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are there any record labels that you hold in such high regard that you will buy anything that bears their logo? regardless of whether you have heard or even heard of bands they release. i guess the only one for me is siesta because all of heir releases seem to be exquisitely prepared and thought out, well probably matinee as well because i trust his taste. in the old days there was flying nun and too pure and sarah and *cough*4ad but now labels don't seem to be as discriminating and will often try to sneak crap under the radar.

― keith, Saturday, 17 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Probably Warp and TEFOSAV (heheh)

― Charlie Frame, Saturday, 17 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I used to think that way about Matador... then I heard Solex.

Maybe SpinArt, but I really don't think they exist anymore.

― JM, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

MUTE remains pretty much my fave label. Obviously I am far from owning Mr Miller's catalogue in full, but I trust his choices. I mean, Paul Van Dyke and the Bad Seeds under one roof, isnt it great?

― simon, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There's certain record labels that are always a mark of quality and 90% of their output is great. City Slang, Domino,Skint and Warp and past ones would have been Sub Pop and Def Jam.

― Michael Bourke, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's almost impossible isn't it? I mean even Warp can't be trusted a 100% (although they come close). In think most labels (Impulse, Plus 8, Metalheadz) have periods were everything they release is untouchable, most of the times these releases are much alike. Then after a period of succes the label starts to diversive, which almost certainly brings along some duds.

― Omar, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Erstwhile, PSF, United Dairies, Paradigm, Revenant.

― Otis Wheeler, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

When I was younger I bought almost everything on Subpop - Hazel, Green Magnet School, Six Finger Satellite, Sprinkler...but they did have some good bands like Velocity Girl, Eric's Trip and Codiene. Nowadays, I don't think I really notice the label so much, though I do like most of the stuff I've bought on the Monika label.

― jel, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

All labels release boring music at one point or another. Most of 'em do it all the time.

― Patrick, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Kranky, full stop. The only one where I will freely chase down every new release if possible, and at this point I've got...*checks label website*...all but six things they've ever released out of nearly fifty. Essentially been following them ever since Labradford's debut. Beyond that, I don't trust anybody fully. ;-) Though generally I have a lot of time for things on Mute, 4AD, Skam, Young God...

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I used to be a Nettwerk devotee.

― Kimmm, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Rather a pointless addition this, but I agree entirely with Keith. Siesta and Matinee for me every time.

― Ally C, Sunday, 18 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I buy Siesta records occasionally for the artist, but always for the sleeve design. Has that been a thread? Records you've bought purely because you liked the design? I think I may start buying Poptones stuff for the same reason. I always like Alway's design.

For the music though- I wish I had everything on some labels before my time (Sarah, Crepuscule, Factory to name a few). Now I would usually buy anything on Matinee, Warp, Radio Khartoum, Plastic Pancake, Elefant, Acuarela, Popart, L'appareil Photo, Bambini, Dreamy, Firestation Tower, Kindercore, Motorway, Tugboat, Summersound, Fortuna Pop! - (I knows it's all indie-shmindie pop stuff) but I wouldn't expect 100% quality. I would expect to find one gem (be it one song, or one verse) out of every £20 I would spend.

Of course, I don't have enough money to buy everything I would like to buy, and I readily admit that much of my record collection was a waste of money spent because I'll give anything on an indie label a chance, especially if it's a 7"!

Hey - I just spent £30 to import a Birdie CD from Japan! I must be crazy.

― marianna maclean, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, it was 4AD. I needn't go into that here (suffice to say, the spell was broken by "Ladykillers", "Teenager of the Sodding Year" and Scheer). Those old Wolfgang Press 12"s still have their uses though - like a crucifix to a vampire or kryptonite to Superman, just a glimpse of the "Kansas" cover is enough to stop a rampant Hopkins in full-flow. It ain't pretty.

For sheer object-fetish thesedays, it has to be Raster-Noton, Mego and Metamkine. The drones, blips and skronks therein are tasty too.

― Michael Jones, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Basic Channel/Chain Reaction, a few years ago. PSF, whenever I see any used. Um....I don't really look at the labels on records anymore, is a problem. I mean, you can't usually tell on MP3....

― Tom, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

£1.99.

― the pinefox, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i would concur that you are unlikely to get a dud when purchasing from siesta. kindercore and matinee are usually reliable too, but shelflife is my personal fave label.

the main advantage of shelflife, apart from the guaranteed quality, is that they don't release records all that often, so buying everything that they release is unlikely to break the bank.

― kevan cooke, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Studio 1, Treasure Isle, Bite It!, Seventy Seven, 99, South Camp, African Museum, Esurient, Ronin, Titan Sounds, Low Life. That will be enough to be going on with.

Tons of old reggae labels aside from the ones mentioned above, because so many were the personal imprints of particular producers and if one likes or trusts the producer, then the record is likely to be a good bet.

For personal reasons it's good to see so many people prepared to buy *anything* on Matinee. Apologies to all.

― Tim, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, we don't need to *buy* them.

― t, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That should say 'the pinefox'.

What the pinefox was ineptly to say just now was that the most cherishable records, especially passionate jangly 80s ones from the West Country, are the ones you get for free.

― the pinefox, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Or for £1.99. At most.

― the pinefox, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I paid £13.50 for mine. Do I get a refund? No, worth every penny, certainly.

― Ally C, Monday, 19 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Reinforced, Locked On, and everything on Basic Channel before '99 has been good so far.

― Tim, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's Gripped.

It's Sorted.

Let's Paintball.

― the pinefox, Friday, 23 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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