Northern Spy Records

Last updated
Northern Spy Records
Northern Spy Records logo.png
Founded2010 (2010)
FounderTom Abbs
Adam Downey
Distributor(s) Redeye Distribution
Genre Avant-garde, noise rock, experimental jazz
Country of originU.S.
Location Brooklyn, New York
Official website northernspyrecs.com

Northern Spy Records is a record label in Brooklyn, New York that specializes in avant-garde music, noise rock, and experimental jazz. The label was founded by Tom Abbs and Adam Downey in 2010 after working for ESP-Disk.

Contents

History

Northern Spy is an artist-run record label. In October 2011, Northern Spy produced the first annual Spy Music Festival, spanning two days and hosted by two venues. The festival was hailed as a celebration of the label's first birthday. A year later, the label threw its second festival, which took place over two weeks in venues throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. NSPY artists continue to support local venues by bringing their devoted fans together in small DIY venues.

Northern Spy and its management has been featured in the press through interviews, blogs and in newspapers. The Village Voice published an extensive interview with Downey and Abbs in September 2011. [1] In July 2011, East Village Radio named Northern Spy one of the four most important independent record labels in New York City. [2]

Northern Spy also owns the NNA Tapes record label. It is closely affiliated with the Clandestine Label Services management firm and with the Birdwatcher record label and recording studio firm. [3] [4]

Artists

Discography

Incomplete list of releases
YrCatRelease titleArtist(s)Notes
2010NS-001R.I.P USAISAMONSTER LP, CD
2010NS-002Songbook Vol. 1 Old Time Relijun 7"
2010NS-003The WarriorJooklo Duo7"
2011NS-004Outdoor Spell Rhys Chatham CD
2012NS-019Honky Tonk MedusaDonovan QuinnLP
2012NS-020 Age of Energy Chicago Underground Duo CD, LP
2013NS-034Power BalladsSeaven TearesLP
2013NS-036The Only Way to Go Is Straight Through Thurston Moore & Loren Connors CD, LP
2013NS-038 Your Turn Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog CD, LP
2013NS-039 Life in the Sugar Candle Mines Black HostCD
2014NS-052 Locus Chicago Underground Duo CD, LP
2014NS-053Who Sleeps, Only Dreams/Hide With Me Deerhoof w/guest Marc Ribot 7", Ltd
2014NS-054Live at Le Poisson Rouge J. Spaceman & Kid MillionsLP + 7"
2015NS-066 Accidental Sky White Out with Nels Cline CD
2018NS-106Towards the Shadow Wume LP, digital

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Zorn</span> American composer, saxophonist and bandleader

John Zorn is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". His avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jazz, rock, hardcore, classical, contemporary, surf, metal, soundtrack, ambient, and world music. In 2013, Down Beat described Zorn as "one of our most important composers" and in 2020 Rolling Stone noted that "[alt]hough Zorn has operated almost entirely outside the mainstream, he's gradually asserted himself as one of the most influential musicians of our time".

Projekt Records is an independent record label established by Sam Rosenthal in 1983, the label focuses on darkwave, ambient, shoegaze, gothic rock, ethereal, dream-pop, and dark cabaret releases.

Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knitting Factory</span> Nightclub in New York City

The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States.

Loren Mazzacane Connors is an American guitarist who has recorded and performed under several different names: Guitar Roberts, Loren Mazzacane, Loren Mattei, and currently Loren Connors. His music has touched on many genres, but often features an abstract or experimental version of blues and folk styles.

An independent music scene is a localized independent music-oriented community of bands and their audiences. Local scenes can play a key role in musical history and lead to the development of influential genres; for example, no wave from New York City, Madchester from Manchester, and grunge from Seattle.

The Big Takeover is a bi-annual music magazine published out of New York City since May 1980 by critic Jack Rabid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joyful Noise Recordings</span> American independent record label from Indianapolis, Indiana

Joyful Noise Recordings is an independent record label with headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. The label was founded in 2003 in Bloomington, Indiana by Karl Hofstetter, who also played drums on many of the label's first releases. Joyful Noise maintains an active roster of over 30 bands playing various musical styles, though according to the label, each artist "in one way or another bridges the gap between pop and noise."

<i>Other Voices</i> (Irish TV series) Live music TV + festival series +

Other Voices is an international music TV series, festival, and tourism event in its own right that celebrates the local on a global scale.

Zs is a Brooklyn, New York-based experimental band. Since the band's inception, Zs has incarnated as everything from a sextet to a duo, now solidified into the quartet of Patrick Higgins, Greg Fox (percussion), Sam Hillmer and Michael Beharie (electronics). While Zs' music has been variously categorized as no wave, noise, post-minimalist, drone, and psych, it is primarily concerned with making music that challenges the physical and mental limitations of both performer and listener. The band has been heralded by The New York Times as "one of the strongest avant-garde bands in New York."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shilpa Ray</span> American singer-songwriter

Shilpa Ray is an American singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, New York with a DIY punk experimental sound. Her music has been compared to Blondie, The Cramps, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins and her singing has been compared to the style of Patti Smith, Nick Cave, and Ella Fitzgerald. Ray is notable for combining an Indian harmonium with a "big-voiced blues-rock howler" vocal approach and has been known to sing in styles ranging from metal to the balladry of Leonard Cohen. Rob Harvilla of the Village Voice once stated in 2006 that her vocal range could put the entire lineup of Ozzfest to shame.

Kasper Bjørke is a Danish DJ, record producer and remixer from Copenhagen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Soul Rebels</span>

The Soul Rebels are an eight-piece New Orleans based brass ensemble that incorporate elements of soul, jazz, funk, hip-hop, rock and pop music within a contemporary brass band framework.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Vitus (venue)</span>

Saint Vitus is a bar and music venue located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Opened in April 2011, the 2,500 square feet (230 m2) venue is known for its heavy metal atmosphere. Some notable metal bands that have played there include Pentagram and Black Anvil. In April 2014, the surviving members of Nirvana performed at Saint Vitus with Joan Jett and Kim Gordon. Pitchfork writer Brandon Stosuy has also booked bands at the venue, such as Converge, Iceage, and Deafheaven.

Orchid Tapes is a Canadian–American independent record label based in New York City. It was founded in 2010 in Toronto, Ontario by Warren Hildebrand. Operated by Hildebrand, the label has released a number of indie compilations and original releases on cassette tape, limited edition vinyl, and digital download. Among Orchid Tapes' signed artists are Coma Cinema, Foxes in Fiction, and Alex G. The label focuses on "music and artwork that breaks free of the established norm...reflects the dedication of its creator and provokes a strong emotional resonance..."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RVNG Intl.</span> Record label

RVNG Intl. is an independent record label based in Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 2003 by Matt Werth, the label is run by Werth and focuses on experimental dance and electronic music, often incorporating avant-garde genres. Release formats include vinyl, CDs, and digital downloads. In 2011, they were named one of the top 50 indie labels in America by Billboard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glasslands Gallery</span> Defunct music venue

Glasslands Gallery was a music venue, dance club, and art space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Glasslands was founded by Brooke Baxter and Rolyn Hu in 2006, as a relocation of Baxter's earlier art space in the same building, Glass House Gallery. Hu and Baxter held the lease on the Glasslands space until 2012 when they made a turn-key sale to Rami Haykal and Jake Rosenthal of PopGun presents, who had been managing bookings since 2009, and day-to-day operations since 2010. PopGun owned the business and lease for two years until the venue was displaced to be converted into Vice Media‘s office headquarters. As a concert venue, Glasslands was one of the longest-running of several 2000s independent creative venue spaces in the vicinity of the Williamsburg waterfront, which included 285 KENT, Death By Audio, Secret Project Robot, Monster Island Basement, B.P.M., Live With Animals Gallery, the Rock Star Bar, and many others.

Patrick Higgins is an American avant-garde composer, guitarist, and producer from New York City, known for his work in experimental and contemporary classical music. Higgins plays guitar and composes in Zs, described by The New York Times as "one of the strongest avant-garde bands in New York." Heralded as a "formidable concert music composer" and "one of the most gifted guitarists working today", Higgins has received attention for bridging traditions including baroque chamber music, contemporary noise, and 20th century minimalism.

Horse Lords are an American avant-garde rock band from Baltimore.

Blank Forms is a not-for-profit arts organization based in New York City. It was founded by Lawrence Kumpf in 2016 as a platform for the preservation and presentation of experimental and time-based performance practices. Blank Forms frequently works with individual artists on a long-term basis in order to create "in-depth public programs and educational materials that provide a range of perspectives on inherently ephemeral practices." In 2017, the organization established Blank Forms Editions, a platform for disseminating texts and recordings related to their programming through anthologies, books, and audio releases. Blank Forms has additionally organized exhibitions by Catherine Christer Hennix, Loren Connors, Henning Christiansen, and Graham Lambkin. Although Blank Forms presents events on a largely nomadic basis through partnerships with a variety of spaces, in 2020 the organization opened their own exhibition space in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill neighborhood.

References

  1. Jesse Jarnow (September 28, 2011). "Northern-Spy Records Are The Realists - Page 1 - Music - New York". Village Voice. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
  2. "Northern Spy Records » Spotlight: Four NYC Independent Record Labels | East Village Radio". Northern-spy.com. July 5, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
  3. "Info". NNA Tapes. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  4. "About". Northern Spy. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  5. "Artists". Northern Spy Records. Retrieved 2014-05-08.