‘ARTISTS DON'T NEED LABELS AS MUCH AS THEY USED TO, WHICH IS GREAT'
ur friends electric
Decent tunes over a fast buck have always been the preference of credible indie labels and Benbecula are no different. Doug Johnstone samples their wares
he Senttixh eleetrnniea xeene ix pt'nbttbl} healthier nn\\ than it‘x e\er been. and that‘x tIit\\ll in nn xniall part in llenbeeula Ix’eenrdx. I'itl'lllt‘tI eight _\earx agn b_\ artixtx Beluga and I’haxe (i. and eiirrenth riiii nn a da_\—tn~da} baxix b_\ general manager Sle\en .\le(‘nniiell. the lidinburgh-baxed
Independent label hax been ;i lineal pnint lnr xnitie nl
the l'inexl eleetrnniea thix entintr} hax tn nl'ler. ax \\e|I .ix putting niit pleiit} nl intriguing iniixie Il‘ttlll \ariniix nther genrex and eniintriex.
‘.\ ettIiL‘eltu' HI. Itke—lltllldL‘d llldi\ldtl'.tl\ gnt lttgL‘IIlCl‘ in l‘l‘l‘l tn xtart a label that \xniild IltlllL‘ItlII} be the lirxt nl it'x kind in Sentlandf xa_\x .\le('nnne|l. '\\e didn‘t xee iniieh l'nr\\ard thinking ai‘niind. \xe nnl} reall} \ianted tn dn xnniething that xniinded innilern and made nne re .ixxexx \ihat the} tliniiglit \\;ix gnnd inuxie.‘
llenbeeiila ean perhan be thniight nl' ax a ninre eninpaet \erxinn nl' \\.ii'p. and their iniprexxh e rnxter ix eentred nn tlte kind nl lel'tlield. dn\\nbe;it l'nlktrnniea and ambient that lelln\\ Senix Hnardx nt (‘anada prndiiee par e\ee||enee. But the label hax ennugh eharaeter and tiiialit} tn itx niitpiit tn ha\ e earx ed nitt a hand) niehe tni' itxell_ .ind \let’nnnell. tiiiite rightl}. xhiex ;i\\.i} l‘rnin xiieh pat eninparixnnx.
'\\’e are nnt interexted in genrex. elitiuex nr releaxing iniixie b_\ [tenple \xhn are alread} lainniix." he xa_\x. '\\e preter building penple l'rnin ne\t tn nnthing. \\ e are lltrl iiiterexted in making a taxi biiek l'rnin att extablixhed xtar. althniigh a taxi biiek \xniild be nieef
llenbeeiila are nne iii a eliiteh nt \lllttII independent labelx etirrentl} thrning .iernxx the geniex itt Rowland. \Inngxide the likex nt (‘heinikal l litit‘l';littlll\I. le'\l.
l‘enee and $1.. Benbeeiila are a line e\aniple nl' hn\\ dedieatinn In new intixie and breaking ne\\ grniind are the ent‘net'xtnttex nl' \xhat iniixie labelx xhniild be abniit. althnti:_‘h \let'nnnell xeex thix deiniieratixatinn nl iniixie ax iiixt the xtart.
"the label entitx ix a bit nl' a rnugh terni thexe tI'd_\\ ;iii)\\;i§.' he x;i_\x. ‘I xee it e\nl\ing. nr lll;t}IlL‘ de\nl\ ing. intn a tree. L‘ttlllllltlltlt) -baxed prnieel. .-\rtixtx dnn't need labelx ax niiieh ax the} tixed tn. the internet hax xnrted that ntit. \\ hieh I thittk ix great.‘
Sinee their bii'tli in NW). Benbeeiila ha\e etixt their net tar and \xide tn find the niiixie that e\eitex thein. :\ltlttll:_‘ the Senttixh enntingent. \xhieh inakex up about hall nl their i‘nxter. thei'e'x the ia//} lnlklrnitiea nl Re\erb;iphnn. tlte alternathe I‘UII\ til \Vtitlllded Knee. the indie guitar rnek nl' (ienarn and the eniginatie eleetrnniea nl'('hrixt. .-\|l l'niir nl' thexe aetx ean be xeen alnngxide three ntherx at a lnrthenining label xhnueaxe. a night \xhieh might hnpeltill} gn xnrne mi} in inereaxing the label‘x prnlile and eheering up the man \\hn riinx it. \\hn dnexn't xee inueh in the mi} nl inxpiratinn rniind abnut him.
'I lnnk arniind at \\ hat nther labelx are dning. bntli undergrniind and pnp. and I am enn\ ineed that l’nlk \\ ill lnnk baek nn thix era ax a dark and iiiiinxpiring nne. iniieh like hnu penple nnu \ie\\ the TII\ bel'nre punkf \;l_\\ .\Ie('nnne||. 'It reall} ix prett} terrible xtiil'l. IInpelull} Benbeeula \xill xtand nut ax a little ieuel iii ainnngxt the xhit \\ hen people lnnk baek at the 2tllltlx.' Benbecula Records showcase, Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh, Fri 30 Nov.
THE BEST ROCK. POP. JAZZ & FOLK
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Benbecula Records showcase Star: rm. wit lb’ee Red Bar. I (I’ll/LIN)", I: [trivia t/i’tmk (i: Pr): ,
The Parsonage l‘w: inassrxl (II‘Ull set In rm: ' o: ‘Nli Cash. Btlti'tf} {lilti kept“: tin-iv! illOtl ’.I(3I)tlt l P ’Jlt ()lIiil’li' '. USO/Hill. label 8w: ir'i:.i»;.'. page 6?. Store/i. ()lt'if t," ($51" 7 DOC. (Hock .8 Hip
Kings of Leon (grit-tr. I)Q(10llllll(l’)lt‘:0i "int/rimt Itr’i’I best rtick'n'rnl' traiirlv {,ilrlSiClltIUllt. the Kurds 0305.331 Junk habits and Slit/1i’ll1’,~’}‘:". ‘ui that most l)(}:,tlit£it 'i‘ Tilllt’l‘i ftim‘; days birm’l/ itiéirxeliw timer; SECC. Glasgow Man '1 Der, Mock 8 Porn
Esperanza, The Starlets, Sensorium and World Record Club A tLir't’lrzir',‘:.’ "1' the Glasgrm Uni/Wet, F310;, "' t: V‘Jar Sweet, (,r/tIlI) tiitt'i 5'1: nitiSic with a reiiutatilr; cam/,- ‘i‘ a damn fine venue indeed l/*./<)cdsrde Soc/(ii C/i 1b. Gland/m. Thu 6 Dec. ’HOCr” 8 Pop,
XFM Winter Wonderland teat Stereophonics. The Wang and Figure 5 flit/1's annual shindig of pop ton hula-"y headlined by the IJQ'QtlituC‘U Welsh rock wonders .‘xtti wine secret SDBClal guests i0 IJOOY. Carling Academy, G/aegd‘xx. Mon
7-3 Dec. icy 8 Pcc
b a lt:l)‘:l'it)llt; at line. ll‘v ,,
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