Brainlove Records

Type: small indie

Brainlove Records was started in 2003 as an extension of the long-running Brainlove webzine. Sick & tired of the endless flow of promos by signed but nondescript bands that flooded through the Brainlove HQ mailbox, the label was started to promote original bands with fresh ideas. Bands that couldn't find a label because they were too fucked up or far out to fit in anywhere else, bands that bent pop music into strange new shapes, and leftfield bands that struggled to gain exposure for one reason or another.

Bands like The Bureau De Change - a duo that had previously been signed to Digital Hardcore (named Fidel Villeneuve at the time). The Bureau De Change made jarring cartoon mashups consiting of sampled jungle and drum & bass drums, jagged punk guitars and an often hilarious pop sensibility. They were from the West Midlands, and made no effort to hide their origins, unlike a lot of dislocated bands in London. This inspired Brainlove Records to put together a survey of unsigned music from the thriving Wolverhampton and Birmingham music scenes. It was called 'Sympathetic Sounds of the WILD West Midlands', and it fucking rocked. A follow-up compilation made up of emerging bands from around the world (entitled 'Real Pirate Radio') is out now.

Now in 2007 Brainlove has launched an innovative 7" Singles Club offering a combination of split 7" vinyl singles and emailed audio files - and in doing so filling the need for great new music delivered with both a satisfying physical format and the convenience of MP3s. Napoleon IIIrd's album is the label's first nationally distributed release, and new EPs and albums by Applicants, Pagan Wanderer Lu and Keyboard Choir are set, with all sorts of new music in the pipeline. More information at www.brainloverecords.com.

Edit this profile