angulation

independentlabelmarket:

(photo by: Kyle Ross)

Ladies and gentlemen! Here’s the official wrap-up of the very first Independent Label Market. Check out especially the quotes from a few label heads…sweetness all around and it ain’t even Christmas yet. (And that’s Jarvis Cocker right there, in case you were wondering)

INDEPENDENT LABEL MARKET : SUCCESS!

Indie labels plan expansion to take music to the people

After an overwhelmingly successful first event, ‘Independent Label Market’ looks to a bright future. Four days since this inaugural record label ‘meet market’, ILM has been inundated with offers for the future. Before the end of the year ILM could be hosting events in cities both in the UK and overseas, festivals, and even in a record shop!

But before we get too caught up in that, let’s take a moment to reflect on the highlights of last weekend…

Last Saturday (May 21^st) as dawn broke in Soho, crates were unpacked, awnings stretched out and Independent Label Market breathed life into its lungs for the very first time. Something very special was about to take place in Soho’s Berwick St.

Never before had every single one of the UK’s great indie record label bosses joined together to pitch stalls and sell their own records themselves at their own unique brand of farmers market. As the label bosses acquainted themselves with the fruit and veg guys and figured out which way round to put the tarpaulin, a slight uncertainty gave way to beaming smiles from everyone as the sun shone and A LOT of fresh record label produce was sold.

Jarvis Cocker DJed at the Rough Trade stall, Bernard Butler brought his children who also bagged themselves some vinyl, Steve Lamacq picked up some rarities, and Alex Kapranos picked up a punnet of fresh strawberries.

Vinyl won the day, but many many surprises and special items were also on display and ripe for the haggling. Mute’s ‘free mp3 with every cupcake’; last ever copies of debut releases by Florence and The Machine, Klaxons, Manic Street Preachers, These New Puritans, White Lies, The Big Pink, Crystal Castles; XL’s rave mixtapes hand made by Richard Russell; signed Adele LPs; Radiohead newspapers; Domino boilers suits…

Perhaps the most exciting sale, a Record Label Starter kit, which included the master tapes and copyright for an EP called ‘Fresh Touch’, recorded in Ethiopia by Richard Russell and Rodaidh McDonald and featuring local musicians and a host of well known Western guests too. The EP was won by Independent Label Market organiser, Angular Records’ Joe Daniel, who spent all of his takings on a last minute bid. Read an interview with Joe at The Quietus where he talks about his new signing.

                                                                                            

Here are some reminiscences from the stall holders themselves:

Geoff Travis, Rough Trade: “It was just gratifying to feel that independent labels, from the chiefs to the bottle washers, were all doing something together to show that the spirit of 77 was not entirely dead.” 

Milo Cordell, Merok: “I’ve never really sat back and enjoyed the view of running a label, on Saturday I did that and really enjoyed the view.”

Stephen Bass, Moshi Moshi: “This turned out to be the surprise most fun and satisfying event of the year so far. With the atmosphere of the best festival and a real sense of heart and purpose this simple but effective idea seemed to hit the nail on the head when it came to ideas about how the music industry might actually be able to start re-igniting the imaginations of the British buying public again.”

Simon Raymonde, Bella Union: “The sight of Laurence Bell in his “Domino” boilersuit, there at 8:30am, also hammering bits of metal together to create the stall, was re-assuring, and the day just got better and better. Love was all around. Special moments were in abundance. People love to buy music when they can see it and touch it like that. No question it should be a regular event.”

Pete Hutchinson, Peacefrog: “or me it  worked so well as it embodied everything that the music business  should be about.  loads of interesting  vinyl , chatting to punters with passion about the music  , sunshine and  beers .   a brief rest bite from the corporate world of marketing ,promoting  and distributing  records  and a chance to re connect with other music lovers”

Independent Label Market is an independent outdoor market featuring the freshest new record labels as well as some of the most renowned and successful, even legendary, independent label owners in the UK – among them Rough Trade’s Geoff Travis (The Smiths, The Strokes), Mute’s Daniel Miller (Depeche Mode, Moby) Heavenly’s Jeff Barrett (Manic St Preachers, Doves) and XLs Richard Russell (Prodigy, Dizzee Rascal and of course the biggest breaking artist worldwide this year, Adele) – manning market stalls, selling their product direct to music fans.

Created by Joe Daniel (Angular Records) and Katie Riding (Bang On PR), Independent Label Market is a celebration of music, where consumers can meet label owners/artists and purchase from them at that traditional goods exchange – a market stall.