Wall of Sound (record label)
Encyclopedia
Wall of Sound is an independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...

 based in London, England. It is part of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group
PIAS Recordings
[PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...

, a European independent music company.

The label was founded by Mark Jones
Mark Jones (Wall of Sound)
Mark Jones is the founder of Wall of Sound record label.-Early life:He was born in Hayes, Middlesex. He went to art college and left after one day to form a visuals company called Pop with Michael Speechley...

 in 1994 and started out producing electronic music genres such as big beat before diversifying into a broad range of musical genres.

History

Wall of Sound stemmed from a collaboration between Jones and Marc Lessner when Lessner hired Jones to work at south London distributor Soul Trader
Soul Trader
-Track listing:# "6 Space " 5:43# "Are You Ready" 5:44# "Prohibition" 4:05# "Only Way To Survive" 4:03# "Find A Way" 5:59# "Western World" 4:01# "No Soul" 5:21# "Feel Alright" 5:35# "Kashmir" 5:29# "Music" 5:46# "Jackpot" 5:15# "Trapped" 4:40...

. From there they put together and released the first Wall Of Sound compilation, Give `Em Enough Dope, in 1995, a collection of tracks by new artists of the time that they were distributing, including Kruder and Dorfmeister, Howie B, Mekon
John "Zos Kia" Gosling
-Biography:John Gosling , currently known as Mekon is a British big beat and Industrial musician and electronica producer....

 and The Wiseguys
The Wiseguys
The Wiseguys was a British electronica and hip hop band that was responsible for creating the song "Start the Commotion" that was in a Mitsubishi TV advertisement, as well as the films Lizzie McGuire, Zoolander and Kangaroo Jack; and "Ooh La La", which was used in Budweiser commercials...

. Further compilations would feature Pressure Drop, Larry Heard
Larry Heard
Larry Heard is a Memphis, Tennessee-based musician widely known for the Chicago-based house music he produced during the mid-1980s and continues to produce today. He was leader of the influential group Fingers Inc. and has recorded solo under various names, most notably Mr...

, The Ballistic Brothers and Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...

 with label signings Akasha
Akasha
Akasha is the Sanskrit word meaning "aether" in both its elemental and metaphysical senses.-Hinduism:...

, Les Rhythmes Digitales and Propellerheads
Propellerheads
Propellerheads were a British big beat musical ensemble, formed in 1995 and made up of electronic producers Will White and Alex Gifford. The term propellerhead is slang for a nerd, and when Gifford and White heard a friend from California use this in a conversation, they thought it the perfect name...

.

The label started a club night at London's Blue Note
Blue Note (jazz clubs)
The Blue Note is a jazz club and restaurant located at in Greenwich Village, New York City. Opened in 1981 by owner and founder Danny Bensusan, the club is now considered one of the world's most famous jazz venues...

 called "Back To Mono" at which a Bath-based duo, Propellerheads
Propellerheads
Propellerheads were a British big beat musical ensemble, formed in 1995 and made up of electronic producers Will White and Alex Gifford. The term propellerhead is slang for a nerd, and when Gifford and White heard a friend from California use this in a conversation, they thought it the perfect name...

 were causing a stir. Their ensuing single "History Repeating" with Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...

 and the album Decksanddrumsandrockandroll were release by Wall of Sound in 1998 and topped the charts in the UK and many other countries across the world.

The success of the Propellerheads was soon followed up by The Wiseguys
The Wiseguys
The Wiseguys was a British electronica and hip hop band that was responsible for creating the song "Start the Commotion" that was in a Mitsubishi TV advertisement, as well as the films Lizzie McGuire, Zoolander and Kangaroo Jack; and "Ooh La La", which was used in Budweiser commercials...

 whose single "Ooh La La" was used in a beer commercial and went on to sell half a million singles. The label gained international recognition and residencies were set up in cities around the globe including a yearly summer residency at Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...

's "Manumission" (an annual club party).

In 1999 Jacques Lu Cont
Stuart Price
Stuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...

 aka Les Rythmes Digitales made his second album for the label called Darkdancer
Darkdancer
Darkdancer is the second studio album released by Les Rythmes Digitales. It was first released in May 1999 but received little critical acclaim, albeit more than the band's first release, Libération...

which featured guest vocalists such as Nik Kershaw
Nik Kershaw
Nik Kershaw is an English singer-songwriter. The one time jazz-funk guitarist was a mid-1980s teen idol. His 50 weeks on the UK Singles Chart in 1984 beat all other soloists...

, Shannon
Shannon (singer)
Shannon is an American singer. She is best known for her 1983 million-selling record, "Let the Music Play". The record re-defined the electro funk sound that would eventually be called freestyle music.-Biography:...

 and Thomas Riberio.

Zoot Woman
Zoot Woman
Zoot Woman are a British electronic music band consisting of Adam Blake, Johnny Blake and Stuart Price.Known for their live shows, the group has gained a worldwide following. With the album Living In A Magazine Zoot Woman established themselves on the music scene.Credited by many within the...

 also released their debut album on Wall of Sound.

After the first initial years of success, Jones decided to set up sub-labels:
  • Bad Magic promoted hip hop
    Hip hop
    Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

     talent such as Blak Twang
    Blak Twang
    Blak Twang who also uses the pseudonyms of Taipanic and Tony Rotton, is a British rapper who grew up in Deptford, Lewisham, South East London...

    , The Creators
    The Creators
    The Creators is a non-fiction work of cultural history by Daniel Boorstin published in 1992 and is the second volume in what has become known as the Knowledge Trilogy. It was preceded by The Discoverers and succeeded by The Seekers.-Contents:...

     and Ugly Duckling;
  • We Love You was a venture into guitars and songs, amongst other things, that launched the careers of The Bees
    The Bees (UK band)
    The Bees are an English band from Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. Although their sound is generally classified as indie rock or psychedelic rock, the band have a colourful range of styles and influences, such as 1960s garage rock, country, reggae and jazz.-History:The Bees have so far released four...

    , I Am Kloot
    I Am Kloot
    I Am Kloot are an English band formed in Manchester, in 1999 by John Bramwell , Peter Jobson and Andy Hargreaves .-History:...

     and Shawn Lee
    Shawn Lee (musician)
    Shawn Lee is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist from Wichita, Kansas but now lives in London, England. He is currently working on a new band project with AM with the first album coming out July 12, 2011.-Career:...

    .


Norwegian electronic luminaries Röyksopp
Röyksopp
Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland....

 were signed to the label and their debut album Melody AM was released in 2001 and went platinum.

A bi-monthly residency at London's Fabric
Fabric (club)
Fabric is a nightclub in London, United Kingdom. It was voted number 1 in DJ Magazine's "Top 100 Clubs in the World" poll in 2007 and number 2 in 2008, 2009 and 2010...

 started with DJ and live talent booked by the Wall of Sound team and it became one of the hottest club nights in the city for the next 5 years.

In 2003, to celebrate its 10th birthday, the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...

 gave Wall Of Sound control of programming of its dance tent for a day, an honour never before or since bestowed to a label.

In 2006 Wall of Sound merged with [PIAS]. In the same year The Infadels released their debut album, We Are Not The Infadels which featured the rock/dance crossover sound that became popular and successful in the following years.

A chance meeting with Jon McClure
Jon McClure
Jon McClure, known as the Reverend, is lead singer and frontman of Reverend and The Makers and ex-vocalist of 1984 and Judan Suki. He claims that the name "Reverend" became his moniker because "I'm a big mouth and always running on at people"....

 brought Reverend and The Makers
Reverend and The Makers
Reverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"...

 to the label with the release of the single Heavyweight Champion of The World
Heavyweight Champion of the World
"Heavyweight Champion of the World" is the "top ten" debut single by Reverend and The Makers, as well as the first single from their debut album The State Of Things. The single was released on May 6, 2007 on download only and was subsequently released on CD and 7" vinyl on May 28 that year...

.

Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...

 released her first album in 10 years, Hurricane
Hurricane (Grace Jones album)
Hurricane is the tenth studio album by singer Grace Jones and her first album of new material in nineteen years.-Creation:Jones had decided not to do another album again before meeting music producer Ivor Guest by mutual friend Philip Treacy. After becoming acquainted Guest played Jones a track he...

on the label in 2008.

Human League released their first album Credo
Credo (The Human League album)
Credo is the ninth studio album by The Human League. It is their first studio album since Secrets in 2001. It has been produced by fellow Sheffield act I Monster and is released on Wall of Sound....

for Wall of Sound in 2011. In September they will be releasing the album on vinyl.

Current artists

  • Aeroplane
    Aeroplane (Vito De Luca)
    Aeroplane is a Belgian music outfit consisting of Vito De Luca. Known for incorporating a mix of French House and Balearic Beat, Aeroplane made a name for themselves as club DJs....

  • Grace Jones
    Grace Jones
    Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...

  • The Human League
    The Human League
    The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...

  • Reverend and The Makers
    Reverend and The Makers
    Reverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"...

  • Röyksopp
    Röyksopp
    Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland....

  • Scala & Kolacny Brothers
    Scala & Kolacny Brothers
    Scala & Kolacny Brothers is a Belgian women's choir, conducted by Stijn Kolacny and arranged and accompanied by Steven Kolacny on the piano. Formed in 1996 and winning the Belgian 'Choir of the Year'-contest in 2000, they have made five studio albums, starting with On The Rocks in 2002.Most songs...

  • The Jolly Boys featuring Albert Minott
  • Tiesto v Diplo featuring Busta Rhymes
  • Fumin

Past projects

  • Agent Provocateur (band)
    Agent Provocateur (band)
    Agent Provocateur were a British electronica band, consisting of John Gosling, Matthew Ashman , Dan Peppe, Danny Saber and Cleo Torez...

  • A.human
  • Akasha
    Akasha (band)
    Akasha are a UK-based electronic music duo, composed of C. J. Casey and D. J. Hand. They were originally signed to the Wall of Sound record label, but now appear on Ra Recordings...

  • The American Analog Set
    The American Analog Set
    The American Analog Set is an Austin-based indie rock band. They have released six studio albums, on the record labels Emperor Jones and Tiger Style, with their latest on Arts & Crafts.-History:...

  • Amp Fiddler
    Amp Fiddler
    Joseph "Amp" Fiddler is an American keyboardist, singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan, U.S.. His musical styles include funk, soul, dance and electronica music. He is probably best known for his contributions to the band Enchantment, and as part of George Clinton’s...

  • Artery
    Artery
    Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries....

     Jon Carter
    Jon Carter
    Jon Carter is an Essex, England-born DJ who initially rose to prominence as a big beat electronica DJ. However, as his career progressed both his productions and his DJ sets became known for including a variety of musical styles.-Biography:...

  • Back 2 Mono (compilation)
  • The Bees
    The Bees (UK band)
    The Bees are an English band from Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. Although their sound is generally classified as indie rock or psychedelic rock, the band have a colourful range of styles and influences, such as 1960s garage rock, country, reggae and jazz.-History:The Bees have so far released four...

  • Blak Twang
    Blak Twang
    Blak Twang who also uses the pseudonyms of Taipanic and Tony Rotton, is a British rapper who grew up in Deptford, Lewisham, South East London...

  • Bustin` Loose (compilation)
  • Ceasefire
    Ceasefire
    A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...

  • Cosmo Jarvis
    Cosmo Jarvis
    Harrison Cosmo Krikoryan Jarvis , better known by his stage name Cosmo Jarvis, is an English singer-songwriter and filmmaker...

  • The Creators
    The Creators
    The Creators is a non-fiction work of cultural history by Daniel Boorstin published in 1992 and is the second volume in what has become known as the Knowledge Trilogy. It was preceded by The Discoverers and succeeded by The Seekers.-Contents:...

  • Diefenbach
    Diefenbach
    Diefenbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...

  • Dig The Nu Breed (compilation)
  • Dirty Beatniks
  • DJ Pierre
    DJ Pierre
    DJ Pierre is the stage name of Nathaniel Pierre Jones, a Chicago born DJ and performer of house music. He helped to develop the house music subgenre of Acid House, as member of Phuture, whose 1987 E.P...

  • Dylan Donkin
    Dylan Donkin
    -2000-2005: Echobrain:Echobrain first formed in 2000. Before this, Donkin first met Jason Newsted and a few friends at Newsted's residence. On a road trip to Mexico's Baja California peninsula, Donkin and Brian Sagrafena recorded some rough demos that, when they came home, eventually caught...

  • Eastwick and Hollway
  • Elektrons
  • E-Klektik
  • Etienne De Crecy
    Etienne de Crecy
    Étienne Bernard Marie de Crécy is a French DJ and producer who composes house and electronic music.-Biography:...

  • Felix Da Housecat
    Felix da Housecat
    Felix da Housecat is an American DJ and record producer, mostly known for house music and electroclash. His name was inspired by Felix the Cat....

  • The First X1 (compilation)
  • Give Em Enough Dope (compilation)
  • Hustlers of Culture
  • Iain Archer
    Iain Archer
    Iain Denis Archer is a singer–songwriter from Bangor, Northern Ireland, who was once a secondary lyricist for the indie band Snow Patrol. Archer comes from a musical background and released several solo albums in the mid 90s on the small Scottish independent label Sticky Music...

  • I Am Kloot
    I Am Kloot
    I Am Kloot are an English band formed in Manchester, in 1999 by John Bramwell , Peter Jobson and Andy Hargreaves .-History:...

  • Infadels
    Infadels
    Infadels are a London-based indie-electro band signed to the Wall of Sound record label. Their debut album, We Are Not the Infadels, was produced by Jagz Kooner and released in January 2006. A second album, the Martin "Youth" Glover produced Universe In Reverse, was released in June 2008...

  • Joey Caligula DJ Touche
  • Jon Carter
    Jon Carter
    Jon Carter is an Essex, England-born DJ who initially rose to prominence as a big beat electronica DJ. However, as his career progressed both his productions and his DJ sets became known for including a variety of musical styles.-Biography:...

  • Junior Cartier
  • Kids On Bridges
  • Little Barrie
    Little Barrie
    Little Barrie is a power trio that originated in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, since relocated to London. Their sound could be described as stripped down R&B/Soul/Funk/Blues/Garage rock jamband. The band consists of Barrie Cadogan , Lewis Wharton and Virgil Howe . Before Howe, Billy...

  • Les Rythmes Digitales (aka Stuart Price
    Stuart Price
    Stuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...

    )
  • Lifelike
  • Medicine
    Medicine (band)
    Medicine is an alternative noise-pop/rock band from the San Fernando Valley, United States. They were formed in 1991 by guitarist Brad Laner and signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings label the following year...

  • Mekon
  • Michael Andrews
    Michael Andrews (musician)
    Michael Andrews is an American musician and film score composer. He is best known for a cover version of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World", which he recorded with Gary Jules for the Donnie Darko soundtrack, and which became a number one single in the UK in Christmas 2003.-Soundtrack...

  • Mongrel (British band)
    Mongrel (British band)
    Mongrel are a group formed in 2008, by former Arctic Monkeys bassist Andy Nicholson. Alongside Nicholson in the band are Jon McClure and Joe Moskow, both of Reverend and the Makers, Babyshambles bassist Drew McConnell and Matt Helders from Arctic Monkeys as well as London rapper Lowkey from the...

  • Mogwai
    Mogwai
    The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...

  • Mpho Skeef
  • Off The Wall - 10 Years of Wall of Sound (compilation)
  • Ocelot
    Ocelot
    The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...

  • Penguin Prison
  • Pour Homme
  • Propellerheads
    Propellerheads
    Propellerheads were a British big beat musical ensemble, formed in 1995 and made up of electronic producers Will White and Alex Gifford. The term propellerhead is slang for a nerd, and when Gifford and White heard a friend from California use this in a conversation, they thought it the perfect name...

  • Reverend and The Makers
    Reverend and The Makers
    Reverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"...

  • Rootless
  • Scala & The Kolacny Brothers
  • Shawn Lee
    Shawn Lee (musician)
    Shawn Lee is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist from Wichita, Kansas but now lives in London, England. He is currently working on a new band project with AM with the first album coming out July 12, 2011.-Career:...

  • Shock Rock (compilation)
  • Shy Child
    Shy Child
    Shy Child are an electronic music duo from New York consisting of Pete Cafarella on vocals and synthesizers and Nate Smith on drums.-History:Shy Child formed in the summer of 2000, when former college friends Pete Cafarella and Nate Smith separately moved to New York...

  • 10 Cents
  • Tepr
  • The Shortwave Set
    The Shortwave Set
    The Shortwave Set are a British alternative pop band whose debut album, The Debt Collection, was released in 2005 on Independiente Records. The band's music combines sample-based music with more traditional songwriting and instrumentation to create a sound the group have described as "Victorian Funk"...

  • The Strike Boys
  • Themroc
    Themroc
    Themroc is a 1973 French film by director Claude Faraldo. It was produced by François de Lannurien and Helène Vager and its original music was composed by Harald Maury. Made on a low budget with no intelligible dialog, Themroc tells the story of a French blue collar worker who rebels against modern...

  • Two Culture Clash (compilation)
  • Ugly Duckling
    Ugly Duckling (hip hop group)
    Ugly Duckling is an American hip hop group that formed around 1993 in Long Beach, California. Ugly Duckling's members include Dizzy Dustin , Young Einstein and Andy Cat . They took the name Ugly Duckling because they felt like outcasts on the Southern California hip hop scene of the mid-1990s...

  • The Wiseguys
    The Wiseguys
    The Wiseguys was a British electronica and hip hop band that was responsible for creating the song "Start the Commotion" that was in a Mitsubishi TV advertisement, as well as the films Lizzie McGuire, Zoolander and Kangaroo Jack; and "Ooh La La", which was used in Budweiser commercials...

  • Tiga
    Tiga (musician)
    Tiga is the stage name of Montreal-born DJ/producer Tiga James Sontag . His album Sexor won the 2007 Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year.-Career:He graduated from Selwyn House School, a prestigious school in Westmount...

  • Vinyl Dialect
  • The Visitor Jon Pleased Wimmin
  • Wall of Pussy (compilation)
  • We Love You..So Love Us (compilation)
  • We Love You..So Love Us Too (compilation)
  • We Love You..So Love Us Three (compilation)
  • We Love Yule (compilation)
  • West London Deep
  • Wreckage Inc.
  • Zoot Woman
    Zoot Woman
    Zoot Woman are a British electronic music band consisting of Adam Blake, Johnny Blake and Stuart Price.Known for their live shows, the group has gained a worldwide following. With the album Living In A Magazine Zoot Woman established themselves on the music scene.Credited by many within the...



See also

  • List of record labels
  • List of independent UK record labels
  • PIAS Recordings
    PIAS Recordings
    [PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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