Failsafe Records
Encyclopedia
Failsafe Records is a record label
that was founded in 1984
in Christchurch
, New Zealand
. It started a long line of releases, including a chain of compilations that featured many artists (notably JPSE, Double Happys, Nocturnal Projections
and Love's Ugly Children) who later appeared on Flying Nun Records
, major labels, or other larger indies
.
, Beat Rhythm Fashion, Children's Hour, Eight Living Legs, Dolphin and YFC.
Failsafe maintains a website which contains a large music history section on the local and New Zealand wide music scene, mostly centred around the early 1980s bands and where they went to.
The label had a big upsurge in the early 1990s with the release of its Avalanche Compilation featuring Loves Ugly Children alongside Pumpkinhead, 147Swordfish (featuring two members of Salmonella Dub
and David Wernhan who went on to sculpt live sounds for Shihad
and S Dub), Lurch and Supertanker. The label also released work by Christchurch moody pop band Throw, Malchicks and Squirm
, and its genre encompassed indie guitar disc Good Things.
In 1995, the label went into hibernation before resurfacing in 2001 with releases from Degrees K, Substandard, Eskimo (now Kimo
) and Hooster
before launching in 2005 its Retrogenic Series of retrospective releases focusing on key overlooked bands from the past 25 years. Wave 2 of the Retrogenic Series is scheduled for 2008. The label continues to work as a completely independent label and distributor.
This mostly consisted of music from important New Zealand post punk and alternative bands from the early 1980s to the 1990s such as Children's Hour
, Eight Living Legs, YFC, Evasive Action, Southern Front, Newtones, Andriodss, Beat Rhythm Fashion, Pop Mechanix
and Breathing Cage.
Many of these bands had sporadic recording works that were often left unreleased and unavailable to the public due to the lack of record labels willing to put money into financing local releases in New Zealand at the time, and the prohibitive cost to bands of undertaking pressings themselves.
The Retrogenic Series aims to collect, restore and master as much material as can be found by various important and under represented artists from the acknowledged well spring of innovation that happened in the 1977-late 1980s period that spawned the Flying Nun Records
, Propellor Records and Ripper Records labels, along with Failsafe which started in 1983.
After the first wave of releases in 2005 the label continues to add new releases to the series as time and newly surfaced material allows. The project has continued and has taken 'requests' from music fans for artists they felt appropriate to the series.
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,...
that was founded in 1984
1984 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's...
in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It started a long line of releases, including a chain of compilations that featured many artists (notably JPSE, Double Happys, Nocturnal Projections
Nocturnal Projections
Nocturnal Projections were a post-punk band from Stratford, near New Plymouth, New Zealand that began recording in 1981 and split up in 1983. Often compared to British bands, especially Joy Division, with whom they shared a moody, bass-driven sound, although the Projections’ guitar was less...
and Love's Ugly Children) who later appeared on Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records is an independent record label formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1981 by music-store proprietor Roger Shepherd.-History:The label was formed in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 1980s...
, major labels, or other larger indies
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:...
.
History
The label has recently released a string of 'collected works' discs in its Retrogenic Series, for artists such as Jay Clarkson and Breathing Cage, Pop MechanixPop Mechanix
Pop Mechanix were a New Zealand pop band that played from 1979 - 1988.They had a number of high profile fans during the course of their career, notable championed by fellow NZ band Split Enz...
, Beat Rhythm Fashion, Children's Hour, Eight Living Legs, Dolphin and YFC.
Failsafe maintains a website which contains a large music history section on the local and New Zealand wide music scene, mostly centred around the early 1980s bands and where they went to.
The label had a big upsurge in the early 1990s with the release of its Avalanche Compilation featuring Loves Ugly Children alongside Pumpkinhead, 147Swordfish (featuring two members of Salmonella Dub
Salmonella Dub
Salmonella Dub are a Dub/Drum n Bass/Reggae/Roots band from Kaikoura, New Zealand. They were formed in 1991 by Andrew Penman, David Deakins and Mark Tyler...
and David Wernhan who went on to sculpt live sounds for Shihad
Shihad
Shihad is a New Zealand hard/alternative rock band, currently based in Melbourne, Australia. During Shihad's recording career, they have produced four number-one studio albums and three top-ten singles in their home country of New Zealand....
and S Dub), Lurch and Supertanker. The label also released work by Christchurch moody pop band Throw, Malchicks and Squirm
Squirm
Squirm were a New Zealand alternative rock group based in Christchurch New Zealand.The band played from 1991–1997 and released 2 albums and one 6 track ep.-Discography:*1994 - Whip Me Honey CDEP - 6 tracks - Failsafe Records...
, and its genre encompassed indie guitar disc Good Things.
In 1995, the label went into hibernation before resurfacing in 2001 with releases from Degrees K, Substandard, Eskimo (now Kimo
Kimo (band)
Kimo are a New Zealand based alternative musical group consisting of David Mulcahy and Rob Mayes ....
) and Hooster
Hooster
Hooster is a three piece rock band from Christchurch, New Zealand. The band released its first album, Rotate, in 2004.The band won a recording grant in 2003, to record one song from New Zealand on air...
before launching in 2005 its Retrogenic Series of retrospective releases focusing on key overlooked bands from the past 25 years. Wave 2 of the Retrogenic Series is scheduled for 2008. The label continues to work as a completely independent label and distributor.
Retrogenic Series
The Retrogenic Series is a group of CD releases from the Failsafe Records. The initial imprint started in 2005 as part of Failsafe's 30 albums in 30 days project, an attempt to release one album a day for the month of May 2005, and attempt to clear the Failsafe Records archives of collected works at that time unavailable to the greater public.This mostly consisted of music from important New Zealand post punk and alternative bands from the early 1980s to the 1990s such as Children's Hour
Children's Hour
Children's Hour—at first: "The Children's Hour", from a verse by Longfellow—was the name of the BBC's principal recreational service for children during the period when radio dominated broadcasting....
, Eight Living Legs, YFC, Evasive Action, Southern Front, Newtones, Andriodss, Beat Rhythm Fashion, Pop Mechanix
Pop Mechanix
Pop Mechanix were a New Zealand pop band that played from 1979 - 1988.They had a number of high profile fans during the course of their career, notable championed by fellow NZ band Split Enz...
and Breathing Cage.
Many of these bands had sporadic recording works that were often left unreleased and unavailable to the public due to the lack of record labels willing to put money into financing local releases in New Zealand at the time, and the prohibitive cost to bands of undertaking pressings themselves.
The Retrogenic Series aims to collect, restore and master as much material as can be found by various important and under represented artists from the acknowledged well spring of innovation that happened in the 1977-late 1980s period that spawned the Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records is an independent record label formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1981 by music-store proprietor Roger Shepherd.-History:The label was formed in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 1980s...
, Propellor Records and Ripper Records labels, along with Failsafe which started in 1983.
After the first wave of releases in 2005 the label continues to add new releases to the series as time and newly surfaced material allows. The project has continued and has taken 'requests' from music fans for artists they felt appropriate to the series.
See also
- List of record labels
- List of New Zealand record labels
- Music of New ZealandMusic of New ZealandThe music of New Zealand is the expression of the culture of New Zealand. New Zealand's music is influenced by the culture of the indigenous Māori and immigrants from the Pacific region, though its musical origins lie predominantly in British colonial history, with contributions from Europe and...