Agitato Records

Agitato Records was an Italian independent record label based in Roncade, in the Veneto region, founded in 1998 by Nicolò Gasparini, leader of the band Peter Punk. The label specialised in Italian punk rock, melodic hardcore, ska and hardcore punk, and its releases were distributed by Venus. It played a central role in documenting and promoting the Italian scene that became known as flower-punk, a melodic and youthful offshoot of hardcore punk. The label's first release was Fuori moda by C.S.C.H., followed by the EP Pride And Glory by Fuckin' Noise. In 1999 it issued the compilation Great Time for Agitato Records, which brought together established Italian acts such as Gli Impossibili, Derozer, Germinale, Crush!, Los Fastidios, Punkreas and Shandon. The year 2000 was a breakthrough: Agitato released the self-titled debut album by Peter Punk, described by Stefano Gilardino as a "small sales miracle"; Don't Waste Time by Sun Eats Hours, credited with energising audiences and introducing Italian music abroad; and the debut EP Extended Playing by OJM, which opened the catalogue to stoner rock and psychedelic rock. Compilations such as Astropunkers 2000 and the double CD Punk Generation Vol. I mapped the new Italian melodic hardcore scene, mixing first-generation hardcore bands like Raw Power with second-wave acts such as Peter Punk, C.S.C.H. and Fuckin' Noise. In 2001, through Ilich Rausa of Rude Records, Sun Eats Hours placed a track on a Rock Sound compilation, which led to the band opening Italian dates for the Offspring and gaining wider recognition. In 2002 Agitato released Punk Generation Vol. 2 and the debut album Guerriglia urbana by Latte+, whose title track and Rock TV video became a flower-punk manifesto. Sun Eats Hours' second album Will sold well in Italy and Europe and opened the Swiss market; the band opened for the Vandals and played the Anti Tour Festival. The label also continued supporting Peter Punk with the album Ruggine?. In 2003 Agitato reissued Forty Winks' debut To the Lonely Hearts and released the Peter Punk collection Sarò pornostar!, followed in 2004 by the album XI. Agitato Records closed in 2004 following the breakup of Peter Punk, the band of owner Nicolò Gasparini. Its catalogue remains a reference point for the Italian flower-punk and melodic hardcore scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Agitato Records was founded in 1998 by Nicolò Gasparini, leader of the band Peter Punk, with the aim of producing bands from the Italian hardcore punk scene that would later be called flower-punk. The label was based in Roncade, in the Veneto region, and its records were distributed by Venus. The first release was Fuori moda by C.S.C.H., followed by the EP Pride And Glory by Fuckin' Noise. Later that same year came the first compilation, Great Time for Agitato Records, which gathered heavyweight Italian bands such as Gli Impossibili, Derozer, Germinale, Crush!, Los Fastidios, Punkreas and Shandon. In 2000 the label published two debut albums that became highly popular. The first was the self-titled album by Peter Punk, which entered the flower-punk circuit and was described by Stefano Gilardino as a "small sales miracle", with rough hardcore punk and almost garage punk sounds and youthful, goliardic lyrics. The second was Don't Waste Time by Sun Eats Hours, credited with having "made hundreds and hundreds of kids jump and made the other face of Italian music known abroad". That same year also saw the debut EP by OJM, Extended Playing, which opened the label's catalogue to decidedly more stoner rock and psychedelic rock sounds. In the compilation Astropunkers 2000, nationally known flower-punk bands such as Shandon, Porno Riviste and Los Fastidios and first-generation hardcore bands like Raw Power were placed alongside debut second-wave bands such as Peter Punk, C.S.C.H. and Fuckin' Noise. In Punk Generation Vol. I, also from 2000, the label attempted to map the entire new Italian melodic hardcore scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s on a double CD. Also in 2000 they released the first work by stoner rock group OJM, the EP Extended Playing. In 2001, through the involvement of Ilich Rausa of Rude Records, Sun Eats Hours had a song included on a Rock Sound compilation; thanks to the resulting fame the band was contacted to open the Italian dates of the Offspring tour, and this notoriety led them to share the stage with other international artists and gain attention through reviews in specialised magazines. 2002 was the year of the second volume of the Punk Generation compilation. That same year saw the debut album by Latte+ entitled Guerriglia urbana, which achieved moderate success and became one of the manifesto songs of flower-punk of those years, also thanks to the video played on Rock TV. Will, the second album by Sun Eats Hours, opened the Swiss market with an excellent number of sales between Italy and Europe; on this wave of success, in the summer the group opened for the Vandals and participated in the Anti Tour Festival alongside important punk rock bands. Also in 2002 the label continued its support for Peter Punk, increasingly at the forefront of the contemporary punk scene, releasing their album Ruggine?. In 2003 the label reissued the debut album by Forty Winks, To the Lonely Hearts. That same year saw the Peter Punk collection Sarò pornostar!, and 2004 brought the album XI. The label closed in 2004 following the breakup of Peter Punk, the band of owner Nicolò Gasparini.

• 2004

  Peter Punk album XI released.

• 2004

  Agitato Records closes following the breakup of Peter Punk.

• 2003

  Forty Winks' debut album To the Lonely Hearts reissued.

• 2003

  Peter Punk collection Sarò pornostar! released.

• 2002

  Punk Generation Vol. 2 released.

• 2002

  Latte+'s debut album Guerriglia urbana released.

• 2002

  Sun Eats Hours' second album Will released; band opens for the Vandals and plays Anti Tour Festival.

• 2002

  Peter Punk's album Ruggine? released.

• 2001

  Sun Eats Hours place a track on a Rock Sound compilation and open for the Offspring in Italy.

• 2000

  Peter Punk's self-titled debut album released.

• 2000

  Sun Eats Hours' debut album Don't Waste Time released.

• 2000

  OJM's debut EP Extended Playing released.

• 2000

  Compilations Astropunkers 2000 and Punk Generation Vol. I released.

• 1999

  Compilation Great Time for Agitato Records released.

• 1998

  Agitato Records founded by Nicolò Gasparini in Roncade, Veneto.

• 1998

  First release: Fuori moda by C.S.C.H.

• 1998

  EP Pride And Glory by Fuckin' Noise released.

Independent Italian punk and hardcore label central to the flower-punk scene.

• 1998

  Fuori moda

• 1998

  Pride And Glory

• 1999

  Great Time for Agitato Records

• 2000

  Peter Punk

• 2000

  Don't Waste Time

• 2000

  Extended Playing

• 2000

  Astropunkers 2000

• 2000

  Punk Generation Vol. I

• 2002

  Punk Generation Vol. 2

• 2002

  Guerriglia urbana

• 2002

  Will

• 2002

  Ruggine?

• 2003

  To the Lonely Hearts

• 2003

  Sarò pornostar!

• 2003

  San Tommaso vol. 1

• 2004

  XI

1. 1Agitato Records – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Agitato Records – Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org
3. 3Official website (archived)agitatorecords.com