Today is the first of our semi-regular Feature Fridays, where we will will focus on independent record labels and PR firms, that bring the best of emerging music to FZB's readers. They'll tell us about their business, artists and the challenges of recording and delivering emerging music artists in the ever changing music industry landscape of streaming and illegal downloading . This first Feature Friday we bring you the thoughts and story of Scottish indie Bearsuit Records. We regularly feature their artists here on FZB and the label never fails to serve up some of the most imaginative emerging artists in the world today.
FZB: How did Bearsuit get started?
BR: Bearsuit Records was established in Edinburgh in 2006 – with the initial aim of promoting local artists working loosely in the area of left-field electonica. Artists that we thought did not get enough exposure in the media or in mainstream local or national/international radio. This idea developed when we started looking at the wealth of unsigned and unrepresented talent worldwide we found on the likes of Myspace...
BR: Bearsuit Records was established in Edinburgh in 2006 – with the initial aim of promoting local artists working loosely in the area of left-field electonica. Artists that we thought did not get enough exposure in the media or in mainstream local or national/international radio. This idea developed when we started looking at the wealth of unsigned and unrepresented talent worldwide we found on the likes of Myspace...
FZB: Where do you find your artists?
BR: Artists are discovered from all kinds of sources – from word of mouth to chance
discoveries on sites like Soundcloud and Bandcamp. There is no one dominant
style or genre Bearsuit adhere to. If it sounds unusual, stimulating,
challenging, entertaining and/or ridiculous – or all of the of the above - then it may possibly fit the Bearsuit
criteria...
FZB: Do you record the artists yourselves, or license finished albums and EPs from them?
BR: We don't record the artist's material insitu at Bearsuit, but we do master all
material and then go on to promote the work nationally and internationally.
Each artist receives individual, specific contracts drawn out according to
their specifications, desires and preferences...
FZB: What are the main challenges you fave as an emerging music label?
BR: As of challenges in today's market for labels – there's always been challenges in trying to make people part with their money. The digital age has helped the small business in some respects (reducing costs etc.) – but has also, thanks to some “generous” (and successful) bands/artists – has led some to believe that music is or should be free... A problem the age is still coming to terms with - why pay for something you can't physically hold in your hand... and is sitting there on an illegal site waiting to be downloaded?
BR: As of challenges in today's market for labels – there's always been challenges in trying to make people part with their money. The digital age has helped the small business in some respects (reducing costs etc.) – but has also, thanks to some “generous” (and successful) bands/artists – has led some to believe that music is or should be free... A problem the age is still coming to terms with - why pay for something you can't physically hold in your hand... and is sitting there on an illegal site waiting to be downloaded?
Let's take a look at five Bearsuit artists:
Ippu Mitsui – Is a Japanese musician/producer from Tokyo who works
loosely in an electronic dance-oriented field. His highly charged breakbeat
sounds are at once experimental and accessible. His most recent release for
Bearsuit being the “L & R” album of 2017. Aural Aggravation Zine said : “this is an album that pushes into myriad electronic
territories. Throughout, Mitsui keeps one eye on groove and the other on
confounding expectations.”
Harold Nono – Is Bearsuit's longest standing musician/artist on their
roster - from their first release of his, “To The River Lounge” in 2006 to his
most recent, “Ideeit” in 2016. His work mixes abstract experimentation with a
playful and melodic sensibility, often combining acoustic based instruments
with more electronic elements. Aural Aggravation said of the “Ideeit” : “Bearsuit mainstay Harold Nono returns – and once again,
he’s come up trumps. Nono’s latest effort is as inventive as ever. An
intriguing album that is – difficult to place, but a lot easier to dig.”
He's currently working on a new solo album as yet untitled.
Swamp Sounds – Is the work of electronic/experimental musician, Yuuya Kuno, an artist based in Nagoya, Japan. He also records as House Of Tapes for the Japanese label, Tanukineiri Records. Swamp Sounds constructs a kind of fast and furious apocalyptic, psychedelic electronica. The Sunday Expeince Zine said of his split album with Uncle Pops & The Dumbloods : “a kind of skittering post-apocalyptic technoid sore thumb with Wagon Christ workings powered by a frantically animated Aphex industry. An impishly wiring cornucopia of fracturing nanobot sound engineering.”
Bunny & The Invalid Singers - Is the work
of Edinburgh based solo musician, Alex Nielsen. Bunny was once member of bands,
Idiot Half Brother and Scout-Master General and is current member of AWSTS. Although Bunny's work has more of an
indie pop edge than most of his label mates there are still many experimental
elements within his work which may, sometimes, catch the listener off guard. He
has a new album near completion which will be out on Bearsuit this year. Chain
D.L.K Zine said of his 2015 album : “References to [artists] such as Robert
Wyatt, Piero Umiliani, Ennio Morricone, Galaxie 500 and even The Carpenters pop
out of the release like mushrooms.”
Hayato Takeuchi
- Is a Tokyo based
musician who has previously recorded as Bubbly Folks. His debut album as Hayato
Takeuchi titled, “L.S.F” was released on the Cafe O Label in 2013. Hayato
employs a mixture of dance, minimalism and pop in his work and is not adverse
to playing the guitar - which he does,
it has to be said, extremely well. He released “EP” on Bearsuit in September
last year to favourable reviews. Unwashed Territories Zine said of “EP” :
“blending delightful pop melodies with departures into the bizarre over five
tracks of some of the most engaging music you'll hear this year. It's great!”
Besides their artists being featured regularly here on FZB, Bearsuit enjoys a wide acceptance by the indie music press. here are some things that have been written about them and their artists:
If you're not familiar with
the label, get familiar with it! If you're into esoteric electronica everything
they're putting out seems to be really, really cool. It's a cool label!
Bearsuit Records – a brilliant, independent label based in Edinburgh. I highly
recommend them!
[Mathew Baty – Amazing Radio, Richard Dawson, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
Pigs]
A label whose work in the experimental, electronica and pop music scene has
helped to develop it's own distinctive sounds that has gained much attention
and praise - making this group of artists and their label owner a cornerstone
in their genres. On tonights “Labels” we celebrate 10 years of Bearsuit
Records. An incredible experimental label.
[Tom Byrne - “Labels”, Radio RKC]
Leaning towards electronica and mostly instrumental – but it's diverse
enough for there to be something for everyone, if you scurry away from the
cliché. The fantastic stable that is Edinburgh based, Bearsuit Records. Bearsuit Records – such amazing artists, such amazing sounds. The wonky, the
weird, the wired, the wayward! Go invest in these artists futures! Go buy!
[Craig Adams – New Weird Planet Radio Show, Sine FM]
The fearlessly
inventive and always exciting Bearsuit label returns with a collection of
experimental electronic works [V/A : "Run Over By An Elevator"]
spotlighting the best and brightest of the (predominantly) Scottish and
Japanese electronics scene.
[Terrascope]
Bearsuit Records, a label that
scurries away from cliché and stereotypes like silverfish from sunshine. [Bunny
& The Electric Horsemen - "Fall Apart In My Backyard"] Like the
other albums I have heard on this label (Harold Nono/AWSTS) this is f******
brilliant. Baffling, surreal and totally idiosyncratic...
[Sitting Now]
The skewed brilliance of
Bearsuit Records [have] recently brought us the likes of Bunny and the Electric
Horsemen, Jimmy Rosso and Haq, among a whole load of other creative and
brilliant artists.
[Amazing Radio]
The label that is the beginning
and end in eclectic electronica, Bearsuit Records.
[Phil Vickery - “In-Tune”]
Purveyors of the weird, the
wired, the wayward and quite frankly wonky, this collective prides itself on
scouring the global airwaves for strange sonic communications and offering safe
haven to those aural alchemists operating on the distant outer post markers of
pops cosmos.
[God Is In The TV]
The quality is altogether
excellent, reflecting the great skills of the people involved... It is great to
notice there are fresh labels who can compete in quality with well-known labels
such as Ninja Tune or Warp Records.
[Adornments Of The King Magazine]
The amazingly brilliant
Bearsuit Records - everything they release is either totally fantastic or
ass-shakingly wonderful - depending on your choice of improvised adjective...
[Behind Closed Doors]
Scottish indie company who
specialise in experimental music from all over the world …that there are many
trans-national collaborations is another asset of a small yet fine indie label
that does its best to present original music to the world. Experimentalists
will have a field day!
[DisAgreement]
Having for my sins not heard of
Bearsuit Records before, I can safely say they’re a jolly good record label.
This sampler [V/A : Captain Woof Woofs Guitar] showcases the real creativity of
what they have to offer, and experimental it most certainly is.
[Altsounds]
It’s another winner from
Bearsuit Records who seem to have a never-ending supply of wayward geniuses on
their roster.
[Leonards’ Lair]
[Leonards’ Lair]