Grönland Records
Encyclopedia
Grönland Records is an independent record label
originally founded in London
, England
, which relocated to Berlin
, Germany
in 2009. "Grönland" (German for Greenland
) refers both to the country and the label's founder, Herbert Grönemeyer
.
in connection with an eight-CD box set called Pop 2000. The CD box set and its companion TV series were designed to document music culture in Germany over the course of the 20th century and featured artists such as Neu!
, Faust
, Kraftwerk
, The Notwist
and Mouse on Mars
.
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:...
originally founded in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which relocated to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 2009. "Grönland" (German for Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
) refers both to the country and the label's founder, Herbert Grönemeyer
Herbert Grönemeyer
Herbert Grönemeyer is a German musician and actor, popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He starred as war correspondent Lieutenant Werner in Wolfgang Petersen's movie Das Boot, but later concentrated on his musical career...
.
Origin
The label was founded by German actor and singer Herbert GrönemeyerHerbert Grönemeyer
Herbert Grönemeyer is a German musician and actor, popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He starred as war correspondent Lieutenant Werner in Wolfgang Petersen's movie Das Boot, but later concentrated on his musical career...
in connection with an eight-CD box set called Pop 2000. The CD box set and its companion TV series were designed to document music culture in Germany over the course of the 20th century and featured artists such as Neu!
Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
, Faust
Faust (band)
Faust are a German krautrock band. Formed in 1971 in Wümme, the group was originally composed of Werner "Zappi" Diermaier, Hans Joachim Irmler, Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Hervé Péron, Rudolf Sosna and Gunther Wüsthoff, working with record producer Uwe Nettelbeck and engineer Kurt Graupner.-History:Faust...
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, The Notwist
The Notwist
The Notwist are a German indie rock band. Formed in 1989, the band moved through several musical incarnations despite maintaining a relatively stable lineup...
and Mouse on Mars
Mouse on Mars
Mouse on Mars is a duo from Germany who have been making electronic music since 1993. Their music is a sometimes quirky blend of IDM, krautrock, disco, and ambient with a heavy dollop of analog synth sounds and cross-frequency modulation...
.
Philosophy
Grönland’s philosophy is that business decisions should be influenced not by marketing strategies, but by the musician and his craft. Without sacrificing attention to the economic aspects of the label’s survival, Grönland, with its small staff and optimal structure, is committed to providing an environment where art and music are free to grow, and to giving full support and attention to its musicians on a level rarely seen in larger record companies. Consequently, Grönland only signs a maximum of six to eight bands and projects per year.Artists on Grönland's roster
The list below consists of artists listed on the "Artists" and "Alumni" sections of Grönland's web site.Current roster
- BoyBoy (Swiss-German band)Boy is a Swiss-German pop duo founded in 2007 by singer Valeska Steiner and bassist Sonja Glass. The two met while at a pop-music course in Hamburg in 2005. The band initially played concerts exclusively, before being discovered and signed to Herbert Grönemeyer's label, Grönland Records, in 2011...
- Broadcast 2000
- William FitzsimmonsWilliam Fitzsimmons (musician)William Fitzsimmons is an American singer-songwriter, based in Illinois, perhaps best known for his songs "Passion Play" and "Please Don't Go", which aired during pivotal scenes in ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy...
- Fujiya & MiyagiFujiya & MiyagiFujiya & Miyagi are an English band formed in Brighton in 2000. They are currently signed to Full Time Hobby Records in the United Kingdom.-Career:...
- Gang of FourGang of Four (band)Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
- Emily HainesEmily HainesEmily Haines is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter. She is the lead singer and keyboardist of the band Metric and a member of Broken Social Scene. As a solo artist, she performed with her own name and under the alias Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton...
- HarmoniaHarmonia (band)Harmonia is a Krautrock supergroup from Germany. They formed as a collaboration between Michael Rother of Neu! and Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Möbius of Cluster and later included the British musician Brian Eno.-Musical style:...
- HarmoniaHarmonia (band)Harmonia is a Krautrock supergroup from Germany. They formed as a collaboration between Michael Rother of Neu! and Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Möbius of Cluster and later included the British musician Brian Eno.-Musical style:...
& Brian EnoBrian EnoBrian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
'76: Tracks and TracesTracks and TracesTracks and Traces is the one and only album credited to Harmonia '76, but it is generally regarded as the third album by the highly influential Krautrock/Kosmische Musik group Harmonia. Harmonia was formed by the addition of Neu! guitarist Michael Rother to Cluster, the duo of Hans-Joachim...
(remastered reissue with bonus material) - HarrisonsHarrisonsHarrisons were a four-piece guitar band from Hillsborough in Sheffield, England. They were one of the leading bands in the so-called New Yorkshire scene, along with fellow Sheffielders Arctic Monkeys, Milburn, The Long Blondes and Bromheads Jacket...
- MerzMerz (musician)Merz is an English multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. He has released three albums.-Early life:Born Conrad Ewart Lambert in Dorset, England, he grew up in Wakefield & Huddersfield, Yorkshire. He moved to London in 1992.-Career:...
- MetricMetric (band)Metric is a Canadian indie rock and New Wave band founded in 1998 in Toronto. The band has also at various times been based in Montreal, London, New York City and Los Angeles...
- Neu!Neu!Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
(a major reissue project, the first official CD issues) - Roedelius
- Roedelius / Story (Lunz)
- Sol SeppySol SeppySol Seppy is a British singer-songwriter and producer. Her real name is Sophie Michalitsianos, and she contributed to two albums of American indie rock band Sparklehorse. Her solo debut, The Bells of 1 2, was released by Grönland Records in 2006...
- Susanne SundførSusanne SundførSusanne Aartun Sundfør is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. She is the granddaughter of language researcher Kjell Aartun. She currently resides in Oslo.-Career:During summer 2005, she supported Tom McRae...
- Windmill
Former roster (selection)
- AK4711
- Bombay1
- DextroDextroDextro is the pseudonym given to the Scottish Falkirk born DIY musician, Ewan Mackenzie. Under the Dextro moniker he has released a number of works, most notably the albums Winded , Consequence Music and the 12" single Do You Need Help...
- Freeland (released on continental Europe in collaboration with Marine Parade)
- Half Cousin
- KiraKira (German singer)Janine Scholz, better known by her simple stage name Kira, is a German singer-songwriter, born in Wuppertal on October 20, 1978.-History:From the beginning of her musical development Kira has had an unstoppable will to write her own music and songs...
- Lockdown ProjectLockdown ProjectLockdown Project is an alternative hip hop group hailing from southern England. Most commonly known simply as Lockdown or LDP is a group of young rappers and musicians.-Music:...
- Machine
- Pet
- Petra Jean Phillipson
- PsappPsappPsapp is an experimental electronica band. The band, a duo consisting of members Carim Clasmann and Galia Durant, are sometimes credited with inventing a musical style known as toytronica, a form of electronica made with toys and toy instruments...
(Grönland continues to market their album Tiger My Friend despite the band now being on Domino Records) - Sondre LercheSondre Lerche-Career:Sondre Lerche was born in Bergen, Norway. Growing up, Lerche was heavily influenced by the '80s pop that emanated from his older siblings' rooms. Compelled by a defining fascination for bands such as The Beatles, A-ha, the Beach Boys, and Prefab Sprout, Lerche began formal guitar...
- The EarliesThe EarliesThe Earlies are a band formed by Christian Madden and Giles Hatton from Lancashire, England, and Brandon Carr and John Mark Lapham from the United States...
(released in continental Europe in collaboration with 679 Recordings)