Lo-Fidelity Records
Lo-Fidelity Records is an independent American record label founded in 2002 and based in North Aurora, Illinois.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Lo-Fidelity Records is an independent United States record label founded in 2002 by Jeffrey Kotthoff. Based in North Aurora, Illinois, the label has focused on archival, limited-edition, and special-format releases rather than presenting itself as a conventional mass-market music company. Its catalogue includes albums, extended plays, vinyl editions, compact discs, DVDs, digital releases, and expanded reissues connected with artists associated with alternative Christian music and adjacent independent scenes. The label's catalogue is particularly associated with The 77s, The Lost Dogs, Adam Again, Terry Scott Taylor, Derri Daugherty, Michael Roe, Bill Mallonee and Vigilantes of Love, Altar Boys, at the close of every day, Kerosene Halo, and Chris Taylor. Several of these artists are linked through overlapping membership, production, performance, or audience relationships, giving the label a catalogue identity built around artist communities and historically important recordings rather than a single genre formula. Lo-Fidelity's releases have included reissues of earlier recordings, live albums, concert and retrospective DVDs, holiday recordings, small-run vinyl pressings, expanded editions, archival material, and digital catalogue projects. Examples include a 2002 re-release of Adam Again's Ten Songs By Adam Again, The Lost Dogs' concert and documentary-related Via Chicago releases, limited-edition vinyl from at the close of every day, retrospective and live material from The 77s, and later expanded editions of recordings such as Pray Naked, Sticks and Stones, This Is the Way Love Was, and Echos O' Faith. The catalogue also contains releases designed for collectors, including a 40-copy limited edition of The 77s' Ninety Nine four-track EP. The label's business model, as described in reference material, emphasizes limited editions, special-edition reissues, and artist DVDs. This positioning makes preservation and presentation of existing recordings central to the brand. Rather than relying only on new studio albums, Lo-Fidelity has used archival projects, live documents, expanded packages, and digital availability to extend the life of recordings by established artists. The available public material does not identify a parent company, corporate group, public listing, current executive team beyond the founder, or a definitive current operating status. Consequently, the label's present scale and ongoing activities cannot be established from the supplied sources.
History
Lo-Fidelity Records was founded in 2002 by Jeffrey Kotthoff and is based in North Aurora, Illinois. The label emerged as a specialist outlet for recordings connected with artists in alternative Christian and independent music circles. Its public catalogue indicates an emphasis on preserving and repackaging material that could be important to committed listeners and collectors, including recordings by The 77s, The Lost Dogs, Adam Again, Terry Scott Taylor, Derri Daugherty, Michael Roe, Bill Mallonee and Vigilantes of Love, and other related artists. The early catalogue combined reissues with new or previously unavailable material. In 2002, Lo-Fidelity issued a re-release of Adam Again's Ten Songs By Adam Again, alongside The Lost Dogs' Green Room Serenade, Part Tour and Terry Scott Taylor's Songs for the Day After Christmas. The following year brought Derri Daugherty's A Few Unfinished Songs EP, The Lost Dogs' Via Chicago DVD, and Bill Mallonee and Vigilantes of Love's Need To Bleed EP. These releases established the label's recurring interest in archival, live, seasonal, and video formats. In 2004, the label expanded its use of collector-oriented formats with at the close of every day's limited-edition vinyl release The Silja Symphony and a live Amsterdam compact disc. It also issued The Lost Dogs' MUTT. The 77s became an especially important part of the catalogue during the middle and later 2000s, with a retrospective DVD in 2006, a limited 40-copy edition of Ninety Nine in 2007, an expanded full-production CD version of Ninety Nine Live, and the 2008 album Holy Ghost Building. The label also continued to reissue and document The Lost Dogs' Via Chicago project and released additional holiday material. The 2009 catalogue included Michael Roe's We All Gonna Face The Rising Sun and The 77s' limited-edition Working On The Building. Beginning in 2010, the label undertook digital catalogue projects for The 77s and Michael Roe, indicating a move beyond physical collector editions toward continuing digital availability. In 2011, it released the Kerosene Halo album and another Lost Dogs DVD/CD project, It Came From The Basement. Lo-Fidelity's 2012 output concentrated on expanded and commemorative packages from The 77s. These included two-disc editions of Sticks and Stones with This Is the Way Love Was, Echos O' Faith with Played Naked, and the Cornerstone Is Dead...Long Live Cornerstone live release, as well as bonus material such as Seeds and Stems and Cornerstone Forever. In 2017, Pray Naked received a vinyl reissue and an expanded CD treatment accompanied by additional archival and video material, including Naked & Unashamed outtakes and the Watchnight Service DVD. Across the documented period, Lo-Fidelity Records operated less like a broad mainstream label and more like a focused catalogue and artist-support imprint. Its releases demonstrate a sustained strategy of combining reissues, live recordings, rare material, physical collector editions, visual media, and digital distribution. The available reference material does not establish whether the label remains active, its current ownership, its staffing beyond its founder, or the existence of a current official website.
- 2017
Pray Naked archival reissue
[1]The 77s' Pray Naked received vinyl and expanded CD reissues with outtakes and a related DVD.
- 2012
Expanded The 77s reissue programme
[1]Several expanded two-disc, bonus-disc, and live releases connected with The 77s were issued, including material commemorating the band's appearances at Cornerstone Festival.
- 2010
Digital catalogue projects
[1]Lo-Fidelity began catalogue download projects for The 77s and Michael Roe, documented as continuing from 2010 onward.
- 2007
The 77s archival editions
[1]The label released a 40-copy limited edition of The 77s' Ninety Nine and subsequently issued an expanded full-production CD version of Ninety Nine Live.
- 2004
Limited-edition vinyl and live releases
[1]Lo-Fidelity issued a limited-edition vinyl release by at the close of every day and a live Amsterdam recording, reinforcing its specialist physical-release model.
- 2003
Early DVD and EP catalogue established
[1]The label expanded beyond album reissues with Derri Daugherty's EP, The Lost Dogs' Via Chicago DVD, and a Bill Mallonee and Vigilantes of Love EP.
- 2002
Label founded
[1]Jeffrey Kotthoff founded Lo-Fidelity Records in the United States, establishing the label in North Aurora, Illinois.
Products and positioning
An independent archival and specialty record label centered on limited editions, reissues, live documents, DVDs, and digital catalogue projects for artists from alternative Christian and related independent music communities.
Vinyl records · 2004
Limited-edition vinyl releases
Lo-Fidelity has issued small-run vinyl editions intended for collectors and dedicated listeners. A documented example is at the close of every day's The Silja Symphony, released as a limited-edition vinyl title in 2004. The label later revisited The 77s' Pray Naked in vinyl form, illustrating its use of physical reissues to preserve and re-present catalogue recordings.
Compact discs · 2002
Archival and expanded CD reissues
Expanded CDs and multi-disc editions form a central part of the label's catalogue. These packages combine previously issued albums with related recordings, live performances, outtakes, or other archival material. Documented examples include The 77s editions pairing Sticks and Stones with This Is the Way Love Was, Echos O' Faith with Played Naked, and the expanded treatment of Pray Naked.
Live recordings and DVDs · 2003
Live and video archive releases
The label has released concert recordings, retrospective DVDs, and combined DVD/CD packages. The Lost Dogs' Via Chicago projects and It Came From The Basement, along with The 77s' retrospective DVD and live Cornerstone releases, show the label's interest in documenting performance history and making audiovisual material available alongside conventional albums.
Digital music · 2010
Digital catalogue projects
Beginning in 2010, Lo-Fidelity documented catalogue download projects for The 77s and Michael Roe. These projects extended the label's archival approach into digital distribution, making selected back-catalogue material available without relying exclusively on limited physical pressings.
Brand decisions
2012
Expanded multi-format reissue strategyGeneration changeBackground
The 77s catalogue contained recordings and live material suitable for renewed presentation to collectors and established fans.
Action taken
The label released expanded two-disc editions, limited bonus CDs, and commemorative live packages connected with The 77s.
Aftermath
These releases reinforced Lo-Fidelity's role as an archival and specialty label, but no sales or commercial performance data is available.
2010
Expansion into digital catalogue distributionStrategyBackground
After years of emphasizing physical editions, reissues, live documents, and DVDs, the label documented download projects for The 77s and Michael Roe.
Action taken
Lo-Fidelity initiated digital catalogue projects for both artists, recorded as continuing from 2010 onward.
Aftermath
The move broadened the label's archival distribution model, although the available source does not provide download figures or later operational details.
Sources1 sources
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