Designer Labels: Memphis Industries
Simone Scott Warren takes a look at some of Memphis Industries' essential releases in time for their 13th birthday.
Posted 30th November 2011, 1:15pm in Features, by Simone Scott Warren
The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike
In 2004, it seemed impossible to get away from the Go! Team's debut long player, but the truth was, no one really wanted to. Earning itself a worthy nomination for the Mercury Music Prize, with tracks like 'Ladyflash' and 'Bottle Rocket', the Go! Team managed to spend the summer soundtracking nearly every goal montage on every football show on our telly boxes. Exuberant, energetic and brash, it appeared as though the Go! Team were on a mission to herald the return of the Hardcore Jumble Carbootechnodisco Roadshow. And who knew that combining Sonic Youth, the Beastie Boys and Malcolm McClaren's Double Dutch could be so much fun?
In a game of the Six Degrees of Separation, you'd probably imagine it to be a lot harder than it actually is to link the Pipettes to Dutch Uncles, by way of the Go! Team. But in reality, there's one definite connection, because all these artists have found themselves sipping coffee (we'd imagine, but maybe it was tea), in the esteemed offices of Memphis Industries, the London label that's been run for the last thirteen (count 'em) years, by brothers Matt and Ollie Jacob.
There's still a metaphorical question mark over our heads as to what makes someone decide to set up their own label. Whilst the benefits of being in a band might be more obvious (money, groupies, free booze), being the men who finance those shiny records in our collections hardly seems the stuff of childhood dreams. So when given the chance to quiz one of the brothers Jacob, our first question seemed clear, was the creation of Memphis Industries a happy accident? Apparently not, Ollie assures us, although he does concede that the brothers weren't necessarily planning the next decade and a bit of their lives around the endeavour. “It was definitely a conscious decision to release some 12” EPs, but definitely not a conscious decision to keep going for so long.” he tells us, “Every time I felt like we might be coming to a full stop, something would come along to whip us again.”
As for our personal favourite theory, that label bosses are secretly frustrated musicians, especially when you consider the sheer volume of labels set up by bands themselves (Pizza College, Beats, Chemikal Underground etc), Ollie's quick to shoot that down too. “Well I released a couple of 12”s on the label early on, got a track on a big US car ad and figured I’d quit while I was ahead. So no, defo no frustrated musicians any more at Memphis Towers”.
So really, we're no closer to that definitive answer as to why, but perhaps it doesn't really matter in the long run. Here at DIY, we're all about celebrating those smaller independent labels; after all they're the backbone of our record collections. So perhaps the more interesting question is, what attracts a smaller label, devoid of A&R men to point them in the “right” direction, to the bands that make up their rosters? “I guess it literally comes down to hearing things that get our juices going,” Ollie counters, “There’s really no logical connection between The Go! Team and Field Music, for example. Working with good people is always important, and that goes for the teams you build around each band as much as the bands themselves.”
When you're catering for acts as diverse as El Perro Del Mar and Tokyo Police Club, it must be difficult to maintain a semblance of control over their output. A problem that is mitigated, it seems, by simply just letting them get on with it. “Artistically we largely let them do their thing,” Ollie concurs, “I mean, we might point out if we think something needs polishing or improving, but largely we respect the fact that we are a mere conduit to our bands creative talents.”
We're definitely building up the picture of a label who are refusing to behave like terrible teens, despite their years. Instead, Ollie's trading on diplomacy, gently rebuffing our request for his personal favourite release from his back catalogue (“Oh come on, we can’t say that!”), and even considering the constantly shifting landscape of the music industry in a positive light. “The ability for music to spread internationally, to be able to feel that something can be immediately global, has been huge for us,”he considers, “And the fact the rules keep getting changed mean that there's a more level playing field out there. No one knows what the hell is going on.”
That said, does he have any pearls of wisdom for anyone else considering along a similar career path? “Be sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Don’t think big, think tall instead – it's not about spending money to make success it’s about making the most of all the resources out there to make your label work. And if you can get publishing, get it.” Sage advice, indeed.
So we turn our attention to the future. With their 13th birthday party taking place at Koko on the 30th November, and featuring glittering Memphis luminaries such as Field Music and Go! Team, the next twelve months appear to be both mapped and packed. “In early 2012 we’re releasing albums from Milagres, Hooray for Earth and Field Music, which is all super exciting,” Ollie enthuses, “The Ruby Suns, Frankie Rose, Dutch Uncles and Colourmusic are all working on new albums, and what we’ve heard so far on those is amazing. And if you haven’t yet checked out Elephant you should seek out their recent Assembly EP because its lovely.”
And to think, for my thirteenth birthday, all I got was a 'Now That's What I Call Music' compilation and a terrible case of acne.
The Memphis Industries Lucky 13 birthday show takes place at Koko on the 30th November, featuring Go! Team, Field Music, Dutch Uncles and Colourmusic. For tickets and an exclusive 13 track compilation download featuring Memphis alumni past and present, purchase your tickets from: memphis-industries.com.
There's still a metaphorical question mark over our heads as to what makes someone decide to set up their own label. Whilst the benefits of being in a band might be more obvious (money, groupies, free booze), being the men who finance those shiny records in our collections hardly seems the stuff of childhood dreams. So when given the chance to quiz one of the brothers Jacob, our first question seemed clear, was the creation of Memphis Industries a happy accident? Apparently not, Ollie assures us, although he does concede that the brothers weren't necessarily planning the next decade and a bit of their lives around the endeavour. “It was definitely a conscious decision to release some 12” EPs, but definitely not a conscious decision to keep going for so long.” he tells us, “Every time I felt like we might be coming to a full stop, something would come along to whip us again.”
As for our personal favourite theory, that label bosses are secretly frustrated musicians, especially when you consider the sheer volume of labels set up by bands themselves (Pizza College, Beats, Chemikal Underground etc), Ollie's quick to shoot that down too. “Well I released a couple of 12”s on the label early on, got a track on a big US car ad and figured I’d quit while I was ahead. So no, defo no frustrated musicians any more at Memphis Towers”.
So really, we're no closer to that definitive answer as to why, but perhaps it doesn't really matter in the long run. Here at DIY, we're all about celebrating those smaller independent labels; after all they're the backbone of our record collections. So perhaps the more interesting question is, what attracts a smaller label, devoid of A&R men to point them in the “right” direction, to the bands that make up their rosters? “I guess it literally comes down to hearing things that get our juices going,” Ollie counters, “There’s really no logical connection between The Go! Team and Field Music, for example. Working with good people is always important, and that goes for the teams you build around each band as much as the bands themselves.”
When you're catering for acts as diverse as El Perro Del Mar and Tokyo Police Club, it must be difficult to maintain a semblance of control over their output. A problem that is mitigated, it seems, by simply just letting them get on with it. “Artistically we largely let them do their thing,” Ollie concurs, “I mean, we might point out if we think something needs polishing or improving, but largely we respect the fact that we are a mere conduit to our bands creative talents.”
We're definitely building up the picture of a label who are refusing to behave like terrible teens, despite their years. Instead, Ollie's trading on diplomacy, gently rebuffing our request for his personal favourite release from his back catalogue (“Oh come on, we can’t say that!”), and even considering the constantly shifting landscape of the music industry in a positive light. “The ability for music to spread internationally, to be able to feel that something can be immediately global, has been huge for us,”he considers, “And the fact the rules keep getting changed mean that there's a more level playing field out there. No one knows what the hell is going on.”
That said, does he have any pearls of wisdom for anyone else considering along a similar career path? “Be sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Don’t think big, think tall instead – it's not about spending money to make success it’s about making the most of all the resources out there to make your label work. And if you can get publishing, get it.” Sage advice, indeed.
So we turn our attention to the future. With their 13th birthday party taking place at Koko on the 30th November, and featuring glittering Memphis luminaries such as Field Music and Go! Team, the next twelve months appear to be both mapped and packed. “In early 2012 we’re releasing albums from Milagres, Hooray for Earth and Field Music, which is all super exciting,” Ollie enthuses, “The Ruby Suns, Frankie Rose, Dutch Uncles and Colourmusic are all working on new albums, and what we’ve heard so far on those is amazing. And if you haven’t yet checked out Elephant you should seek out their recent Assembly EP because its lovely.”
And to think, for my thirteenth birthday, all I got was a 'Now That's What I Call Music' compilation and a terrible case of acne.
The Memphis Industries Lucky 13 birthday show takes place at Koko on the 30th November, featuring Go! Team, Field Music, Dutch Uncles and Colourmusic. For tickets and an exclusive 13 track compilation download featuring Memphis alumni past and present, purchase your tickets from: memphis-industries.com.
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