Believers Roast

Last updated
Believers Roast
Believers Roast.png
Founded2009
Founder Kavus Torabi [1] [2]
Distributor(s)Genepool Records
GenreVarious
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Official website thegenepool.co.uk/b/believers-roast/1.htm
SloganWhere aesthetics eclipse commerce [3]

Believers Roast [lower-alpha 1] is a record label formed in 2009 by musician Kavus Torabi, initially to only release recordings by Torabi and his band Knifeworld. The label expanded with the fundraising album Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith in 2010 and has since released the collaborative album The Exquisite Corpse Game (2013) and albums by artists including Thumpermonkey, The Gasman, Karda Estra, Arch Garrison, and respective band members.

Contents

History

Kavus Torabi (pictured in 2022) started Believers Roast to release his own recordings. Steve Davis & Kavus Torabi interviewed by Chris Hawkins - 52332387139 (cropped).jpg
Kavus Torabi (pictured in 2022) started Believers Roast to release his own recordings.

Kavus Torabi set up Believers Roast in 2009. [3] The label was initially conceived to only release recordings relating to Torabi and his band Knifeworld, [3] which started out as a solo project. [14] The label released the first Knifeworld single, "Pissed Up on Brake Fluid", on 13 July, and debut album Buried Alone: Tales of Crushing Defeat in August. [15] The label expanded upon its second major release, [3] Leader of the Starry Skies , a tribute album by various artists to Cardiacs founder and frontman Tim Smith which aimed to raise funds towards his care. [16] [17] Released on 13 December 2010, [17] Torabi was also among those who helped assemble the musicians for the album, [18] which features contributions from the Magic Numbers, Oceansize, Andy Partridge of XTC and Julianne Regan of All About Eve among others. [16] [17] Released through Believers Roast as no other labels were willing to take 0%, [14] [19] the endeavour raised the band's profile further. [20]

Believers Roast released the Knifeworld EP Dear Lord, No Deal on 4 July 2011, [14] the first recording to feature a full band line-up. [21] With the label, Torabi planned to release a boxset of studio recordings by his former band the Monsoon Bassoon that summer. [14] In 2012, the album Sleep Furiously by art rock quartet Thumpermonkey was released through Believers Roast. [22] In 2013, the label announced the collaborative album The Exquisite Corpse Game , where each artist contributed a one to four minute-long instrumental passage called a "fold" after hearing the end of the preceding track, in reference to the Surrealist technique Exquisite Corpse. [23] [4] The album was released on 2 September, recorded by a cast of collaborators including JG Thirlwell, Appleblim and Max Tundra. [23] Other players assembled by Torabi include the left-field artists Weasel Walter, Khyam Allami and Bob Drake. [24]

It's the most bizarre label – I don't make a penny out of it. To release stuff on the label, it's me saying, 'Yep, I really like this, I'd like to put it out.' Everything on it is in a different genre – there's no one sound. [25]

– Kavus Torabi, 2014

The Gasman, an alias of Portsmouth resident Christopher Reeves, released the albums Hiding Place and Hiding Place #2 on Believers Roast in 2012 and 2014 respectively, which feature complex digital piano compositions. [26] He has also released albums on the other Cardiacs-adjacent label Onomatopoeia. [27] Torabi allowed German label Inside Out Music to release Knifeworld's second album The Unravelling (2014) rather than Believers Roast. [25] [1] [28] In 2015, Believers Roast released the album Strange Relations by Karda Estra, a project of composer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Wileman, [29] and folk group Admirals Hard's album Upon a Painted Ocean in 2016. [30] Torabi released the three track EP Solar Divination through the label in 2018, [31] followed by the solo album Hip to the Jag on 22 May 2020. [32] [33] [2] Arch Garrison's third record The Bitter Lay was released on the label on 18 September. [34]

Believers Roast released Knifeworld bassoonist Chlöe Herington's first solo album Silent Reflux in 2021, [35] and Thumpermonkey singer and guitarist Michael Woodman's solo album Psithurism on 6 August. [6] [7] Baber Wileman, a collaboration between Sanguine Hum's Matt Baber and Richard Wileman, released their self-titled debut album through Believers Roast on 10 January 2022. [9] North Sea Radio Orchestra's Craig Fortnam released his second solo album Instrumental Music 1 through the label on 17 June, [10] followed by the loose concept album Lunar One. [11] Torabi collaborated with Wileman for the album Heaven's Sun which was released through Believers Roast on 2 June 2023. [36] Wileman released the solo album The Forked Road through Believers Roast on 17 January 2024. [37] Torabi's second solo album The Banishing , which he recorded during lockdown, was released through Believers Roast on May 3, preceded by the singles "Snake Humanis" on March 6 and "Heart the Same" on April 5. [12] [13]

Discography

Adapted from the liner notes of each release and the Genepool website.

Key
—No catalogue number assigned
No.Release dateTitleArtist(s)
0113 July 2009"Pissed Up on Brake Fluid" Knifeworld
0217 August 2009 Buried Alone: Tales of Crushing Defeat
0313 December 2010 Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith, Songbook 1 Various artists
A Loyal Companion: A Tribute to Tim Smith
044 July 2011 Dear Lord, No Deal Knifeworld
0516 August 2011#1 If It Fights the Hammer It Will Fight the Knife Redbus Noface
0610 November 2011Believers Roast Presents: The Central ElementVarious artists
0726 March 2012Hiding PlaceThe Gasman
0811 June 2012 Clairvoyant Fortnight Knifeworld
0931 October 2012Sleep Furiously Thumpermonkey
102 September 2013 The Exquisite Corpse Game Various artists
1122 July 2013Mondo Profondo / New Worlds Karda Estra
121 November 2013Mandrake Rael Jones
1310 February 2014Hiding Place # 2The Gasman
1412 May 2014Severance PayDead Days Beyond Help
1516 June 2014In Droplet Form Stars in Battledress
169 February 2015Strange Relations Karda Estra
1725 May 2015Home of the Newly Departed Knifeworld
1817 June 2016Upon a Painted Ocean Admirals Hard
192 June 2016Time and Stars Karda Estra
2020 February 2017Infernal Spheres
2121 March 2018Veil Richard Wileman
2223 March 2018 Solar Divination Kavus Torabi
2322 May 2020 Hip to the Jag
2418 September 2020The Bitter Lay Arch Garrison
2521 September 2020Arcana Richard Wileman
2618 January 2021Silent Reflux Chlöe Herington
276 August 2021Psithurism Michael Woodman
—10 January 2022 Baber / Wileman Baber / Wileman
2817 June 2022Instrumental Music 1 Craig Fortnam
2918 November 2022Lunar One A-Sides
302 June 2023 Heaven's Sun Kavus Torabi & Richard Wileman
3112 January 2024 The Forked Road Richard Wileman
323 May 2024 The Banishing Kavus Torabi

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as Believers Roast Records. [4] [5] [6] [7] No apostrophe, [8] despite some sources. [2] [6] [7] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

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