One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

. It was set up in 1985 by members of various

anarcho-punk Anarcho-punk (also known as anarchist punk or peace punk) is ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, hardcor ...

bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In the 1990s it set up a number of subsidiary labels.

History

One Little Indian Records was founded in 1985 by members of various

bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett, with the name inspired by the "philosophies of the Indigenous People of the Americas". The label's first success came with

A.R. Kane A.R. Kane (sometimes AR Kane or A.R.Kane) was a British musical duo formed in 1986 by Alex Ayuli and Rudy Tambala. After releasing two early EPs to critical acclaim, the group topped the UK Independent Chart with their debut album '' 69'' (1988 ...

and Flux of Pink Indians in 1986. Success continued with Alabama 3,

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

Chumbawamba Chumbawamba () were a British rock band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", " Enoug ...

Kitchens of Distinction Kitchens of Distinction (sometimes shortened colloquially to KOD) are an English three-person alternative rock band formed in Tooting, South London, in 1986. They released four studio albums and a handful of singles and EPs before disbanding i ...

The Shamen The Shamen ( ) were a Scottish psychedelic band, formed in 1985 in Aberdeen, who became a chart-topping British electronic dance music act by the early 1990s. The founding members were Colin Angus, Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie. Peter St ...

, Skunk Anansie, Sneaker Pimps, and

the Sugarcubes The Sugarcubes ( Icelandic: Sykurmolarnir) were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Bene ...

. Beginning in 1990, the label created several autonomous satellite imprints including Clean-up Records, Partisan Records and Fat Cat Records, all of which had success. Artists on the labels included Alabama 3 (A3),

Sigur Rós Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, fr ...

, and Sneaker Pimps. Elemental Records was added to the roster in 1995. The song titles of The Shamen's 1996 album '' Hempton Manor'' form an

acrostic An acrostic is a poem or other word composition in which the ''first'' letter (or syllable, or word) of each new line (or paragraph, or other recurring feature in the text) spells out a word, message or the alphabet. The term comes from the F ...

, spelling out "Fuck Birket" in an acrimonious reference to founder Birkett, who wanted the group to move back into more commercial territory. In 1997 and 2001, the company also acquired some of the old

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. Having successfully promoted and sold records by punk rock and early post-pu ...

and

Nude Records Nude Records is an independent record label, established in August 1991 in London. The label was set up and operated by Saul Galpern, who had previously worked with artists such as Simply Red, The Fall, Julian Cope, The Triffids, The Slits and ...

labels, and the rights to several albums previously released by spinART Records. In 2009,

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

, along with

Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Yo ...

, released an album called '' Electric Arguments'' under the name of The Fireman through One Little Indian. In June 2020, in response to worldwide protests following the

murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's ...

, it was announced that the company's name would be changed from One Little Indian Records to One Little Independent Records with immediate effect, and that the company would donate money towards organisations which promote and assist Native American communities in North America. In a written statement, Birkett explained:

The last few weeks have been a monumental learning curve ... Following the receipt of an eye-opening letter from a Crass fan that detailed precisely why the logo and label name are offensive, as well as the violent history of the terminology, I felt equally appalled and grateful to them for making me understand what must be changed.

Notable artists

* Ásgeir *

Olga Bell Olga Bell (born Olga Balashova, russian: Ольга Балашова, 3 October 1983) is an American musician, music producer, composer, and singer-songwriter. She was born in Moscow, Russia, raised in Anchorage, Alaska and is currently based in ...

* Galya Bisengalieva *

Cody Chesnutt Cody Chesnutt (stylized as Cody ChesnuTT; born October 21, 1968) is an American R&B and neo soul musician from Atlanta, Georgia. Biography Chesnutt's music blends elements of rock, funk, soul, hip hop, and blues. After relocating to Los Ange ...

* Manu Delago * Foxtrott *

Fufanu Fufanu is an alternative rock band from Iceland, formerly operating as a techno duo under the alias of Captain Fufanu, that draws influence from post-punk and electronic music. They've released three albums, ''Few More Days to Go'', ''Sports'', ...

* God Damn * Jesse Malin * Sarasara *

Samaris ''Samaris'' is a genus of crested flounders native to the Indo-Pacific. Species There are currently five recognized species in this genus: * '' Samaris chesterfieldensis'' Mihara & Amaoka, 2004 * '' Samaris costae'' Quéro, Hensley & Mau ...

Emilíana Torrini Emilíana Torrini (born 16 May 1977) is an Icelandic singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2009 single " Jungle Drum", her 1999 album '' Love in the Time of Science'', and her performance of " Gollum's Song" for the 2002 film '' The L ...

* Marry Waterson * Wild Palms *

Kathryn Williams Kathryn Williams (born 15 February 1974, Liverpool, England) is an English singer-songwriter who to date has released 14 studio albums, written and arranged for a multitude of artists, and was nominated for the 2000 Mercury Music Prize. Willi ...

Reception

Amazing Radio has characterised the label as "consistently brilliant" and as having "a rich musical history".

References

External links

Official UK & EU website
{{Authority control Punk record labels British independent record labels Record labels established in 1985 1985 establishments in England Name changes due to the George Floyd protests

History

Notable artists

Reception

See also

References

External links