Figure & Ground Records

Figure & Ground Records is an American independent record label and production outfit based in Brooklyn, New York. It was founded in 2015 by Lily Wen, a freelance producer, engineer, and mixer who works primarily out of Figure 8 Recording in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The label was created to support independent musicians and to unify the production process — from recording and mixing through to physical release — under one roof. The label's catalog spans experimental, avant-garde, and globally minded music. Releases include work by Otracami, DILEMASTRONAUTA y La Tripulación Cósmica, Nathan O'Flynn-Pruitt, Ian Davis: Rock Band, STEFA*, Bulla en el Barrio, Shahzad Ali Ismaily vs. Niño Lento es Fuego, Miles Francis & Jas Walton, Michael Rocketship, Combo Chimbita, mammifères, Relatives, Bogie Kaufman Mann, cold weather boy, Les Yper Sound, and Jas Walton. Formats range from vinyl LPs and 12-inch EPs to cassettes, CDs, custom 45s, handcut records, and even a chapbook, reflecting a hands-on, artisanal approach to physical media. Beyond releasing records, Figure & Ground functions as a production services company. Lily Wen offers audio engineering, mixing, and mastering services, as well as front-of-house and monitor engineering for live performances. She also provides on-site recording through a mobile unit called the LILY PAD. The label maintains an online store and a direct line for order inquiries, collaborations, and engineering work. Figure & Ground is a private, independent operation. It has no parent company and is not publicly traded. Its identity is closely tied to its founder's dual role as label head and engineer, and to the Brooklyn creative music community. The label's releases are sold primarily through its own website and at independent record shops, with some titles marked as sold out, indicating limited pressings and collector interest.

Figure & Ground Records was founded in 2015 by Lily Wen, a freelance producer, engineer, and mixer based in Brooklyn, New York. Wen works primarily out of Figure 8 Recording in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and launched the label with the dual aim of supporting independent musicians and unifying the production process — bringing recording, mixing, and physical manufacturing under a single creative direction. From its early years, the label carved out a niche for experimental, avant-garde, and internationally influenced music. Its catalog grew to include artists such as Combo Chimbita, STEFA*, mammifères, Michael Rocketship, Jas Walton, and Bulla en el Barrio, among others. Releases were issued in a variety of physical formats — vinyl LPs, 12-inch EPs, cassettes, CDs, custom 45s, and handcut records — often in limited pressings that sold out. The label also developed a distinctive series of releases called "Session," including Session No. 1 by mammifères, Session No. 2 by Combo Chimbita, and Session No. 3 by Michael Rocketship. These sessions reflect the label's emphasis on capturing live, in-studio performances. In addition to its label activities, Figure & Ground operates as a production services company. Lily Wen offers audio engineering, mixing, and mastering, as well as front-of-house and monitor engineering for live shows. She also provides on-site recording via a mobile unit called the LILY PAD. The label maintains an online store at figureandgroundrecords.com and communicates with customers and collaborators through email and social media. As of the mid-2020s, Figure & Ground remains an independent, privately owned label with no parent company. Its identity is closely tied to Wen's engineering practice and to the Brooklyn creative music scene.

• 2015

  Figure & Ground Records founded by Lily Wen in Brooklyn, New York.

• Release of Session No. 1 by mammifères.

• Release of Session No. 2 by Combo Chimbita.

• Release of Session No. 3 by Michael Rocketship.

• Release of Combo Chimbita - Abya Yala (LP), later reissued as a splatter LP.

• Release of STEFA* - Born With An Extra Rib (LP + 45).

Independent, artist-focused label and production house specializing in experimental and global music, with a hands-on, unified production approach.

• Otracami - Runoff (Oracle Deck)

• DILEMASTRONAUTA y La Tripulación Cósmica - SLEEPWALK (12" EP)

• Nathan O'Flynn-Pruitt - Songs from Behind a Mountain (Gatefold Vinyl LP)

• Ian Davis: Rock Band - Alternate/Opposite (tape)

• STEFA* - Born With An Extra Rib (LP + 45)

• Bulla en el Barrio - Vámonos que nos vamos (Opaque White LP)

• Shahzad Ali Ismaily vs. Niño Lento es Fuego - Ahora Contra El Resto De Los Tiempos, Vol. 1 (LP)

• Miles Francis & Jas Walton - Basement Tape (tape)

• STEFA* - Sepalina (CD)

• Michael Rocketship - The Meaning of Love (Tape)

• [REISSUE] Combo Chimbita - Abya Yala (splatter LP)

• mammifères - Olema (handcut LP + logbook)

• Relatives - Strange We Fall (chapbook)

• Bogie Kaufman Mann - Vol. 1 (custom 45)

• cold weather boy - how did it get so late? (handcut 10-inch)

• Combo Chimbita - Abya Yala (LP)

• Les Yper Sound - Explorations in Drums & Sax (coke-bottle clear LP)

• Jas Walton - Face the Facts: Words by Alan Watts (10-inch EP)

• Session No. 3 - Michael Rocketship

• Session No. 2 - Combo Chimbita

• Session No. 1 - mammifères

1. 1Figure & Ground official websitefigureandgroundrecords.com
2. 2About — Figure & Groundfigureandgroundrecords.com
3. 3Figure & Ground Records - Wikidatawikidata.org