Recordiau Anhrefn ( Welsh for Anhrefn Records) was a

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

established in 1983 by Rhys Mwyn. Based in the small mid-Wales village of Llanfair Caereinion, before Rhys and his brother Sion Sebon moved to Bangor,

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

, the record label was initially an outlet for their own band Yr Anhrefn but soon went on to release records by other Welsh groups, providing early exposure for such influential names as Datblygu, Fflaps and Llwybr Llaethog. Its second release came in the form of a compilation album called ''Cam o'r Tywyllwch'' which rose to prominence on its release in 1985 when

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

played tracks off it on his BBC Radio One show. The album spawned Machlud (who featured a very young

Gruff Rhys Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He forme ...

who would later form

Super Furry Animals Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band formed in Cardiff in 1993. For the duration of their professional career, the band consisted of Gruff Rhys (lead vocals, guitar), Huw Bunford (lead guitar, vocals), Guto Pryce (bass guitar), Cian C ...

) and Y Cyrff (two of whom would later form

Catatonia Catatonia is a complex syndrome most commonly seen in people with underlying mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder, or psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. People with catatonia exhibit abnormal movement and behaviors, wh ...

). Although only releasing a handful of records between 1983 and its dissolution in 1990, the label provided a subversive alternative to the ultra-conservative Welsh music scene of the time. Its independent and outward looking approach contrasted drastically with the establishment's isolated entrenchment and brought Welsh language music to corners of the World that had no previous knowledge of its existence, providing a foundation for the Welsh '

Cool Cymru Cool Cymru () was a Welsh cultural movement in music and independent film in the 1990s and 2000s, led by the popularity of bands such as Catatonia, Stereophonics and Manic Street Preachers. Etymology and usage The term Cool Cymru (Cymru is ...

' music boom of the mid '90s, led by

and

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci Gorky's Zygotic Mynci () were a psychedelic folk and alternative rock band which formed in Carmarthen, Wales, in 1991. The group performed music in both Welsh and English, and they had eight Top 75 singles on the UK Singles Chart during their ...

. The label's legacy has continued to be lauded 25 years since 'Cool Cymru'. In 2007 Rhys Mwyn reactivated the label from his PR office at The Galeri in

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom, royal town, Community (Wales), community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the easter ...

, and began releasing left-field artists such as Beastellabeast and Patrick Jones.

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Further Information

{{Authority control Record labels established in 1983 Record labels disestablished in 1990 Cool Cymru British independent record labels

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