Editing Skam Records

{{Short description|English independent record label}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{infobox record label
| name = Skam
| image = 
| founded = [[1990 in music|1990]]
| founder = [[Andy Maddocks]]
| country = [[England]]
| location = [[Manchester]], [[England]]
| genre = [[Electronic music|Electronic]]<br/> [[Drum and bass]]<br /> [[Glitch (music)|Glitch]]<br /> [[Illbient]]<br/> [[Intelligent dance music|IDM]]
| url = {{URL|skam.bleepstores.com}}
}}
'''Skam Records''' is an independent [[electronic music]] [[record label]] based in [[Manchester]], [[England]], founded by [[Andy Maddocks]] around 1990.<ref>{{cite news|title=Harder! Faster! Louder!|last=Young|first=Rob|date=October 1998|work=The Wire|pages=20–25}}</ref><ref name="redbull">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=Manchester's best record labels|url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/best-record-labels-manchester|website=Red Bull}}</ref> Skam also runs a smaller sub-label called '''33.'''

==History==
Skam's first 12-inch single was ''[[Lego Feet]]'' by Lego Feet (Sean Booth and Rob Brown, later known as [[Autechre]]).<ref name="fact-2011">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=Autechre's "lost" debut reissued|url=https://www.factmag.com/2011/11/29/autechres-lost-debut-reissued/|date=29 November 2011}}</ref> The label followed with two 12" records from [[Gescom]], a project whose members vary between each release.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mathieu |first1=Christopher |title=Interview with Andy Maddocks of Skam Records |url=https://igloomag.com/profiles/andy-maddocks-skam-22rpm |website=Igloo Magazine |access-date=7 March 2023 |date=25 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Marcus|last1=O'Dair|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=From Burial to South Central, pop's gone anonymous - we play detective|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/mar/28/electronicmusic.popandrock|newspaper=The Guardian|date=28 March 2008|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> Other early Skam releases came from Freeform (Simon Pyke), [[Darrell Fitton|Bola]], [[Jega (musician)|Jega]],<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|first1=Parker|last1=Freeman|title=Cult IDM artist Jega to release archival collection on Skam|url=https://www.factmag.com/2016/01/28/jega-1995-skam-records/|date=28 January 2016|website=[[Fact (UK magazine)]]}}</ref><ref name="pitchfork-sherburne">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|first1=Philip|last1=Sherburne|title=Emotional Intelligence: A Guide to Melodic IDM|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/pitchfork-essentials/9702-emotional-intelligence-a-guide-to-melodic-idm/|website=Pitchfork}}</ref> [[Team Doyobi]],<ref name="redbull"/> [[Wevie Stonder]], E.Stonji (Jens Döring), and [[Boards of Canada]].<ref name="guardian-pescheck">{{cite news|first1=David|last1=Peschek|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=CD: Bola, Gnayse|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/nov/26/popandrock.shopping4|newspaper=The Guardian|date=26 November 2004|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> Boards of Canada's ''[[Hi Scores]]'' EP,<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=Boards of Canada: Hi Scores EP|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19832-boards-of-canada-hi-scores-ep/|website=Pitchfork}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=Boards of Canada ready deluxe, remastered reissue of Hi-Scores|url=https://www.factmag.com/2014/08/27/boards-of-canada-ready-deluxe-remastered-reissue-of-hi-scores/|date=27 August 2014}}</ref> and Gescom's ''Keynell'' and ''Lego Feet''<ref name="fact-2011"/> have been re-pressed or reissued.

Skam's first full-length LP releases were in 1998 with ''Soup'' by Bola<ref name="guardian-pescheck"/><ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=Bola: Soup|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1071-soup/|website=Pitchfork}}</ref> and ''[[Music Has the Right to Children]]'' by Boards of Canada,<ref name="guardian-pescheck"/> the latter being jointly released with [[Warp (record label)|Warp Records]].

A recurring feature on the packaging of Skam releases is the title of the album printed in [[braille]].

===Series releases===
Skam makes multiple series of record releases within the label, all of which are an anagram of "SKAM". The first three records were produced in conjunction with German duo [[Funkstörung|Musik Aus Strom]],<ref>{{cite book|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|year=2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fie47qSuTsoC&q=skam%2520records&pg=PR57|publisher=Rough Guides|page=118|isbn=9781858284576|via=Google Books}}</ref> and the latter two by Skam alone.

Up until the 2004 release of [[Mr 76ix]]'s ''Hits of 76ix,'' the label has produced a 7" single along with each full-length album; the 7" catalogue numbers begin with the letters "KMAS". Skam has since stated on its website that future KMAS releases will feature purely exclusive tracks to complement full-length recordings of the same number.

In 2001, Skam began the "SMAK" series. Each SMAK 12" showcased two artists, one per record side. Some SMAK artists, like Quinoline Yellow, have gone on to become full Skam musicians. [[NMB Allstars]] ("North Manchester Bedroom Allstars") went on to become part of the sublabel 33, which Skam has referred to as "a part of the family." Others, like [[Ola Bergman]] and [[Posthuman (band)|Posthuman]] went on to set up their own record labels: New Speak and [[Seed Records]], respectively. [[Made (band)|Made]], are known for their live acts. In October 2004, Skam began the "AMKS" series with ''Supermechamaximegamegablast'' by [[Mortal and Chemist]], which is, as the catalogue number may suggest, a mix.

==Reception==
Tim Haslett wrote of Skam in the October 1997 issue of ''[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]:'' <blockquote>"It looked for a while as though the minimalist electronic movement had simply disappeared into the valley of the self-indulgent and repetitive. The monotonous sound of a 909 kick drum and high-hat was really beginning to wear on the nerves of even the most committed techheads. Enter the Manchester-based Skam label, which has single-handedly invigorated a minimal techno sound that's not indebted to breakbeats or drum-and-bass. Having released early tracks by cult favorites Gescom and the Boards Of Canada, the Skam imprint has continued to thrive at the periphery of the crepuscular world of underground techno."<ref>{{cite book|first1=Tim|last1=Haslett|title=Various Artists: Skampler: Silent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_CoEAAAAMBAJ&q=skam%2520manchester&pg=PA62|publisher=[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]|date= October 1997|via=Google Books}}</ref></blockquote>

In the same magazine in March 1999, Haslett wrote that Skam:<blockquote>"is notorious for its elusiveness, its tendency to make available only tiny quantities of each release. This might seem an elitist marketing move, an attempt to restrict the audience, but the Skam folks spend so much attention to detail in artwork and sound quality that it's easy to forgive them."<ref>{{cite book|first1=Tim|last1=Haslett|title=Bola: Soup|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1CoEAAAAMBAJ&q=skam%2520manchester&pg=PA52|publisher=[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]|date= March 1999|via=Google Books}}</ref></blockquote>

==Artists past and present==
{{columns-list|
*[[Boards of Canada]]<ref name="guardian-pescheck"/>
*Bola ([[Darrell Fitton]])<ref name="guardian-pescheck"/>
*Freeform (Simon Pyke)
*[[Gescom]] (includes [[Autechre]], Darrell Fitton, [[Russell Haswell]], [[Andy Maddocks]])
*[[Jega (musician)|Jega]]<ref name="pitchfork-sherburne"/> 
*[[Lego Feet]] (Autechre)<ref name="fact-2011"/>
*[[Meat Beat Manifesto]]<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=Kasm02 - EP - Meat Beat Manifesto - Music|url=http://billboardreview.com/music/1001998706/kasm02-ep-meat-beat-manifesto|website=Billboard Review - Pure Music}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=Meat Beat Manifesto: The Man Behind the Curtain|url=https://highwiredaze.com/2018/01/04/meat-beat-manifesto-man-behind-curtain/|website=highwiredaze.com|date=5 January 2018}}</ref>
*Quinoline Yellow
*[[Posthuman (band)|Posthuman]]
*[[Push Button Objects]]<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=Push Button Objects|url=https://www.atpfestival.com/artist/pushbuttonobjects|website=All Tomorrow's Parties}}</ref>
*[[Team Doyobi]]<ref name="redbull"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=igloomag |date=2006-12-11 |title=Team Doyobi :: The Kphanapic Fragments (Skam, CD) |url=https://igloomag.com/reviews/team-doyobi-the-kphanapic-fragments-skam-cd |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Igloo Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>
*[[VHS Head]]<ref name="nme-snapes">{{cite web|first1=Laura|last1=Snapes|accessdate=2019-08-14|title=Most Underrated Albums Of 2010 - What's Yours?|url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/most-underrated-albums-of-2010-whats-yours-38323|date=3 December 2010|website=NME}}</ref>
*[[Wevie Stonder]]<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2025-03-24|title=Wevie Stonder|url=https://www.atpfestival.com/artist/weviestonder|website=All Tomorrow's Parties}}</ref>
}}

== See also ==
* [[List of record labels]]
* [[List of independent UK record labels]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|https://skam.bleepstores.com}}
* {{discogs label|Skam}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:English record labels]]
[[Category:British independent record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1990]]
[[Category:Music in Manchester]]
[[Category:Companies based in Manchester]]
[[Category:Electronic music record labels]]