Location: London Est: 2015
Potted History: Music publisher Helen Papaleontiou was struck by ‘Pastoralia’, a futuristic short story by George Saunders about a man working as a caveman in a theme park. The tale cuts to the very core of being a cog in the corporate machine and nudged Helen into a why-can’t-I-set-up-an-indie-label-because-surely-I-have-as-good-an-idea-as-any-of-the-people-I-have-dealt-with-over-the-years moment. After much whining and haranguing, she enlisted the help of old pals Serena Parsons (a live music agent) and Tarik Nashnush (A&R man), and 100 Billion Wires was born.
Mission Statement: “That moment between holding the record you’ve just bought and playing it for the first time,” says Helen. “That anticipation. Can that be our mission? We want you to want to put our tracks on your mix tapes because you can’t bear to be the only person who knows about them.”
Well, that’s us sold. You?
Key artists and releases: It’s early days, but there’s a couple of acts to look out for. All The People, an electro-soul outfit from south London, are fresh from the studio after finishing their debut album, while Broadway Sounds are an electronic afro beat-infused trio from Melbourne, Australia, currently basking in the release of their ‘Exclusive Love/Digital Influence’ six-tracker.
“We‘re savouring the little moments, like hearing our artists on the radio,” laughs Helen. “Being played by Gilles Petersen and Lauren Laverne have been real highlights.”
Future Plans: “We are running on pure instinct and our respective experiences,” offers Helen at the suggestion there might be a master plan. “For us, it’s about human interaction. Tech and social media are vital these days, but my heart sinks when I hear words like ‘algorithm’ and ‘curation’. How am I going to get from Cocteau Twins by way of Pusha T via Captain Beefheart to Zapp? That’s when you surprise yourself. The thing is, artists don’t need labels now, so it’s all about the personal relationships. A shared love of Prince helps, although it’s not compulsory.”
‘Exclusive Love/Digital Influence’ by Broadway Sounds is out 100billionwires.com
