Falling A Records

Falling A Records is an independent record label from Essex, England, established in the late 1970s by Barry Lamb and Peter Ashby. The label developed out of the do-it-yourself cassette culture that connected musicians, small labels, mail-order operations, record shops, fanzines and politically engaged cultural groups outside the established music business. Rather than operating solely as a conventional label, Falling A combined recording, distribution, retail and publishing-related activity. The organization operated a shop in Clacton-on-Sea, where it sold new and second-hand records. It also distributed independent publications, including music fanzines and magazines such as New Crimes, Vague, Vox, Flipside, Juniper beri-beri and Blam!, as well as do-it-yourself magazines and comics. The operation is associated with distributing some of the earliest copies of Viz. Its activity extended beyond music merchandise: Falling A circulated leaflets connected with causes including anti-apartheid and anti-vivisection campaigns, reflecting the political and social networks that often overlapped with independent music culture during the period. The label maintained its own roster, including the Insane Picnic, Standing Ovation and Spasmodic Caress. It also released or distributed cassettes and, in some cases, vinyl recordings made by other independent labels. Associated labels and projects included Cause for Concern, Subway, Adventures in Reality, Music for Midgets, Third Mind and Colortapes. Falling A's distribution network helped expose material by a wider group of underground and alternative artists, including The Cleaners from Venus, Modern Art, Attrition, The Pastels, The Membranes and Wavis O'Shave, also known as Foffo Spearjig. Some artists created material specifically for Falling A, including The Cleaners from Venus and Foffo Spearjig. By 1985, the growing visibility of cassette culture was being noticed by the wider music industry. Falling A received an unusually substantial entry in the annual Music Week directory of British record labels, reportedly longer than the entry for EMI. This recognition illustrated the extent to which independent cassette-based activity had become part of the country's broader recorded-music landscape, even though Falling A remained outside the major-label system. The label was still operating as of July 2021. Its later work included reissuing catalogue material on compact disc, releasing new music and organizing archival material from its stored memorabilia, ephemera and past products. Falling A Records is therefore best understood not only as a label but also as a long-running archive and distribution project documenting Britain's independent cassette and post-punk-related culture.

Falling A Records was founded in Essex in the late 1970s by Barry Lamb and Peter Ashby. Its beginnings were closely connected to the do-it-yourself cassette movement, a decentralized culture in which musicians and small-scale operators recorded, duplicated, exchanged and sold music without relying on major record companies or conventional distribution. Falling A developed as a multifunctional operation within this environment rather than as a narrowly defined recording imprint. A central part of the operation was a shop in Clacton-on-Sea selling new and second-hand records. The shop and label provided a physical point of contact for music that circulated through independent networks. Falling A also distributed fanzines, including New Crimes, Vague, Vox, Flipside, Juniper beri-beri and Blam!, and handled do-it-yourself magazines and comics. Its activities included distributing some of the earliest copies of Viz. These publishing connections placed the label within a wider alternative-media ecosystem in which music, writing, illustration and small-press commerce overlapped. Falling A's work also reflected the political character of sections of the independent music scene. It distributed leaflets supporting causes such as anti-apartheid and anti-vivisection. This combination of music and political communication was characteristic of a period when independent record shops, fanzines, cassette labels and activist groups often shared audiences, addresses and distribution channels. The label released material by artists on its own roster, including the Insane Picnic, Standing Ovation and Spasmodic Caress. It additionally distributed recordings from other do-it-yourself labels, including Cause for Concern, Subway, Adventures in Reality, Music for Midgets, Third Mind and Colortapes. Through this network, Falling A became associated with a broad range of underground and alternative acts. Artists distributed or supported through the label included The Cleaners from Venus, Modern Art, Attrition, The Pastels, The Membranes and Wavis O'Shave, also known as Foffo Spearjig. The label also secured exclusive recordings from some artists, including The Cleaners from Venus and Foffo Spearjig. The wider music industry increasingly noticed cassette culture during the 1980s. In 1985, Falling A received a particularly large entry in the Music Week directory of British record labels, reportedly exceeding the space given to EMI. This did not turn the label into a major company, but it demonstrated that a small independent operation could achieve considerable visibility within a rapidly changing music market. Falling A remained in existence as of July 2021. Its later activities included issuing catalogue material on compact disc, releasing new music and preserving an extensive archive of memorabilia, ephemera and earlier products. The label's continuing significance lies in this combination of release-making, distribution, retail, publishing support and historical preservation. It documents how independent British music could function through interconnected local and mail-order networks well before digital distribution.

• 2021

  Catalogue reissues and archival activity continue

  [1]Falling A Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label remains active, reissuing back-catalogue material on compact disc, releasing new music and building an archive from its historical materials.

• 1985

  Falling A receives prominent Music Week directory coverage

  [1]Falling A Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label receives an unusually lengthy entry in the annual Music Week directory of United Kingdom record labels.

• Falling A Records is established in Essex

  [1]Falling A Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Barry Lamb and Peter Ashby establish the label during the late-1970s rise of Britain's do-it-yourself cassette movement.

• Clacton-on-Sea shop and distribution operation develop

  [1]Falling A Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization operates a shop selling new and second-hand records and expands into distribution for recordings, fanzines, magazines and comics.

A do-it-yourself independent music label, distributor, retailer and archive rooted in Britain's late-1970s cassette culture and alternative publishing networks.

• Recorded music

  Independent cassette releases

  Cassette recordings formed the foundation of Falling A Records' activity. The format enabled inexpensive production and circulation among artists, listeners and small labels outside the established music industry. Falling A issued material by acts on its own roster and distributed releases connected with other do-it-yourself operations.

• Recorded music

  Vinyl releases and distribution

  Although the label was strongly associated with cassette culture, it also handled some vinyl material. Vinyl releases and distribution broadened the reach of Falling A's catalogue and connected its cassette-based network with the more established physical-record market.

• Recorded music reissues

  Compact-disc catalogue reissues

  In its later activity, Falling A reissued material from its back catalogue on compact disc. These releases form part of the label's effort to preserve and make accessible recordings originally circulated through earlier independent formats.

• Distribution and publishing ephemera

  Independent music and print distribution

  Falling A distributed recordings from other do-it-yourself labels and circulated fanzines, magazines, comics and political leaflets. This combined distribution model made the label a node in a broader alternative-media network rather than only a producer of its own records.

1. 1Falling A Recordsen.wikipedia.org