WestCom
Encyclopedia
WestCom was a German recording company that operated the labels Off Beat, Visage Records and other label
s.
In addition to WestCom, its owner also operates NovaTekk and Euromedia.
Headquartered in Gelsenkirchen
, Germany
.
In 1999 Stefan Herwig, A&R
manager at Off Beat, left the company over differences in promotion, to join forces with Eskil Simonsson (Covenant
), Johan Van Roy (Suicide Commando
), Bryan Erickson
(Velvet Acid Christ
) and Ronan Harris
(VNV Nation
) to form a new label, dependent (which opened January 1999). When he left, most artists switched to the new label, effectively shutting down WestCom.
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Off Beat was a label/division specialized in electronic music
with industrial and experimental rhythmic features.
Originally the catalog numbering followed the codes issued by its distributor SPV GmbH
(like SPV 085-22292 for Front Line Assembly
's 1995 album Hard Wired
). Around 1996 the label started its own format, starting with a capital O
followed by the release number. Previous releases were attributed numbers, that were added to the artwork in reprints.
Among the artists that were released through Off Beat are Front Line Assembly
, Project Pitchfork
, Mentallo & The Fixer, Download
, Suicide Commando
, and Haujobb
among others.
.
Aside from several Europe
an synthpop bands as Elegant Machinery
and The Northern Territories
, it was responsible for the Vis-à-Vis series of compilation albums.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s.
Company history
Founded around 1993.In addition to WestCom, its owner also operates NovaTekk and Euromedia.
Headquartered in Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
In 1999 Stefan Herwig, A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
manager at Off Beat, left the company over differences in promotion, to join forces with Eskil Simonsson (Covenant
Covenant (band)
Covenant is a band from Sweden whose music comprises a mixture between electropop and electronic dance music. The band is composed of Eskil Simonsson, Daniel Myer and Joakim Montelius...
), Johan Van Roy (Suicide Commando
Suicide Commando
Suicide Commando is a Belgian electro-industrial act created by Johan van Roy in 1986.- History :Johan van Roy, Suicide Commando's only member, began experimenting with electronic music in 1986. Three years later he released his first tape under the moniker Suicide Commando, and made an appearance...
), Bryan Erickson
Bryan Erickson (musician)
Bryan Erickson is known primarily for his involvement with the electronic music bands Velvet Acid Christ and Toxic Coma. Erickson also goes by the stage names of "hexfix93" and "Disease Factory"...
(Velvet Acid Christ
Velvet Acid Christ
Velvet Acid Christ is an electro-industrial band based in Denver, Colorado. The band was formed in 1990, gaining limited popularity in Europe's underground nightclub scene during the mid-1990s before expanding into other markets in the goth and industrial subcultures...
) and Ronan Harris
Ronan Harris
Ronan Harris is a member of the act VNV Nation, along with Mark Jackson. For live shows the band are joined by 2 keyboard players. Ronan is credited with the songwriting, production, lyrical, and vocal aspects of the band's music...
(VNV Nation
VNV Nation
VNV Nation are a British/Irish electronic music band originally from Dublin, Ireland and Essex, United Kingdom and now based in Hamburg, Germany. They combine elements of electro-industrial, trance, synthpop and electronic body music . The members are Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson...
) to form a new label, dependent (which opened January 1999). When he left, most artists switched to the new label, effectively shutting down WestCom.
Off Beat
Off Beat was a label/division specialized in electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
with industrial and experimental rhythmic features.
Originally the catalog numbering followed the codes issued by its distributor SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide....
(like SPV 085-22292 for Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. Influenced by early Industrial acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Portion Control, D.A.F., Test Dept, SPK, and Severed Heads, FLA has developed its own unique sound while combining...
's 1995 album Hard Wired
Hard Wired
Hard Wired is an album by Front Line Assembly, released in 1995. It makes extensive use of audio-clips from the 1995 film In the Mouth of Madness, especially in the track "Mortal." The album includes artwork by David McKean....
). Around 1996 the label started its own format, starting with a capital O
O
O is the fifteenth letter and a vowel in the basic modern Latin alphabet.The letter was derived from the Semitic `Ayin , which represented a consonant, probably , the sound represented by the Arabic letter ع called `Ayn. This Semitic letter in its original form seems to have been inspired by a...
followed by the release number. Previous releases were attributed numbers, that were added to the artwork in reprints.
Among the artists that were released through Off Beat are Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. Influenced by early Industrial acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Portion Control, D.A.F., Test Dept, SPK, and Severed Heads, FLA has developed its own unique sound while combining...
, Project Pitchfork
Project Pitchfork
Project Pitchfork is an electronic musical group from Hamburg, Germany.-History:Project Pitchfork was formed by Peter Spilles and Dirk Scheuber. Having agreed to work together, they then picked the project's name by picking a word at random from the dictionary. The demo K.N.K.A. was recorded...
, Mentallo & The Fixer, Download
Download (band)
Download is an electronic music group formed by Dwayne Goettel and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy in 1994. The initial lineup also included Off & Gone's Phil Western and Mark Spybey of Dead Voices on Air, but has since been particularly fluid, with Key and Western being the only constant members...
, Suicide Commando
Suicide Commando
Suicide Commando is a Belgian electro-industrial act created by Johan van Roy in 1986.- History :Johan van Roy, Suicide Commando's only member, began experimenting with electronic music in 1986. Three years later he released his first tape under the moniker Suicide Commando, and made an appearance...
, and Haujobb
Haujobb
Haujobb is a German musical project whose output has ranged drastically within the electronic music spectrum, from electro-industrial to IDM and techno...
among others.
Visage Records
Visage was a label/division specialized in synthpopSynthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
.
Aside from several Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an synthpop bands as Elegant Machinery
Elegant Machinery
Elegant Machinery is a Swedish synthpop band. Borrowing heavily from the likes of Depeche Mode, they are one of few recent bands dedicated to making traditional synthpop music...
and The Northern Territories
The Northern Territories
The Northern Territories was an electronic music project from Sweden. It was started in Uppsala in 1992 by John Alexander Ericson and Stefan Sääf...
, it was responsible for the Vis-à-Vis series of compilation albums.
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy was a label/division specialized in goth rock. It started 1998 with the release of the album One Day by the band Near Dark.Nightshade
Nightshade Productions was a label/division specialized in dark wave music.External links
- Nightshade Productions at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Off Beat at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Poison Ivy at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Visage at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...