| Cleopatra Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | January 1992 |
| Founder | Brian Perera |
| Genre | Gothic rock, deathrock, hard rock, industrial music, heavy metal |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Official website | http://www.cleorecs.com/ |
Cleopatra Records [1] is a Los Angeles-based independent record label that has the sub-labels Hypnotic Records, [2] Goldenlane, Stardust, Purple Pyramid, Deadline [3] and X-Ray Records. [4]
Founded in January 1992 by Brian Perera, [5] it specializes in gothic rock, deathrock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music. It is known for its compilations, usually collections of cover songs performed by bands signed to the label.
In the mid-1990s, Cleopatra released tribute albums of goth, industrial bands covering artists such as The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim, Christian Death, Alien Sex Fiend, Specimen, Sex Gang Children and New Order. Other goth and industrial acts were compiled to cover songs by AC/DC, Pink Floyd, The Smashing Pumpkins (see: A Gothic-Industrial Tribute to The Smashing Pumpkins ), Guns N' Roses, Dead Can Dance and Skinny Puppy.
Current and previous notable artists include: Gary Numan, Kat Parsons, [6] Electric Hellfire Club, Switchblade Symphony, Leæther Strip, X Marks the Pedwalk, Mephisto Walz, Kill Switch...Klick, Information Society, Heaven 17, Genitorturers, Download, Rozz Williams, Missing Persons, Razed In Black and Blackburner.
Today, Cleopatra is largely funded by its sub-labels (Hypnotic Records, Deadline Music, Stardust Records, Master Classics, Magick Records, Purple Pyramid and Goldenlane Records), which between them offer prog rock reissues, metal and techno acts, as well as pop and easy-listening tributes. Having relegated the tribute albums largely elsewhere, the Cleopatra brand itself is now focusing again on non-cover-oriented compilations and on digging up out-of-print gems of the goth/industrial scene.
The Smashing Pumpkins is an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, the band has undergone several line-up changes since their reunion in 2006, with Corgan being the primary songwriter and sole constant member since its inception. The current lineup consists of Corgan, Chamberlin, and Iha. The band has a diverse, densely layered sound, which evolved throughout their career and has contained elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, grunge, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, shoegaze, dream pop, and electronica.
Gothic rock is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and the Cure.
Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music is the sixth studio album by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It was released for free on the Internet on September 5, 2000. Plans for a standard physical release, bundled with the first part Machina/The Machines of God, were revealed to happen sometime in 2013, but was postponed due to legal setbacks. In an Instagram Q&A in 2018, the band's frontman, Billy Corgan, revealed that all legal issues had been resolved. The two albums are planned to be remastered and released as a deluxe reissue; however, no release date has been announced.
"Today" is a song by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, written by lead vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan. The song, though seemingly upbeat, contains dark lyrics; Corgan wrote the song about a day in which he was having suicidal thoughts. The contrast between the grim subject matter of the song and the soft instrumental part during the verses, coupled with use of irony in the lyrics, left many listeners unaware of the song's tale of depression and desperation. The song alternates between quiet, dreamy verses and loud choruses with layered, distorted guitars.
Bella Morte is a gothic rock band formed in 1996 in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. They incorporate elements of metal, dark wave, deathrock, alternative, and synthpop. The band's name means "Beautiful Death" in Italian language. According to the band's vocalist, Andy Deane, the name was chosen to suggest that "beauty can be found in tragedy", which is a re-occurring theme in Bella Morte's albums.
Razed in Black is an electronic music act created by Romell Regulacion and was supported in live performances by band members Chris Nelson and Raj Kapololu. The band was formed in Hawaii in 1994 and signed to Cleopatra Records in the following year, before later moving to Jacksonville, Florida. Razed in Black's music combines elements of industrial, synthpop, dark wave, gothic rock, and hardcore techno.
The Electric Hellfire Club was an American industrial rock band mixing elements of glam metal, techno, gothic rock, and psychedelia. The band's lyrics contain tongue-in-cheek references to sin, violence, sex, devil worship and similar themes. The band also made use of sampling, mainly from low-budget horror films.
Rosetta Stone are an English gothic rock band formed in the 1980s by Porl King (guitar/vocals/keyboards) and Karl North (bass), plus their drum machine and synthesizer rack nicknamed "Madame Razor".
Controlled Bleeding was an experimental music group based in Massapequa, New York. The group was founded by Paul Lemos, the group's only consistent member. Most of Controlled Bleeding's released recordings feature two main collaborators, Chris Moriarty and vocalist Joe Papa, who both died in the late 2000s. In February 2020 Lemos announced that the band had dissolved.
The Wake is an American gothic rock band from Columbus, Ohio, United States.
Big Electric Cat is a gothic rock group from Sydney, Australia, formed by musicians Paul Sadler and Deborah Denton, who had moved from London to Sydney in 1989. In 1991, inspired by Philip K. Dick's sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and the future noir movie Blade Runner, and inspired by the film's dark, futuristic, and other themes, they formed Big Electric Cat.
Zeitgeist is the seventh studio album by American rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 10, 2007 on Martha's Music and Reprise Records. Recorded solely by returning band members Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, the album was the band's first since reuniting in 2006, and was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Terry Date, alongside Corgan and Chamberlin themselves.
"Soma", originally called "Coma", is a song by alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. An extended power ballad with facets of psychedelic rock, the track serves as the centerpiece of the band's second album Siamese Dream.
Digital Poodle was an electro-industrial/EBM band, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 1986 and remained active until about 1995.
"G.L.O.W." is a song by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It premiered on Chicago alternative rock station Q101 on September 29, 2008. This song was the last recorded Smashing Pumpkins song to feature drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who left the band in March 2009, and before he rejoined in 2018.
The Merry Thoughts are a German Gothic rock band based in Neuss.
George Earth is an American musician, guitarist, songwriter, composer, music producer, comic book artist, and talk show host from Echo Park, California. He is perhaps best known as the lead guitarist for both World Entertainment War and Switchblade Symphony, later touring and recording with Angel Corpus Christi, Stolen Babies, and other bands before forming Los Angeles-based Small Halo in 2008. He publishes a semi-regular comic book series and hosts a regular talk show, The Talk Show, in which he also leads The Talk Show Band.
Die Laughing are an English goth band formed in 1986 by John Berry.
Hypnotic Records is an American independent record label specializing in electronic music.
Octagon is the second studio album by Dilate, released on June 24, 1997 by Hypnotic Records. The album was re-released in 2000 by Hypnotic as the first disc of the New Age...Spiritual Healing box set.