Valentine Records

Valentine Records is an independent record label based in Manchester, England. The label was founded in September 2001 and developed around a broad, non-exclusive view of independent music rather than a single narrowly defined genre. Its early roster combined guitar-oriented bands, including Extinguish Her, Chevron, Palo Alto and Five Years Later, with electronic and laptop-based artists such as I-Node, doublejo(H)ngrey, Lynskey, Ultrafoetus and The Hi Fi Renaissance. This pairing positioned Valentine as a platform for both conventional band formats and experimental electronic production. The label’s later roster included Mark Corrin, who performs as Shirokuma and had previously been associated with Faith & Hope Records; John Callaghan, who was also connected with Warp Records and Uncharted Audio; and artists or projects including Babyslave, I-Lucifer, Still Forever, Pandemonium, Dirty Mice, Gleick and Reigns of Monty Carlo. Valentine also worked with international guest artists, including Neil Milton of Warsaw, No-way Sweden from Melbourne, Red Martian from Seattle, Warscapes from Paris and Daniel Maze from Vancouver. These associations indicate a label model built around independent artist development and cross-border exchange rather than a conventional mass-market catalogue. In addition to releasing music, Valentine Records has operated as a promoter and cultural organiser. Over the years it presented showcases at Manchester’s In the City and Futuresonic festivals, and was associated with club nights and event series including To Amy With Love, Transmission: Manchester, Rebellious Jukebox, TAGO>MAGO and SOUND>VISION. The programme of featured performers included electronic and experimental artists such as Cylob, Max Tundra, Capitol K, Damo Suzuki and Kylie Minoise, as well as bands including ¡Forward, Russia! and iLiKETRAiNS. In 2016, Valentine collaborated with AnalogueTrash Records to host FOUNDATIONS, a two-day micro-festival focused on grassroots live music, creative collaboration, community networking and multimedia art, film and performance. The festival activity illustrates the label’s broader role within Manchester’s independent cultural infrastructure: Valentine has not only functioned as a music imprint but also as a curator, promoter and connector among musicians, visual artists and local creative communities. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current corporate owner, parent company, listed status, financial profile or definitive present operating status. It also does not provide a complete release catalogue or enough information to identify a founder. Valentine Records is therefore best understood as a Manchester independent-label brand whose documented identity rests on eclectic artist representation, experimental music, live programming and grassroots cultural collaboration.

Valentine Records was established in Manchester in September 2001 as an independent British record label. From its earliest documented period, the label assembled a roster that crossed the boundary between guitar music and electronic experimentation. Extinguish Her, Chevron, Palo Alto and Five Years Later represented the band-oriented side of the initial catalogue, while I-Node, doublejo(H)ngrey, Lynskey, Ultrafoetus and The Hi Fi Renaissance reflected an interest in laptop production and more experimental electronic practices. The label’s identity subsequently expanded through associations with artists from different parts of the independent music network. Its documented roster included Mark Corrin, also known as Shirokuma and formerly associated with Faith & Hope Records, and John Callaghan, who was also connected with Warp Records and Uncharted Audio. Other named Valentine artists included Babyslave, I-Lucifer, Still Forever, Pandemonium, Dirty Mice, Gleick and Reigns of Monty Carlo. The label also presented international guest artists from Melbourne, Seattle, Paris, Vancouver and elsewhere, including No-way Sweden, Red Martian, Warscapes and Daniel Maze, as well as Neil Milton of Warsaw. Valentine’s activities were not limited to recorded music. The label promoted showcases at Manchester’s In the City and Futuresonic festivals and helped organise a range of club nights and event series: To Amy With Love, Transmission: Manchester, Rebellious Jukebox, TAGO>MAGO and SOUND>VISION. The acts presented through these activities included Cylob, Max Tundra, Capitol K, ¡Forward, Russia!, Damo Suzuki, Kylie Minoise and iLiKETRAiNS. This programming connected the label to multiple strands of Manchester’s independent music culture, from experimental electronics and avant-garde performance to alternative rock and live band circuits. A notable later initiative was FOUNDATIONS, a two-day micro-festival held in 2016 in partnership with AnalogueTrash Records. The event was described as a celebration of grassroots live music, creative collaboration, community networking and multimedia art, film and performance. Its format demonstrates how Valentine operated as more than a conventional release imprint: it also served as a curator and event producer supporting relationships among artists, audiences and creative practitioners. The available reference material does not document a complete discography, detailed release chronology, ownership changes, financial information or a confirmed current management structure. It likewise does not identify the label’s founder. The historical record nevertheless presents Valentine Records as a Manchester-rooted independent platform with an eclectic musical remit and a sustained interest in live events, experimentation and community-oriented cultural production.

• 2016

  FOUNDATIONS micro-festival

  [1]Valentine Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Valentine Records and AnalogueTrash Records hosted the two-day FOUNDATIONS micro-festival, combining grassroots live music with creative collaboration, networking, multimedia art, film and performance.

• 2001

  Label founded in Manchester

  [1]Valentine Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Valentine Records was founded in Manchester, England, in September 2001 as an independent British record label.

A Manchester-based independent label and cultural organiser positioned around eclectic artist rosters, experimental and electronic music, guitar bands, live presentation and grassroots creative collaboration.

Product categories. Independent music releases · Experimental and electronic music releases · Guitar-band and alternative music releases · Live showcases and club-night programming · Grassroots music and multimedia cultural events

• 2016FOUNDATIONS

  United Kingdom

  In partnership with AnalogueTrash Records, Valentine hosted a two-day micro-festival centred on grassroots live music, creative collaboration, community networking and multimedia art, film and performance.

  Source
• Manchester festival showcases

  United Kingdom

  Valentine Records promoted showcases connected with Manchester’s In the City and Futuresonic festivals, using live presentation to expose label-associated and guest artists to festival audiences.

  Source
• Manchester club-night programme

  Manchester · United Kingdom

  The label was involved in event series including To Amy With Love, Transmission: Manchester, Rebellious Jukebox, TAGO>MAGO and SOUND>VISION, extending its activity into club and live programming.

  Source

1. 1Valentine Recordsen.wikipedia.org