Kitchenware Records

Kitchenware Records is an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub. Of this current roster of artists, Editors are currently the most successful.

The type of music:

The artists the record label promote are-

Prefab Sprout
Editors
The Motorettes
Sirens
Kate Walsh
Kid Coda
The Changes
Karima Francis
Waiting For Volkaerts

These artists all cover a wide genre of music from indie to soul, showing that 'Kitchenware records' is not mainstream but open to all types of music including more alternative and niche artists, 'we just work with music we love' is a quote from the 'Kitchenware Records' website. Also the fact that when looking at the artist and bands name they are not bands or artists you recognise excluding perhaps the 'Editors' so it shows that the label is very niche and depends on the loyalty of there fans. There is also a part of the website where the labels asks its audience to send in there own musical demos which shows the labels audience do there own 'DIY' music and are very musical people themselves.

'Kitchenware records' also distributes and promotes its music too its audience through various techniques. When just looking at the layout and design of there website they are appealing to there audience as it looks very sort of 'warehouse' and run down, which is a very niche and indie look which is the types of audience there label appeals too.

The artists on the record label are promoted on the web page by having a list of the artists and next to them being links to youtube, myspace, amazon, spotify, last fm and the artists own website. Through these links you can access information about the artists and also gain access to there music. This is an example of web 2.0 and a example of SNS (social networking sites). Another way in which the website promotes its artists is it has the artists and bands music videos on the part of the page which shows latest videos, there you can listen to the music and sample it for free.

On the actual website there is no clear way to how the music is distributed but if you simply click on the bands link it will take you straight to there website where music is offered for distribution in different formats like CD and MP3 and also there is a list of gig dates which is important for the independent label as this is an important way for them to make money.

When looking at the relationship between 'Kitchenware records' and the mainstream there are few similarities to be found. One similarity is that they both use website links to artists and social networking sites for promotion purposes but the differences are the DIY section of the 'Kitchenware records' website as it shows they are willing to take in demos and listen to more amateur and unpolished type music. The labels also offers much more niche genres of music to its audience as this is the music their audience like and at the same time is much more personal that the mainstream labels as 'Kitchenware' records depends alot on audience loyalty.