Constellation Records
Encyclopedia
Constellation Records is an influential Montreal, Quebec
independent record label
known for its contributions to experimental genres of music. It is most famous for releasing the albums of Godspeed You! Black Emperor
, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, and Do Make Say Think
.
The label was founded in 1997, operating out of a loft in Montreal's inner city. Its founders had intended to begin by providing a live performance space for the musicians of Montreal's thriving underground music world, with the label to follow, but bureaucratic difficulties put an end to this plan, and the stage was skipped. Instead, the label and the live performance series—entitled Musique fragile—began concurrently. The label later moved to larger quarters in Montreal's Mile End district where it resides .
; its mission, according to its founders, was to "enact a mode of cultural production that critiques the worst tendencies of the music industry, artistic commodification, and perhaps in some tiny way, the world at large." It also hoped to recover and rebuild an independent music ethic that it saw as commodified and corporatized. To this end, Constellation tried to avoid selling its music through large corporate chains such as HMV
and Virgin Records
, preferring instead to deal directly with small and local businesses. Constellation releases are now available, however, from major media retailers such as Amazon.com
.
The packaging of Constellation's music also reflects this ethos; they eschew the ubiquitous jewel cases and ship their albums in unique hand-designed cardboard packages, which are made, as far as is possible, by local artists and artisans. Constellation says that they spend 3-4 times as much on developing packaging as the average label, and that all of the packaging is hand-made by a small in-house team.
The package of the Godspeed You! Black Emperor album Yanqui U.X.O.
was especially noteworthy, containing an extensive chart which demonstrated the links between four major record label
s—AOL Time-Warner, BMG
, Sony
, Vivendi Universal—and various arms manufacturers
. The band later apologized for some extensions of the chart, conceding that some of their research had been inaccurate. This chart accompanied a photograph of falling bombs.
On 25 February 2010, Constellation Records founders Ian Ilavsky and Don Wilke signed, together with 500 artists, the call to support the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli apartheid.
Items ordered through Constellation's Mail Order service are sent with a handwritten note of thanks.
The music on the label is usually categorized as post-rock
(a label which Constellation abhors, regarding it as an invention of "hipper-than-now taste-makers").
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
known for its contributions to experimental genres of music. It is most famous for releasing the albums of Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian post-rock band which originated from Montreal, Quebec in 1994...
, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, and Do Make Say Think
Do Make Say Think
Do Make Say Think is a Canadian instrumental post-rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Their music combines jazz style drums, distorted guitars and wind instruments, as well as a prominent use of the bass guitar.-Biography:...
.
The label was founded in 1997, operating out of a loft in Montreal's inner city. Its founders had intended to begin by providing a live performance space for the musicians of Montreal's thriving underground music world, with the label to follow, but bureaucratic difficulties put an end to this plan, and the stage was skipped. Instead, the label and the live performance series—entitled Musique fragile—began concurrently. The label later moved to larger quarters in Montreal's Mile End district where it resides .
Label philosophy
Constellation are anti-corporate, anti-capitalist, and anti-globalistAnti-globalization movement
The anti-globalization movement, or counter-globalisation movement, is critical of the globalization of corporate capitalism. The movement is also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, alter-globalization movement, anti-globalist movement, anti-corporate globalization movement, or...
; its mission, according to its founders, was to "enact a mode of cultural production that critiques the worst tendencies of the music industry, artistic commodification, and perhaps in some tiny way, the world at large." It also hoped to recover and rebuild an independent music ethic that it saw as commodified and corporatized. To this end, Constellation tried to avoid selling its music through large corporate chains such as HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
and Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, preferring instead to deal directly with small and local businesses. Constellation releases are now available, however, from major media retailers such as Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
.
The packaging of Constellation's music also reflects this ethos; they eschew the ubiquitous jewel cases and ship their albums in unique hand-designed cardboard packages, which are made, as far as is possible, by local artists and artisans. Constellation says that they spend 3-4 times as much on developing packaging as the average label, and that all of the packaging is hand-made by a small in-house team.
The package of the Godspeed You! Black Emperor album Yanqui U.X.O.
Yanqui U.X.O.
U.X.O. is the third studio album by the Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor. It was produced and recorded by musician Steve Albini at the Electrical Audio in Chicago, Illinois in late 2001...
was especially noteworthy, containing an extensive chart which demonstrated the links between four major record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s—AOL Time-Warner, BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Vivendi Universal—and various arms manufacturers
Arms industry
The arms industry is a global industry and business which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology and equipment. It comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military material, equipment and facilities...
. The band later apologized for some extensions of the chart, conceding that some of their research had been inaccurate. This chart accompanied a photograph of falling bombs.
On 25 February 2010, Constellation Records founders Ian Ilavsky and Don Wilke signed, together with 500 artists, the call to support the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli apartheid.
Items ordered through Constellation's Mail Order service are sent with a handwritten note of thanks.
The music on the label is usually categorized as post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
(a label which Constellation abhors, regarding it as an invention of "hipper-than-now taste-makers").
Artists include
- 1-Speed Bike
- Black Ox OrkestarBlack Ox OrkestarBlack Ox Orkestar is a quartet of musicians from Montreal, Canada who play European Jewish folk music. They formed in the summer of 2000 to explore their common Jewish heritage through music. The band's music is entirely acoustic; texts are sung in Yiddish....
- Carla BozulichCarla BozulichCarla Bozulich is an American musician based in Los Angeles, known for her work as the lead singer, lyricist and founder of both The Geraldine Fibbers and and as a founding member of Ethyl Meatplow. Her 2006 album, Evangelista, was released by Constellation Records, that label's first release by a...
- Eric Chenaux
- Vic ChesnuttVic ChesnuttJames Victor "Vic" Chesnutt was an American singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia. His first album, Little, was released in 1990, but his breakthrough to commercial success didn't come until 1996 with the release of Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, a tribute album of mainstream artists...
- CluesClues (band)Clues is an indie pop band from Montreal, Canada formed by Alden Penner, Brendan Reed and Bethany Or. After Or left the band, local musicians Ben Borden, Lisa Gamble and Nick Scribner solidified the lineup.-Formation :...
- The Dead ScienceThe Dead ScienceThe Dead Science is an experimental pop band based in Seattle, Washington.The band consists of guitarist/vocalist Sam Mickens, Jherek Bischoff on bass and Nick Tamburro on drums. Jherek Bischoff's brother Korum was the drummer from the band's inception in 1999 through 2005...
- Do Make Say ThinkDo Make Say ThinkDo Make Say Think is a Canadian instrumental post-rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Their music combines jazz style drums, distorted guitars and wind instruments, as well as a prominent use of the bass guitar.-Biography:...
- Elfin SaddleElfin saddleThe common name elfin saddle is given to a number of Ascomycete fungi in the order Pezizales. These medium to small fungi often have irregular saddle-shaped caps. Species include:*Gyromitra infula...
- Elizabeth Anka VajagicElizabeth Anka VajagicElizabeth Anka Vajagic is a singer and guitarist who was born in Montreal, Canada, currently signed to noted independent label Constellation Records...
- ExhaustExhaust (band)Exhaust is a bass clarinet, drum and tape trio from Montreal that started in the mid-90s. The bands members are Aidan Girt , Gordon Krieger and Mike Zabitsky . Their debut album was a self-released 7" cassette entitled 230596. Their first release on Constellation Records was in 1998 . It was...
- Feu ThérèseFeu ThérèseFeu Thérèse is a Canadian band formed in 2005.The band is composed of guitarist and Fly Pan Am member Jonathan Parant, bassist Alexandre Saint-Onge , keyboardist and guitarist Stephen De Oliveira, and drummer Luc Paradis...
- Fly Pan AmFly Pan AmFly Pan Am, or Le Fly Pan Am, are a Canadian experimental rock band formed in Montreal in 1996. They release their albums through the Montreal-based Constellation Records, producing and collaborating on works with Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Shalabi Effect.-About the band:The band was formed in...
- Frankie SparoFrankie SparoFrankie Sparo was the pseudonym of Chad Jones, a singer/songwriter from Victoria, British Columbia who released two albums and an EP on Constellation Records...
- Glissandro 70Glissandro 70Glissandro 70 is a Canadian band, consisting of Craig Dunsmuir and Sandro Perri, who play an amalgam of dance and experimental rock styles...
- Godspeed You! Black EmperorGodspeed You! Black EmperorGodspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian post-rock band which originated from Montreal, Quebec in 1994...
- HangedupHangedupHangedup are an experimental rock group from Montreal, Canada. They are a two-piece band, featuring Genevieve Heistek on Viola and Eric Craven on drums and percussion...
- HṚṢṬAHrsta' is a Montreal post-rock band that records on Constellation Records. The band's leader, Mike Moya , was also one of the founding members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Hrsta's sound has been compared to that of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band...
- Land of Kush
- Lullabye Arkestra
- Efrim MenuckEfrim MenuckEfrim Manuel Menuck is a Canadian musician involved with a number of Montreal-based bands, most notably Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra...
- Pat Jordache
- Polmo Polpo aka Sandro PerriSandro PerriSandro Perri is a musician and producer from Toronto, Canada. His music has been called post-rock, electronic, experimental, ambient, folk among others....
- Re:
- SackvilleSackville (band)Sackville was a Montreal-based musical group that played what has been classified as country and pop, although their style resembles more folk, rock and avantgarde...
- SiskiyouSiskiyou (band)Siskiyou is a Canadian indie folk band, consisting of singer-songwriter Colin Huebert and guitarist Erik Arnesen. Formed to record songs that Huebert wrote after leaving Great Lake Swimmers to work on an organic farm in British Columbia, the band released its self-titled debut album on September 7,...
- SofaSofa (Canadian band)Sofa was a Montreal-based band that was active from 1993 to 1997. The group is best remembered for being the first group to release material on post-rock record label Constellation Records; bandmember Ian Ilavsky Sofa was a Montreal-based band that was active from 1993 to 1997. The group is best...
- Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band
- TindersticksTindersticksTindersticks are an Indie rock band from Nottingham, England formed in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples took on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006, but more permanently the following year...
