Moshi Moshi Records

Moshi Moshi Records is a British independent record label founded in London in 1998 by Adrian Pike, Michael McClatchey and Stephen Bass. The label takes its name from the Japanese telephone greeting “moshi moshi,” commonly used when answering a call. After Pike left the setup within its first few years, McClatchey and Bass continued to develop the business. The company became known for an artist-led catalogue spanning indie rock, alternative pop, electronic music, experimental music and related forms. Its releases have included music by artists and bands such as Lykke Li, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, Kate Nash, Florence and the Machine, Architecture in Helsinki, the Wave Pictures, Disclosure, Sweet Baboo, Tilly and the Wall, Blue Foundation, Slow Club, Happyness and Au Revoir Simone. The breadth of the roster reflects Moshi Moshi’s role as a discovery-oriented independent label rather than a narrowly defined genre imprint. The label’s release programme has included albums, singles and a dedicated Singles Club. The Singles Club provided a recurring framework for issuing records by developing artists, with releases associated with Florence and the Machine, thecocknbullkid, Fanfarlo, Casiokids, Lykke Li and Friendly Fires among others. In 2008, Mates of State’s album Re-Arrange Us was identified as the company’s 50th release, marking a catalogue milestone. That year the label also issued its first compilation, Moshi Moshi Singles Compilation, bringing together tracks connected with artists including Kate Nash, Late of the Pier and Friendly Fires. A second compilation followed in April 2010 and highlighted material from artists who had joined the label since the first collection, including Florence and the Machine. Moshi Moshi has also operated beyond conventional recorded-music activity. Its business has included artist management, with management interests involving acts such as Metronomy, Teleman, Slow Club and Sweet Baboo, among others. It has additionally maintained publishing interests through relationships involving Tummy Touch Music, Eagle-I Music and Blue Mountain Music. These activities place the organization within a broader independent-music ecosystem covering recordings, artist development, live exposure and rights administration. Live events have been an important part of the label’s identity and artist-development work. In 2013 it hosted a monthly event at Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston, London, and it has presented nights at venues including Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, the Buffalo Bar and the Garage. The company has also organized or hosted stages and showcases at festivals such as Iceland Airwaves in Reykjavik, The Great Escape in Brighton, SWN Festival in Cardiff and, occasionally, SXSW. Artists appearing in these contexts have included Florence and the Machine, The xx, Lykke Li, Fleet Foxes, Friendly Fires, Metronomy, Hot Chip, Fuck Buttons, Factory Floor and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Moshi Moshi’s significance lies in its sustained independent operation and its role in connecting emerging artists with recorded releases, compilation exposure, live platforms and wider music-industry services. The available reference material does not establish a current ownership structure, named current executives, a current official website or detailed present-day release activity.

Moshi Moshi Records was established in London in 1998 by Adrian Pike, Michael McClatchey and Stephen Bass. The founders chose a name derived from “moshi moshi,” the Japanese greeting used when answering the telephone. Pike left the setup within a couple of years, while McClatchey and Bass continued the label’s operations. During its development, Moshi Moshi built a catalogue across independent, alternative and electronic music. Its roster and release history included artists such as Lykke Li, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, Kate Nash, Florence and the Machine, Architecture in Helsinki, the Wave Pictures, Disclosure, Sweet Baboo, Tilly and the Wall, Blue Foundation, Slow Club, Happyness and Au Revoir Simone. The company’s output was not restricted to albums: it also issued singles and established a Singles Club that offered a recurring platform for artists including Florence and the Machine, thecocknbullkid, Fanfarlo, Casiokids, Lykke Li and Friendly Fires. A significant catalogue marker came in 2008, when Mates of State’s Re-Arrange Us was described as Moshi Moshi’s 50th release. The same year, the company released Moshi Moshi Singles Compilation, its first compilation album. The collection assembled material from artists associated with the label, including Kate Nash, Late of the Pier and Friendly Fires. A second compilation followed in April 2010, drawing on singles from artists who had joined the label after the first compilation and including Florence and the Machine. The business expanded its activities beyond recording. Moshi Moshi developed a management operation representing or working with artists including Metronomy, Teleman, Slow Club and Sweet Baboo, while also maintaining publishing interests in cooperation with Tummy Touch Music, Eagle-I Music and Blue Mountain Music. This combination of label, management and publishing functions gave the organization a broader role in artist development and rights exploitation than a conventional single-purpose imprint. Live programming became another recurring part of the company’s work. In 2013, Moshi Moshi hosted a monthly event at Servant Jazz Quarters on Bradbury Street in Dalston, London. It had also presented nights at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, the Buffalo Bar and the Garage. The label hosted a stage at Iceland Airwaves for a period described in the reference material as six years, bringing acts including Fuck Buttons, Factory Floor, The Drums, Florence and the Machine, Friendly Fires, the Dirty Projectors, Metronomy, Au Revoir Simone, Hot Chip, Architecture in Helsinki, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Kwes to Reykjavik. It also held stages at The Great Escape in Brighton and SWN Festival in Cardiff, with occasional activity at SXSW. The available sources characterize Moshi Moshi as an ongoing London-based independent music organization, but do not provide a complete current ownership record, a verified current executive roster, or detailed information about its most recent releases. Its documented history nevertheless shows a durable independent model built around artist discovery, selective releases, showcase events and complementary management and publishing activity.

• 2013

  Monthly London live event documented

  [1]Moshi Moshi Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Moshi Moshi hosted a monthly live event at Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston, alongside other London venue events.

• 2010

  Second singles compilation released

  [1]Moshi Moshi Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  A second compilation arrived in April, featuring material from artists associated with the label after its first compilation.

• 2008

  Fiftieth release and first compilation

  [1]Moshi Moshi Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Mates of State’s Re-Arrange Us was identified as the label’s 50th release, and Moshi Moshi issued its first compilation album.

• 2000

  Adrian Pike leaves the setup

  [1]Moshi Moshi Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Pike departed within a few years of the label’s creation, leaving McClatchey and Bass to continue the business.

• 1998

  Label founded in London

  [1]Moshi Moshi Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Adrian Pike, Michael McClatchey and Stephen Bass established Moshi Moshi Records as an independent London label.

Artist-focused independent music company combining label releases with discovery-led singles, management, publishing relationships and live-event programming.

• Singles programme

  Moshi Moshi Singles Club

  A recurring singles initiative that gave Moshi Moshi a structured way to release music by developing and affiliated artists. Documented participants include Florence and the Machine, thecocknbullkid, Fanfarlo, Casiokids, Lykke Li and Friendly Fires. The programme reinforced the label’s discovery-oriented identity and its emphasis on individual tracks as a route for introducing artists.

• Compilation album · 2008

  Moshi Moshi Singles Compilation

  The label’s first compilation album, released in 2008. It collected singles and related material from artists connected with Moshi Moshi, including Kate Nash, Late of the Pier and Friendly Fires, providing a catalogue overview rather than presenting a single artist’s album campaign.

• Compilation album · 2010

  Second Moshi Moshi compilation

  A follow-up compilation released in April 2010. It focused on singles from artists who had joined the label since the first compilation and included material associated with Florence and the Machine.

• Recorded music

  Independent artist releases

  Moshi Moshi’s core catalogue consists of albums and singles spanning indie rock, alternative pop, electronic and experimental music. Documented releases and label associations include artists such as Lykke Li, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, Kate Nash, Florence and the Machine, Disclosure, Sweet Baboo, Slow Club and Au Revoir Simone.

• 2013Servant Jazz Quarters monthly live event

  United Kingdom

  Moshi Moshi hosted a monthly live event at Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston, London, building a recurring showcase platform for artists connected with the label and its wider network.

  Outcome. The documented event extended the label’s artist-development and audience-building work beyond recorded releases.

  Source
• Iceland Airwaves label stage

  Iceland · International

  Moshi Moshi hosted a stage at Iceland Airwaves over a period described in the reference material as six years, presenting label-associated and related artists in Reykjavik.

  Outcome. The stage gave the label an international festival showcase and connected its roster with audiences outside the United Kingdom.

  Source
• The Great Escape and SWN festival stages

  United Kingdom

  The label regularly held stages at The Great Escape in Brighton and SWN Festival in Cardiff, with occasional participation at SXSW.

  Outcome. These festival appearances supported the label’s role as a platform for emerging artists and music discovery.

  Source

1. 1Moshi Moshi Recordsen.wikipedia.org