[ecrea] One Century of Record Labels – Mapping places, stories and communities of sound

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One Century of Record Labels – Mapping places, stories and communities 
of sound

International Centre for Music Studies, Newcastle University, 
Newcastle-upon-Tyne

November 6th – 7th 2014

Keynote: Dr Pete Dale (Slampt Records, Manchester Metropolitan University)

This two-day interdisciplinary conference will expose, question and 
celebrate the enduring role of independent and commercial record labels 
in the construction of musical patrimony, from the early days of the 
record industry to the present. Record labels have traditionally 
functioned as organs of representation (replicating for instance racial 
stereotypes), codification (setting genres and trends), as well as 
emancipation (allowing for marginal trends, voices and groups of artists 
to emerge). They exist at the intersection of the public and the 
personal, capturing the collective imagination as well as the private 
fascination of the collector. They occupy different spaces and scales, 
from internationally influential, legendary record labels (Stax, Motown, 
or Columbia) to more obscure, bedroom-run, non-commercial labels (Sarah 
Records, Musical Traditions Records). The aim of the conference is to 
gather a variety of perspectives on the past and present legacy of 
record labels, and to examine their changing status and relevance in an 
age of increasing dematerialisation.
While this conference should be of interest to researchers in popular 
music studies, we particularly encourage contributions from within the 
fields of musicology, cultural studies, media studies, and sociology.

Papers could address (but are not limited to) the following aspects:

- Record labels, race and gender. Representations of minorities through 
records (for instance, early American ‘race records’ or ‘ethnic 
records’). The role of record labels in colonialism and post-colonial 
development.
- Record labels, resistance and subculture. The politics of DIY, 
non-commercial, micro-record labels, which are especially relevant in 
subcultural scenes such as punk, hardcore, rap, hip hop and twee pop.
- Record labels, consumption and geography. Local, national, 
transnational and globalised identities. Audio tourism and the 
commodification of cultural difference.
- The sonic iconicity of record labels and associated studios/producers 
(Sun, Motown, Chess). The linked histories of audiences, record labels 
and record production.
- The material culture of record labels and ‘gramomania’ (Katz). Fans, 
collectors and personal archives. Lost record labels and their 
subsequent revivals, through practices of vinyl archaeology, collecting, 
curating and reissuing. The visual iconography of labels, cover-art and 
liners note as paratext (also digital metadata or downloadable 
supplementary visual/textual content).
- Historiographical perspectives. How have record labels impacted the 
creation of musical canons? The many ways in which labels have organised 
musical production; the construction and contestation of normative 
production practices and codes.
- How labels mediate ideologies of musical creativity/talent.
- Representations of record labels in the media.
- Record labels in the digital age. MP3 labels, netlabels and the use of 
technological platforms such as Bandcamp, Soundcloud or YouTube.


A selection of papers will be included in an edited book or journal.


Proposals for individual papers (thirty minutes including discussion) 
and for panels (up to one hour) will be considered. Abstracts (300 words 
maximum) should be submitted to (recordlabelconference2014 /at/ gmail.com) with 
a short biographical note. Proposals for panels should also include an 
abstract for each individual paper.

The deadline for submissions is 4th July 2014. Selected speakers will be 
notified by the first week of August.

Conference organisers:
Dr Elodie A. Roy (Newcastle University)
Matthew Ord (Newcastle University)

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