This month we asked Tim of O’Genesis Records all about setting up a record label …

What prompted you to start the label?

The idea first came to me when I was 11 years old so it was a very slow process. I remember when I was first buying records and getting into music that there was all this talk of ‘labels’ that I didn’t really get but it sounded exciting – then there were the actual labels of the labels, sitting there in the middle of each record. Some cool, some not so, some underground, some hand made and some that were household names. Then I was in a band and you get to know a bit more about labels – they have a massive responsibility to help get new music to people and sometimes record labels can get a bit of a bad reputation. I loved the idea of putting out new music and working with bands and artists every step of the way, so O’Genesis Recordings was born

What has been your proudest moment of the label so far?

There have loads but I’m narrowing it down to 3

Putting out a record by a music hero of mine, R Stevie Moore. I got to know him well and he played on one of my solo albums too. He is a true genius.

Releasing A Little Bit of Powder by Ian Rankin – a short story on vinyl. I remember lots of spoken word albums from being a kid and it was a thrill to work with Ian – we are the only label to have signed one of the world’s leading crime writers

Finally it’s a 7” single we put out called Hello Moon – Professor Tim O Brien opened up the sound archive of Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope to us and that is some back catalogue. Going right back to The Big Bang. We ended up with a techno dancefloor smash. Professor Tim talks through the sounds on the B side

Which three to five albums would you recommend to someone who maybe doesn’t know the label and wants to start checking it out?

Lo Fi High Fives – R Stevie Moore

Assorted Promenades – Martin Duffy

Veld – Daniel O’Sullivan

And Now Our Lives Are Complete – Compilation

If money was no object, which artist(s) – past or present – would you love to sign to the label, and why?

Nirvana, Talking Heads and The Charlatans  – I think we’d work well together.

If you had one piece of advice for someone wanting to start a label, what would it be?

Be careful

Thanks Tim !