Play It Again Sam
Encyclopedia
Play It Again Sam is an independent record label
based in London and owned by the [PIAS] Entertainment Group
, one of Europe's biggest independent music companies.
The label was founded in 1983 by Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot.
Play It Again Sam was part of a wave of influential labels that emerged during a fertile generation of European independents in the early eighties along with peers like Factory
, Mute
, Rough Trade
and 4AD
. Play It Again Sam was initially known for being one of the drivers behind the emergence of EBM
and Industrial music with artists like Front 242
, Meat Beat Manifesto
and Young Gods. The label later broadened its musical horizon with releases by artists including The Sound
, Soulwax
/ 2ManyDJ's, Sigur Rós
and Mogwai
The first release on the label in 1984 was the mini album 'Faces In The Fires' by the cult experimental psychedelic band The Legendary Pink Dots
. It was rapidly followed by releases from many other artists with very diverse musical backgrounds and geographical origins including the Butthole Surfers
, The Neon Judgement
, The Sound
, Skinny Puppy
, Taxi Girl
, Bill Pritchard
and the Cassandra Complex.
In 1988 the label released the groundbreaking album Front By Front
by Front 242
including the single 'Headhunter' (with a video directed by Anton Corbijn
). The album became a classic and an inspiration for the industrial music scene that developed into the influential underground movement called Electric Body Music
During the next few years the label launched the careers of some very important European alternative acts, like The Young Gods from Switzerland, one of the most innovative and powerful bands of their time, or Meat Beat Manifesto from Swindon, U.K., a real avant-garde project driven by Jack Dangers experimenting with techno, jungle, industrial, dub and jazz fusion, while influencing major acts such as Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy.
With these bands, the then Brussels based label gained its first front pages in the UK music press (Melody Maker, Sounds, NME), before signing New Fast Automatic Daffodils
(aka New Fads), one of the leaders of the new emerging scene from Manchester followed a few years later by another
British indie-rock act, Moose
, formed in London by Russel Yates and K.J. McKillop.
Play It Again Sam also released a number of albums by American artists under license e from various US label partners. From the Michael Stipe
produced Magnapop to Barkmarket (the band of producer Dave Sardy), the Kelly Deal 6000 (the band of the lead guitarist of The Breeders) and Pixies frontman Frank Black
's project Frank Black & The Catholics.
In 1994, Play It Again Sam signed a young Belgian band named Soulwax. Fronted by Stephen and David Dewaele, Soulwax released 3 critically acclaimed and successful studio albums. Their real moment of global success and glory however came in 2002 with the release of the DJ mix album "As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2
", their one and only official release as 2Many DJ's, still considered today as a revolutionary and unique masterpiece selling over 600.000 copies across the world.
In the year 2000, the label's headquarter moved from Brussels to London and was renamed [PIAS] Recordings
. [PIAS] Recordings in the UK took a stake in labels such as Fat Cat (which became a group owned sister label) and released the first two albums by Icelandic band Sigur Rós (which became one of the best selling acts in the label's history) and Mum. The Scottish band Mogwai signed to [PIAS] Recordings UK in 2001 and released 4 albums on the label.
[PIAS] Recordings continued to license US artists to the label including My Morning Jacket
, Dinosaur Jr. and Joan As Police Woman and also started to develop local operations in Germany, Holland, France and Spain, signing more local repertoire in these countries as well as licensing artists from the UK for continental Europe including in 2005 the Birmingham band Editors
.
The [PIAS] Entertainment Group announced at the end of 2010 that it would be re-launching Play It Again Sam as a frontline artist 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:...
based in London and owned by the [PIAS] Entertainment Group
PIAS Entertainment Group
PIAS is an international licensing, distribution, sales and marketing company for premium music, film and comedy.Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the group also has significant operations in the UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Ireland....
, one of Europe's biggest independent music companies.
The label was founded in 1983 by Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot.
Play It Again Sam was part of a wave of influential labels that emerged during a fertile generation of European independents in the early eighties along with peers like Factory
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
, Mute
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
, Rough Trade
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
and 4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
. Play It Again Sam was initially known for being one of the drivers behind the emergence of EBM
Electronic body music
Electronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
and Industrial music with artists like Front 242
Front 242
Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. They are known for being the premier pioneer of electronic body music and as a major influence on the electronic and industrial music genres.-Formation:...
, Meat Beat Manifesto
Meat Beat Manifesto
Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened to Meat Beat or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens formed in 1987 in Swindon, UK...
and Young Gods. The label later broadened its musical horizon with releases by artists including The Sound
The Sound
The Sound were an English post-punk band, formed in 1979 and dissolved in 1988. The band was fronted by Adrian Borland and evolved from his previous band, The Outsiders...
, Soulwax
Soulwax
Soulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
/ 2ManyDJ's, Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
and Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
The first release on the label in 1984 was the mini album 'Faces In The Fires' by the cult experimental psychedelic band The Legendary Pink Dots
The Legendary Pink Dots
The Legendary Pink Dots are an Anglo-Dutch experimental rock band formed in London in August 1980. Although far outside the mainstream , LPD have released more than 40 albums, have a devoted worldwide following, and tour frequently.-Overview:The Legendary Pink Dots formed in August 1980 in London...
. It was rapidly followed by releases from many other artists with very diverse musical backgrounds and geographical origins including the Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
, The Neon Judgement
The Neon Judgement
The Neon Judgement is a Belgian new wave band.The band was started in Leuven in 1981 by Dirk Da Davo and TB Frank.On the 21st of August 1985, the band opened a new alternative music festival, named Pukkelpop...
, The Sound
The Sound
The Sound were an English post-punk band, formed in 1979 and dissolved in 1988. The band was fronted by Adrian Borland and evolved from his previous band, The Outsiders...
, Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre....
, Taxi Girl
Taxi Girl
Taxi Girl were a French New Wave band, adopting the New Romantic aesthetics of the time, such as clashing red and black clothing, synthesiser-led songs, and taking influence from mythology and literature. The group existed between 1978 and 1986, producing 5 mini-albums, and one full-length album,...
, Bill Pritchard
Bill Pritchard
Bill Pritchard is a British singer-songwriter, instrumentalist , musical arranger and producer. Despite being little known in his native country he has achieved considerable recognition in France and elsewhere.-Biography:...
and the Cassandra Complex.
In 1988 the label released the groundbreaking album Front By Front
Front By Front
-1992 reissue:These tracks were originally released on the Never Stop! EP, except for "Headhunter v1.0" which was originally released on the Headhunter EP.-Personnel:* Daniel Bressanutti* Patrick Codenys* Jean-Luc De Meyer* Richard Jonckheere...
by Front 242
Front 242
Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. They are known for being the premier pioneer of electronic body music and as a major influence on the electronic and industrial music genres.-Formation:...
including the single 'Headhunter' (with a video directed by Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
). The album became a classic and an inspiration for the industrial music scene that developed into the influential underground movement called Electric Body Music
During the next few years the label launched the careers of some very important European alternative acts, like The Young Gods from Switzerland, one of the most innovative and powerful bands of their time, or Meat Beat Manifesto from Swindon, U.K., a real avant-garde project driven by Jack Dangers experimenting with techno, jungle, industrial, dub and jazz fusion, while influencing major acts such as Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy.
With these bands, the then Brussels based label gained its first front pages in the UK music press (Melody Maker, Sounds, NME), before signing New Fast Automatic Daffodils
New Fast Automatic Daffodils
New Fast Automatic Daffodils were an alternative rock group from Manchester, England, active between 1988 and 1995.-History:The band was formed in 1988 by former members of the punk rock group Pariah...
(aka New Fads), one of the leaders of the new emerging scene from Manchester followed a few years later by another
British indie-rock act, Moose
Moose (band)
Moose were a British indie rock band who formed in London in 1990. The original line-up included Russell Yates , K.J. “Moose” McKillop , Damien Warburton , and Jeremy Tishler . After Warburton and Tishler left the band they were replaced with Lincoln Fong , his brother Russell , and Richard Thomas...
, formed in London by Russel Yates and K.J. McKillop.
Play It Again Sam also released a number of albums by American artists under license e from various US label partners. From the Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
produced Magnapop to Barkmarket (the band of producer Dave Sardy), the Kelly Deal 6000 (the band of the lead guitarist of The Breeders) and Pixies frontman Frank Black
Frank Black
Black Francis is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black...
's project Frank Black & The Catholics.
In 1994, Play It Again Sam signed a young Belgian band named Soulwax. Fronted by Stephen and David Dewaele, Soulwax released 3 critically acclaimed and successful studio albums. Their real moment of global success and glory however came in 2002 with the release of the DJ mix album "As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2
As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2
As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2 is the first album to be released by Soulwax alter-egos 2 Many DJs. It consists of 45 remixed tracks by a series of diverse artists including Dolly Parton, Basement Jaxx and 10cc. While some of the tracks are simply remixes, most tracks are mashup collages with the...
", their one and only official release as 2Many DJ's, still considered today as a revolutionary and unique masterpiece selling over 600.000 copies across the world.
In the year 2000, the label's headquarter moved from Brussels to London and was renamed [PIAS] Recordings
PIAS Recordings
[PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...
. [PIAS] Recordings in the UK took a stake in labels such as Fat Cat (which became a group owned sister label) and released the first two albums by Icelandic band Sigur Rós (which became one of the best selling acts in the label's history) and Mum. The Scottish band Mogwai signed to [PIAS] Recordings UK in 2001 and released 4 albums on the label.
[PIAS] Recordings continued to license US artists to the label including My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
, Dinosaur Jr. and Joan As Police Woman and also started to develop local operations in Germany, Holland, France and Spain, signing more local repertoire in these countries as well as licensing artists from the UK for continental Europe including in 2005 the Birmingham band Editors
Editors
Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...
.
The [PIAS] Entertainment Group announced at the end of 2010 that it would be re-launching Play It Again Sam as a frontline artist label.
Current roster
- Agnes ObelAgnes ObelAgnes Caroline Thaarup Obel is a Danish singer/songwriter. Her first album, Philharmonics, was released by PIAS Recordings on 4 October 2010 in Denmark, Norway, Germany and other European countries. Since June 2011, Philharmonics is certified gold by the Belgian Entertainment Association for...
- dEUSDEUSDeus is a rock band based in Antwerp, Belgium, whose only continuous members up to the present day are Tom Barman and Klaas Janzoons...
- Drive-By TruckersDrive-By TruckersDrive-By Truckers are an alternative country/Southern rock band based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of six members are originally from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama, and the band strongly identifies with Alabama. Their music uses three guitars as well as bass, drums, and now...
- EditorsEditorsEditors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...
- Harper SimonHarper SimonHarper James Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is the son of musician Paul Simon and Paul's first wife, Peggy Harper.-Early life:...
- I Am KlootI Am KlootI Am Kloot are an English band formed in Manchester, in 1999 by John Bramwell , Peter Jobson and Andy Hargreaves .-History:...
- Jim Jones Revue
- Joan As Police Woman
- Soap & Skin
See also
- [PIAS] Entertainment GroupPIAS Entertainment GroupPIAS is an international licensing, distribution, sales and marketing company for premium music, film and comedy.Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the group also has significant operations in the UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Ireland....
- [PIAS] RecordingsPIAS Recordings[PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...
- List of record labels