To The Old Vinyl Factory
Singles, EPs, Albums
To The Old Vinyl Factory is a completely new feature to Fatea and is intended to celebrate the many different angles of the vinyl revival. Through the series we will be exploring many aspects of the world of records, from manufacture to retail.
In these days of online trying to make music a commodity we will be celebrating the artist's relationship with vinyl, be it 7", 10", 12" or any of the curios in between, including coloured vinyl, etched, double grooved, picture discs and even the golden oldie, flexidisc and maybe the 78.
To The Old Vinyl Factory will become a place for artists to make people aware of the vinyl they've released and where they can get it. It will also be a place for artists to let people know about their plans for new vinyl release, the all important presales and crowd funders.
It will not be a place for reviewing releases, we have other places for that, To The Old Vinyl Factory is the place for sharing your vinyl news and we start off with a look at the Trapped Animal Record Club, take it away Joel
Trapped Animal Record Club
I am Joel, the director and cornerstone of Trapped Animal Records - it's great to meet you. Our label takes music to market and buys artists room to create and breathe. I set it up accidentally/on purpose with friends. Before I tell you more, you'll need a window into my mind:
When I listen to great records, I think how 'unleashed' and emancipated the creators involved were, during an album's creation, especially albums deep into a career. PJ Harvey, Radiohead, Damon Albarn, The Rolling Stones, Kate Bush... household names that, at some point relatively early in their career, received a great investment of belief from third parties (and then probably a load of cash). They were - broadly speaking - enabled to explore their art without heavy financial constraints - not to say they didn't face challenges like everyone does (loss, pain, anxiety, addiction), all humans have the challenge of being a human - but comparing a jobbing, well-known musician to the band playing the Old Blue Last on Friday night - they live completely different lives! Properly established musicians don't sit in an office for 37 hours a week and use their annual leave to tour, which is most likely what your favourite indie band on a small label deal or DIY artist has to do, both at the start and mid-level (maybe they go part time if things go really well).
When I listen to exceptional records I also consider the artist, before their record deals, before A&R's and agents went hunting through London bars like wolves, looking for an artist to bet on. At first, maybe a parent or teacher saw the art inside the young artist and helped them express it. Then, maybe friends experimented making music with them - in a mate's garage, cranking out a cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", borrowing ideas from Kurt Cobain, stumbling upon their first 'original song'... it's a long journey from childhood passion to a career... and the last few years, that path became steeper.
Before people invest money, they invest time and belief. Trapped Animal started with us investing our time; now we pay for things too.
I've always been drawn to giving talented artists my time. Long ago, when I was 20 (during Web 1.0), I made a local notice board 'cambridgebands.com' and ended up promoting and mentoring all manner of local talent. I've been that person cramming a trip to Europe into a long weekend, playing a festival, then finding myself at 8am on Tuesday staring at a computer screen, the imprint or glimpse of another life already fading... I know many Trapped Animals, including me.
Trapped Animal Records began with myself and friends, aiming to break the barriers that restrain much of the talent on the industry's outside.
Our record label coalesced due to a brilliant EP from Kerry Divine - label co-founder, who I was managing - and her band 'The Baby Seals'. As an experiment, we self-released - it was a punk EP, so we had a perfect excuse! It worked, so we followed this with Kerry's debut folk album, Away From Mountains. This time, the album had been pressed to vinyl by Kerry, so suddenly our small digital record label needed distribution. We obtained distribution and launched a physical record label in 2018.
Initially, we thought that'd be it, but the universe had other plans. First, we received the brilliant album Pink Mirror from Jeremy Tuplin, then Bath Time from Maija Sofia... nominated for the Irish RTE Choice Prize (think Ireland's equivalent to the Mercury Prize), and like a cart running downhill, we gathered momentum. We had decent responses to those first albums and quickly broke even on all of them... then the pandemic hit.
What I'm about to say sounds controversial: the pandemic was a boon for our label and vinyl in general (but not a boon for my personal life, I by no means make light of Covid with that statement). The record industry took a hushed collective intake of breath when it first hit, waiting to see what everyone would do. We immediately took advantage and released Violet Waves by Jeremy Tuplin in August 2020 (not the month one would normally release an album due to summer holidays and festivals). It worked wonderfully, and we hit recoup in no time, receiving coverage in print magazines without much effort. There was generally less output than previous years, and with a great album to promote, we easily filled those gaps.
However, we came to realise that, like many businesses, relying on a shop being open or a tour to generate the essential revenue that brings us to profit share left us at the mercy of multiple moving parts beyond our control.
We thought about new ways to be a record label. What if we already knew every album sold enough copies to tell artists, 'each new sale after announcement is profit share'? That's where Record Club began. Jasmine (then bassist of The Baby Seals and partner in Trapped Animal) pitched a subscriber model, a Record Club... So, we quietly launched it in the summer of 2020 while the world was hiding from Covid…
So far I've spoken primarily about the artist angle - unbearably talented artists struggling to gain recognition, then quietly fading away - but there's the flip side to this. You, the music fan, are deprived.
Music touches people in mysterious and intangible ways. A song has the power to touch you, aid you in times of crisis, shift your mood, enable a different point-of-view, a break-through, a lasting feeling of connection to something 'higher', you name it. Demand for music is soaring; people want a deeper connection to 'that'.
In the past, the barrier between artist and audience was significant. To get music to people, you'd record it - which meant getting signed - your label would press some sort of physical product, get distribution for it, pitch radio-play, magazines, etc. All this relied upon a complex system of intermediaries between artists and those they wished to reach; artist - label - distribution - stores/radio - audience. All in the hope that perhaps someone would come to your show, where they'd finally 'experience' your music 'as intended'. Or you'd at least get $0.62 from a record sale.
Now, technology enables artists to connect directly with fans; you can throw stuff onto TikTok in minutes. However, that has its own problems; where 'radio' was curated and everybody listened, TikTok and all social media platforms are stuffed with a clamour of content about anything and everything.
It's the same with Spotify. We at the label love streaming - however there are over 80 million songs on Spotify alone! Many exceptional tunes will be heard by about 20 people. Or, there's the 'Sunday Driver' conundrum (my band) where we've amassed several million streams (for which we're exceptionally grateful), but are unable to tell those listeners 'we're in town, come to our show, you'll absolutely love it'.
As an artist - how to break through?
As a music fan - how to connect deeply with music/artists you'd love?
This is the heart of Record Club: bringing together fans and artists as family. A place where artists directly serve those songs that move you so deeply, and you receive them - where you can directly support artists you love, rather than six intermediaries. Artists can share news through interviews, livestreams, tour updates, etc, and you can unashamedly share your love of music with others who understand that depth of feeling. We're a family with passion for overlooked gems, the strange and wonderful, the traditionally 'un-signable' artists.
I'm simultaneously an artist and fan (many are). Trapped Animal exists to unite those two sides of the equation, so artists and fans 'release' each other. We firmly believe, together we won't remain 'Trapped'. This is a vision we can't carry alone: if you're moved by anything I've said, I'm thrilled to extend an invitation into our family.
https://trappedanimal.com/products/record-clubWe want to hear about the vinyl you have out or are looking to get out, get in touch
Fatea Showcase Sessions
The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Corsair is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy
www.fatea-showcase-sessions.co.uk for all the artist information.
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