Too Pure
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Too Pure | |
---|---|
Parent company | Beggars Group |
Founded | 1990 |
Founder | Richard Roberts and Paul Cox |
Defunct | 2008 |
Distributor(s) | Beggars Group |
Genre | Alternative rock |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Location | London |
Official website | toopure |
Too Pure Records was a London-based independent record label formed in 1990 by Richard Roberts and Paul Cox.[1] The label gained prominence after the release of PJ Harvey's debut studio album Dry in 1992, and subsequently found further success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with albums by indie rock artists such as Mclusky and Electrelane. The label was closed in 2008.
History
Too Pure started off as an experimental label and built its reputation by releasing primarily
Too Pure became majority owned by the Beggars Group, taking over and increasing the shareholding previously owned by Watts-Russell. Remaining founder Paul Cox and MD Nick West were minority shareholders. Co-founder and mainman, Richard Roberts moved to Australia in 1997, being replaced by Nick West. From 2001 the label was run by Jason White, formerly of the Mean Fiddler and the former press officer at Too Pure, following the departure of Nick West, who'd returned from the US to run the label as MD from 1997. Nick West also established the Derrière de la Garage publishing arm of the label in order to sign Hefner's publishing.
On 7 July 2008, it was announced on its Web site that Too Pure "is no more" and that "the artists currently on those labels will be released through 4AD," yet it will continue operating its Too Pure Singles Club. In 2009 Paul Riddlesworth took over the reins of the Too Pure singles club signing bands that include Pulled Apart by Horses, Friendship, Bear Hands, JEFF the Brotherhood, The Lucid Dream, DZ Deathrays, Fear of Men, The Lovely Eggs, Dead Skeletons, Deaf Club, False Advertising, Seize The Chair, Best Friends and HOOKWORMS. In 2013, the roster added Beard of Wolves, Seasfire, Menace Beach, Black Moth, Department M, Lola Colt and Sealings. The Singles Club continues to run as a subscription based label.
Artists
- Billy Mahonie
- Bows
- Electrelane
- Fear of Men
- Friendship
- Future of the Left
- Hefner
- Jack
- Kaputt
- Laika
- Long Fin Killie
- Mclusky
- Monade
- Moonshake
- Motormark
- Mouse on Mars
- Murry the Hump
- Peggy Sue
- PJ Harvey
- Pram
- Rothko
- Scout Niblett
- Scala
- Seefeel
- Seely
- Shooting at Unarmed Men
- Stereolab
- Suncarriage
- Th' Faith Healers
- The Keys
- The Rogers Sisters
- Tigercub
- Tracy and the Plastics
- Voodoo Queens
See also
- Too Pure – The Peel Sessions
- Lists of record labels
- List of electronic music record labels
- List of independent UK record labels
References
- ISBN 0754640647.