Parlour Records is one of the few labels that I just simply buy everything that they put out. Some of them I love, some of them I only think are pretty good but it doesn’t matter, for me anything released on Parlour is a record worth buying.
The bands tend to have a fairly unusual / experimental bent with more than a hint of a post-punk late 70’s / early 80’s influence.
Started at the end of 2007 by Matthew Bowen to document bands that were playing at his club night “theparlour”; the first release was 10” with Le Tetsuo.
I think the first release that I noticed was the 3rd one, Project: Komakino, who I’ll admit weren’t my favorite – but the next one, PLUG‘s Fresh Pleasures, I absolutely loved. Funnily enough things have come full circle and Sian from Plug is the owner of Power Lunches, a venue that I now book.
I had a chat with Matthew to get a bit more info about the label.
How did you end up starting Parlour?
Like a lot of labels I suppose, I used to run a club night in London with some friends. It was called theparlour and ran for about five years at various venues but mainly at the Macbeth in Hoxton. We had some great nights with the likes of Prinzhorn Dance School, Xerox Teens, Kid Acne, Pink Grease. London band/club nights were really great back then (2006-7) and so many fresh bands were playing the night that Parlour Records was set up to document some of them. Le Tetsuo and Project:Komakino were the first bands to be put out on the back of playing the club night with PlUG and Ill Ease following shortly after.
How you would describe the sort of act you like to work with?
I have always seen Parlour Records as a kind of family. Since starting the label four years ago, the bands involved have always been good friends and really supported each other. PLUG and Le Tetsuo played a lot of shows together and there were strong ties between the band members and the label. That philosophy has continued through to Maria & the Mirrors and Yola Fatoush and we all share the same ideas when it comes to making records. Skinjobs have been close friends for years and this is just the most recent in a long history of interesting projects I have been involved in with them. Chips for the Poor have always been a massive influence, they played theparlour more than any other band and doing a spilt release with their own label (Invisible Spies) was something we had talked about for ages.
Any favourite release?
It’s always the newest release that I get most excited about, the Yola Fatoush record is such a great EP and has been very well received and along with Maria & the Mirrors they are taking the label in an exciting direction. I am currently uploading all my back catalogue to Soundcloud and one of the records that I always enjoy listening back to is Disconcerts‘ A. Medic, a very tight and well produced EP, I really miss seeing them live.
What’s your plans for the rest of this year?
Well I am going on holiday first, its been a very busy few months with the Chips for the Poor and Yola Fatoush releases. I’m currently working with Maria & the Mirrors on a compilation that will come out in Japan in November and there will hopefully be a debut album from them on Parlour before the end of the year. I am always on the look out for new and exciting bands and if I hear something I like I have been known to put something out very quicky so keep your ears open.
You can find out more info on Parlour Records and hopefully buy some of their brilliant releases from their website – http://www.parlour-records.com/
Thanks for reading!
Will be back with another label feature in the next week or two.
X Anthony
Anthony Chalmers is a freelance music booker & runs independent record label Robot Elephant Records
