label was born from a night of the same name in Derby back in 2007. I had a residency at a late bar called the Glasshouse, and part of my remit was to invite up DJs and producers I was enjoying the sounds off to play at our night. Each time one of these guys came up they’d give me music so it was the natural progression to set up a label to release this music. The first few releases all featured artists who had played at the night, then as the label got bigger the artist roster expanded to more producers from around the world. Five years on my inspiration is the same as it was when I started - to release awesome music!
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
I’m really influences by all forms of digital culture and am always on a lookout for a new way to use technology with music distribution, the artwork for the label is influenced by my love of street art and graffiti.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
Rather than saying either of those I’d say we’re a filter - there’s so much bass driven music out there that we filter out the ‘ok’, ‘not so good’ and ‘good enough’ to leave just the ‘awesome’ then deliver that in form of vinyl, CD and MP3.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
Without a shadow of a doubt, yes!
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
I’ve dug out a few of our early releases on vinyl and a load of test pressings which haven’t been on sale in stores for a couple of years, we’ll also have bucketloads of our new compilation CD - PlayGround - which is a collection of 13 new tracks and remixes to celebrate the label’s 5th birthday, it’ll be at a good price too!
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
I’d like Rebel Sketchy to get Christmas Number One this year, I think it’d be a fair reward for him standing at the stall with me all day!
- 5:32 pm - Sat, Nov 24, 2012
Q&A with John Jervis, Where It’s At Is Where You Are
What is your inspiration for your label?
To start off with it was Huggy Bear, the Beastie Boys Grand Royal, Sarah records, the helpful Simple Machines guide to putting out records, the way the Spice Girls sounded, the way 4AD looked, the way KISS rocked - you know, all the usual stuff for an indie label… now the label’s in its mid teens each release has a different set of inspirations (ranging from John Fahey, Lidos, and the Olympic Games to the number 7).
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
Since the joint release (with Clay Pipe music) of this summer’s Darren Hayman album Lido, the biggest influences seem to be Doombar, and the Pride of Spitalfields… regular meetings over a pint, talking about other bands, labels, musicians, books, artists, crisp flavours, cats, the internet, libraries, knitwear and subsequent pints seems to be far and away the best way to plan a release… works out pretty well too…
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
What the WHAT?… wiaiwya is a RECORD LABEL… each time a GREAT record crops up the label SPRINGS back to life… every time i get RIDICULOUS idea the label is there, ready to LEAP into action… and every time you want a BEAUTIFUL LOOKING, GREAT SOUNDING indie record i’ll be at a merch stall somewhere, waiting to SELL it to you.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
I will call it a day when i’ve released a record with Jonathan Richman and Elton John is dead (not that i particularly want him dead, you understand - it’s just always been the plan).
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
this is the third Independent Label Market I’ve done, and they’ve always been a tremendous way to spend a day - this time the plan is to have one off test pressings in hand made sleeves, extremely limited, and long since deleted records, gift wrapped lucky dips for the budget conscious, Christmas releases, and a demo box for YOU to leave your latest recordings… i’m looking forward to hearing LOTS of new stuff over the Christmas break…
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
So kind of you to ask… on 7th December Allo Darlin release their Christmas 7”, Only Dust Behind (http://wiaiwya.bandcamp.com/album/wiaiwya049)… the 70s had Merry Christmas Everybody, the 80s had Last Christmas, the 90s had Fairytale of New York (despite being released in ‘87 - bear with me), the 00s had the X Factor & Rage Against The Machine…
and NOW we have ALLO DARLIN’s ONLY DUST BEHIND… oh yes!
- 5:27 pm - Fri, Nov 23, 2012
Q&A with Tony Morley, The Leaf Label
What is your inspiration for your label?
The great, undiscovered music of the world.
Do you have any influences outside of music in how you run your company?
Nature. Nurture. Numbers. Noise.
Are you a record label or a brand? (you’re not allowed to answer ‘both’)
We are a music company. Our artists should be the brand.
Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
Yes. And no.
What kind of deals, and indeed steals, will you have on your stall?
Stuff we found in the warehouse, never to be seen again. No stealing though. Thanks.
Which of your artists would you most like to see have a Christmas Number One and why?
Wildbirds & Peacedrums. Add a few sleigh bells and I could actually see that happening.
