Playground magazine

Record Label

Rough Trade Records

Present location: London, UK

Since: 1978

Sub-labels: Hangman Records, Hazelwood Records, One Man Records, Sixth International, Smashtrade Records, Spartan Records, TUC, Tugboat Records

Links: http://www.roughtraderecords.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/RoughTradeRecs

Rough Trade Records was started by Geoff Travis in 1978, two years after he opened the record store of the same name. They formed a distribution network called “The Cartel”, in which they collaborated with other independent companies within the UK. That's how they managed to get labels like Factory Records and 2 Tone Records to be available all over the country (in the eighties they also worked with 4AD and One Little Indian, among others). Their first releases focussed on European post-punk and alternative rock. They released the first singles by Cabaret Voltaire and other bands like The Monochrome Set, Swell Maps and Kleenex. The first album they released was “Inflammable Material” by Stiff Little Fingers.

After focussing too much on the American market, they got into financial trouble in 1990. They closed their American office, and the German office was sold. One Little Indian financed Rough Trade Records, initially with Geoff Travis at the helm - though he left soon after to start Trade 2. In the following decade they reinforced their relationship with Sanctuary, which allowed them to grow again, thanks to the label's solid structure. After signing artists like The Libertines, The Strokes, Belle And Sebastian and Antony and the Johnsons, Rough Trade became very successful once more. In 2007, Sanctuary sold 49% of Rough Trade to the Beggars Group.

Selected discography

Young Marble Giants: “Colossal Youth” (1980)

The Fall: “Perverted By Language” (1983)

Galaxie 500: “This Is Our Music” (1990)

Belle and Sebastian: “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” (2003)

The Hidden Cameras: “The Smell Of Our Own” (2003)

The Libertines: “The Libertines” (2004)

Antony and the Johnsons: “The Crying Light” (2009)

Pantha Du Prince: “Black Noise” (2010)

Warpaint: “The Fool” (2010)

Roster

Adam Green