VHF Records is an American record label, known for their extensive work with several major experimental artists. The label is based in the Washington, DC suburb of Fairfax, Va., and it initially focused on indie and experimental bands from that region. The label has since branched out to release innovative and offbeat music from around the world, although Northern Virginia artists are still prominently featured in the catalog. The label was founded by Bill Kellum in 1991, originally to release a single each by his own band, Rake, and that of his friends, Wingtip Sloat. [1] After a handful of releases by both bands, Kellum acquired the US rights to the first releases by UK psychedelic group Flying Saucer Attack including the CD edition of their debut album. Following this, Kellum released an album by Matthew Bower's Skullflower, which in turn led to the release of an LP by Bower and Richard Youngs. Since then, Youngs has released a dozen collaborative albums on the label, including 6 with Simon Wickham-Smith (who has also essayed two solo sets for the imprint), 3 with Alex Neilson, one from his progressive rock unit Ilk (with Andrew Paine) and one with Makoto Kawabata. Kawabata has also released 3 solo albums for the label. Other artists include Vibracathedral Orchestra, Roy Montgomery, Jack Rose, Pelt, and Stephen O'Malley's Æthenor. Matthew Bower released another 2 Skullflower albums on the label, one Total release and several more under his most recent solo alias, Sunroof!.
Their most recent releases have been from former VCO member Neil Campbell's Astral Social Club, VCO themselves, Philadelphia folk unit Fern Knight's 2006 release Music for Witches and Alchemists and their 2008 self-titled release Fern Knight, and a dual LP/CD set from Youngs and Neilson. A long-delayed Wingtip Sloat compilation has also finally been released in recent weeks.
Nurse with Wound is the main recording name for British musician Steven Stapleton. Nurse with Wound was originally a band, formed in 1978 by Stapleton, John Fothergill and Heman Pathak. The band's work has explored genres such industrial, noise, dark ambient, and drone.
Trans Am is a three-piece band from Bethesda, Maryland, that was one of the originators of "post-rock" in the mid-1990s. Their work combines elements of Krautrock, heavy metal, hardcore punk, synthpop, electronic music, and folk music. Since their inception, the group has toured with Tortoise, Pan Sonic, The Fucking Champs, and Tool.
Incredible Expanding Mindfuck, commonly abbreviated as I.E.M., was a solo project by Steven Wilson. Its work was mainly influenced by Krautrock and experimental music from the 1960s and 1970s.
Alastair Galbraith is a New Zealand musician and sound artist from Dunedin.
Richard Youngs is an English musician with a prolific and diverse output, including many collaborations. Based in Glasgow since the early 1990s, his extensive back catalogue of solo and collaborative work formally begins with Advent, first issued in 1990. He plays many instruments, most commonly choosing the guitar, but he has been known to use a wide variety of other instruments including the shakuhachi, accordion, theremin, dulcimer, a home-made synthesizer and even a motorway bridge. He also released an album which was entirely a cappella.
Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label founded in 1992 by entrepreneur and music fan Brian Perera. It has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, Deadline Music Records; and X-Ray Records, encompassing a variety of genres with emphasis on unique and experimental artists.
Birchville Cat Motel is a one-man experimental music project formed by Campbell Kneale from Wellington, New Zealand. Although largely unrecognised by the mainstream press and public in his home country, Kneale has toured throughout Japan, America, Europe, and Australia. His first vinyl release was Jewelled Wings on the Freedom From label. Many of Kneale's rare and out of print recordings have been reissued recently on a 6cdr collection entitled Chaos Steel Skeletons.
Ashtray Navigations is an English experimental music group centred upon Phil Todd and active since 1991. Colloquially referred to as "Ash Nav", the group operates out of Todd's home in Stoke-on-Trent, from which he also ran the record labels Betley Welcomes Careful Drivers and, subsequently, Memoirs of an Aesthete. The project has also released music through labels such as Siltbreeze, Jewelled Antler, American Tapes, Fargone Records, Menlo Park, E.F. Tapes and Freedom From.
Vibracathedral Orchestra is an England-based drone ensemble that has been active since 1998.
Alex Neilson is an English drummer, percussionist and singer who is based in Glasgow but grew up in Leeds. He is a founding member and main songwriter of folk-rock group Trembling Bells (2008-2018). He is also known for his continuing collaborations with Alasdair Roberts, Will Oldham and Richard Youngs, and for his work with elusive American singer/songwriter Jandek.
Neil Campbell is a British musician, notable for his vast catalogue and his many collaborations. In 2005, The Wire declared that he, Richard Youngs and Matthew Bower had "provided the map co-ordinates for much of what passed for a post-punk UK underground during most of the 80s and 90s".
Matthew Bower is a British musician, active since the early 1980s, with a vast collection of collaborative and solo work behind him.
Jack Rose was an American guitarist originally from Virginia and later based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rose is best known for his solo acoustic guitar work. He was also a member of the noise/drone band Pelt.
Greg Weeks is an American singer-songwriter based in Philadelphia. His music has been described as folk, acoustic, psychedelic and experimental. He is best known as a founding member of the psychedelic folk-rock band Espers. Weeks has released four solo albums and has guest-recorded with many artists, including Fern Knight and Marissa Nadler. He is also a member of The Valerie Project.
Rake. was an art rock/noise rock musical ensemble from Northern Virginia, founded in 1989. Not aligned with the post-punk/hardcore bands more commonly associated with the local underground music scene, Rake. took a more experimental route and were more closely associated with fellow Virginia-based bands Pelt and Wingtip Sloat. Throughout the 1990s, a relationship cemented via their principal label, VHF Records.
Daniel O'Sullivan is an English artist of Irish ancestry, multi-instrumentalist and composer from Manchester, England, best known for playing in experimental art-rock bands Grumbling Fur, Guapo, Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses, Ulver, Sunn O))), Æthenor, Laniakea, Miracle, Mothlite, and This Is Not This Heat. He's also released solo work under his own name.
N2O Records was founded in 1997 with the first DJ compilation Home Invasion Vol. 1 CD/LP of Los Angeles DJs that produce harder sounding electronic, drum and bass, breakbeat and hardcore techno. The label has managed to re-invent itself from a jungle/drum and bass/turntablism focused label into a rock and remix label.
Wingtip Sloat is an indie rock trio formed in the Washington, DC suburb of Falls Church, Virginia. Active throughout the 1990s, the group comprised Patrick Foster on guitar and vocals, Andy Duboc on bass, and David Bishop on drums. Throughout their initial decade of activity, the group remained committedly DIY, recording and publishing their music themselves while holding down full-time jobs, earning them the title of "hardest working band in America."
Fern Knight is an American psychedelic folk band currently based in Washington, D.C. Formed in 1999 by Margaret Ayre, the group performs music inspired by the spooky, pastoral sounds of classic British acts like Pentangle and Steeleye Span. Their music has been referred to as "a delightfully creepy homage to the Celtic-Appalachian tradition."
Valley of Fear is the only album from English noise group Valley of Fear, released on 13 April 2012. The band was composed of Godflesh front man Justin Broadrick, Skullflower founder Matthew Bower, and Skullflower member Samantha Davies. Kez Whelan of Terrorizer described Valley of Fear as "densely textured black metal".