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{{Multiple issues|notability=April 2011|primarysources=April 2011|refimprove=April 2011|date=July 2011}} Voltage Records is a non-profit record label based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK.
It was originally set up in the 1980’s by a band called Harlequyn, which at that time featured Mark Yates of Terrorvision (bass), to release their own material. They were managed by Andy Farrow of Northern Music Co.
The label is distributed worldwide by Plastic Head Distribution and operates to help new artists break into the mainstream music industry. Notable achievements include debut releases for 10000 Things[1] vocalist/actor Sam Riley and the Gnarly Dude compilation CD’s which featured well known figures from music and skateboarding. [2] They included producer Arthur Baker, Indie band This Et Al[3], Stevo from Fun Lovin Criminals, Big John from The Exploited and skaters Steve Caballero, Chuck Treece, Rob Mertz and Henry Gutierrez. These albums were sponsored by the British companies MG Rover[4](at the time), Big Cheese magazine and Concrete Wave Magazine. Also achieved UK indie chart top 30 for debut single of The Sneakypeeks, the band championed by Andy Taylor of Duran Duran.[5]
The label has also been involved in community work; such as the Bradford A2E album which was funded by Bradford Council, as part of their music development programme.
Voltage Records is currently run by Carl Arnfield (from band Xentrix) and Tim Walker (Harlequyn’s guitarist). A source for much of Voltage Records success comes from Voltage Studios[6] (Bradford UK) which is owned and managed by Tim. It has proved to be one of the longest running studios in the UK, tracing its birth back to 1990, where it grew from the ashes of Flexible Response Studios; a Bradford based studio, which itself was set up by producer Phil Edwards and Aki Nawaz of the band Southern Death Cult (which later became 'The Cult'). Voltage Studios has worked with many labels since 1990, including; LOUD for China Records, Slammer for WEA Records, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost for Peaceville Records. Other studio clients include Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke, Mark Richardson of Feeder and Skunk Anansie, Natalie Anderson of Emmerdale, Tom Milner of Waterloo Road, John Beck – writer for Corrine Bailey Rae and Glen Diani of One Minute Silence. Voltage Records' Tim has also worked as a live sound engineer for Dragonforce and Neil Buchanan’s reformed band Marseille. Carl Arnfield also worked with Electro Junkies dance act and punk/rock band The Great St. Louis for the Boss Tuneage label and written/recorded for HBO.
References
editTelegraph and Argus, Friday 17th July 2009
- ^ Various Artists | Aural Quagmire | CD Review
- ^ BBC - Lancashire - Life & Style: Skateboarding, being fat and bald never stopped us
- ^ Voltage Records to release The Downfall album and have signed a UK distribution deal
- ^ MG-Rover.org : Gnarly Dude!
- ^ Feel the beat (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
- ^ Flickr: Voltage Studios' Photostream