by Alex; Ogg
By the time independent music begins its slide into ‘indie’ (1988 or thereabouts), the compact disc was well on its way to becoming king – with the consequent back catalogue gold rush taking some of the emphasis away from ‘new music’ at both the majors and the independents. Regardless of arguments about sonic fidelity, vinyl artwork was a crucial part of the aesthetic thrill of buying a record. Whether your poison was 4AD’s 23 Envelope designs, Saville’s work on Factory or even a particular denomination of punk (from Crass to Oi!), these were partisan, tribal choices. And, yes, habit-forming for collectors, who to a large extent underpinned the economics.
“The word ‘independent’ means a lot to me,” notes Gareth Main, who recently launched Bearded magazine, which goes so far as to exclude major label-affiliated acts from its pages. “To me it represents the underdog, the downtrodden and the under-appreciated. There is a lot of romanticism in the idea of somebody packaging 7-inch records in their bedroom despite the fact they know nobody will ever hear it. Of course the ‘independent’ record industry encompasses a lot more than that, but it is the very British idea of rooting for the underdog. Major labels have all the help they need to get noticed, it’s rewarding to only focus on helping those who don’t have the resources to get where they – arguably – deserve to be.”
Contemporary independents continue to thrive, of course, not least Domino, Bella Union, Shifty Disco, Damaged Goods and Fierce Panda. AIM (Association Of Independent Music), tangential philosophical heirs to the Desperate Bicycles’ less formalised ‘up and at ‘em’ credo, offers a leg-up to any potential combatants. Long may they all flourish, or at least survive independent music’s perennial distribution crises. All are doing something vital, even if it’s just rejecting Coldplay’s demos. Old-timers such as Beggars, Cherry Red and Rough Trade have faltered, prospered and evolved. But the likelihood of any return to the years of artistic glut and shared adventure that hallmark the period under discussion in this book seem remote, simply because the conditions of its creation have ceased.
About The Author
Alex Ogg is a London-based freelance author and journalist. He lives in Leytonstone with his partner Dawn and children Hugh and Laurence. Contact details: www.alexogg.com
Previous books by the same author:
No More Heroes
The Hip Hop Years
Top Ten
The Men Behind Def Jam
Rap Lyrics From The Sugarhill Gang to Eminem
Radiohead: Standing At The Edge
Copyright
First published in Great Britain in 2009 by Cherry Red Books
This electronic edition published in Great Britain in 2016 by Cherry Red Books
Copyright Alex Ogg © 2009 and 2016
The right of Alex Ogg to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
ePub ISBN 978–1–909454–54–5
MOBI ISBN 978–1–909454–55–2
PDF ISBN 978–1–909454–56–9
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which is it published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Design: Russ Bestley at HitsvilleUK.com
