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Believers Roast

Believers Roast[a] is a record label formed in 2009 by musician Kavus Torabi, initially to only release recordings by Torabi and his band Knifeworld. The label expanded with the fundraising album Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith in 2010 and has since released the collaborative album The Exquisite Corpse Game (2013) and albums by artists including Thumpermonkey, The Gasman, Karda Estra, Arch Garrison, and respective band members.

History

Kavus Torabi (pictured in 2022) started Believers Roast to release his own recordings.

Kavus Torabi set up Believers Roast in 2009.[3] The label was initially conceived to only release recordings relating to Torabi and his band Knifeworld,[3] which started out as a solo project.[14] The label released the first Knifeworld single, "Pissed Up on Brake Fluid", on 13 July, and debut album Buried Alone: Tales of Crushing Defeat in August.[15] The label expanded upon its second major release,[3] Leader of the Starry Skies, a tribute album by various artists to Cardiacs founder and frontman Tim Smith which aimed to raise funds towards his care.[16][17] Released on 13 December 2010,[17] Torabi was also among those who helped assemble the musicians for the album,[18] which features contributions from the Magic Numbers, Oceansize, Andy Partridge of XTC and Julianne Regan of All About Eve among others.[16][17] Released through Believers Roast as no other labels were willing to take 0%,[14][19] the endeavour raised the band's profile further.[20]

Believers Roast released the Knifeworld EP Dear Lord, No Deal on 4 July 2011,[14] the first recording to feature a full band line-up.[21] With the label, Torabi planned to release a boxset of studio recordings by his former band the Monsoon Bassoon that summer.[14] In 2012, the album Sleep Furiously by art rock quartet Thumpermonkey was released through Believers Roast.[22] In 2013, the label announced the collaborative album The Exquisite Corpse Game, where each artist contributed a one to four minute-long instrumental passage called a "fold" after hearing the end of the preceding track, in reference to the Surrealist technique Exquisite Corpse.[23][4] The album was released on 2 September, recorded by a cast of collaborators including JG Thirlwell, Appleblim and Max Tundra.[23] Other players assembled by Torabi include the left-field artists Weasel Walter, Khyam Allami and Bob Drake.[24]

It's the most bizarre label – I don't make a penny out of it. To release stuff on the label, it's me saying, 'Yep, I really like this, I'd like to put it out.' Everything on it is in a different genre – there's no one sound.[25]

– Kavus Torabi, 2014

The Gasman, an alias of Portsmouth resident Christopher Reeves, released the albums Hiding Place and Hiding Place #2 on Believers Roast in 2012 and 2014 respectively, which feature complex digital piano compositions.[26] He has also released albums on the other Cardiacs-adjacent label Onomatopoeia.[27] Torabi allowed German label Inside Out Music to release Knifeworld's second album The Unravelling (2014) rather than Believers Roast.[25][1][28] In 2015, Believers Roast released the album Strange Relations by Karda Estra, a project of composer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Wileman,[29] and folk group Admirals Hard's album Upon a Painted Ocean in 2016.[30] Torabi released the three track EP Solar Divination through the label in 2018,[31] followed by the solo album Hip to the Jag on 22 May 2020.[32][33][2] Arch Garrison's third record The Bitter Lay was released on the label on 18 September.[34]

Believers Roast released Knifeworld bassoonist Chlöe Herington's first solo album Silent Reflux in 2021,[35] and Thumpermonkey singer and guitarist Michael Woodman's solo album Psithurism on 6 August.[6][7] Baber Wileman, a collaboration between Sanguine Hum's Matt Baber and Richard Wileman, released their self-titled debut album through Believers Roast on 10 January 2022.[9] North Sea Radio Orchestra's Craig Fortnam released his second solo album Instrumental Music 1 through the label on 17 June,[10] followed by the loose concept album Lunar One.[11] Torabi collaborated with Wileman for the album Heaven's Sun which was released through Believers Roast on 2 June 2023.[36] Wileman released the solo album The Forked Road through Believers Roast on 17 January 2024.[37] Torabi's second solo album The Banishing, which he recorded during lockdown, was released through Believers Roast on May 3, preceded by the singles "Snake Humanis" on March 6 and "Heart the Same" on April 5.[12][13]

Discography

Adapted from the liner notes of each release and the Genepool website.

Notes

  1. ^ Also known as Believers Roast Records.[4][5][6][7] No apostrophe,[8] despite some sources.[2][6][7][9][10][11][12][13]

References

  1. ^ a b Evans, Matt (5 August 2014). "Features | Baker's Dozen | Self-Confident Weirdos: Kavus Torabi's Favourite Albums". The Quietus. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Nathanson, Zachary (3 June 2020). "Kavus Torabi – Hip To The Jag". Echoes and Dust. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Believers Roast". Knifeworld. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Whyte, Joe (3 November 2013). "Believers Roast Presents The Exquisite Corpse Game - album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  5. ^ Ainscoe, Mike (18 May 2020). "Kavus Torabi – Hip To The Jag: Album Review". At The Barrier. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Ewing, Jerry (5 May 2021). "Thumpermonkey's Michael Woodman releases new video for Sacramento". Prog. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Ewing, Jerry (30 July 2021). "Michael Woodman continues his solo journey with new video for The Levitant". Prog. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  8. ^ Davis, Steve; Torabi, Kavus (15 April 2021). Medical Grade Music. London: Orion Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-4746-1950-9. Note: Search "Believers Roast".
  9. ^ a b Ewing, Jerry (12 November 2021). "Matt Baber and Richard Wileman team up for new album". Prog. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  10. ^ a b Ewing, Jerry (2 April 2022). "North Sea Radio Orchestra's Craig Fortnam releases video for Gigant". Prog. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  11. ^ a b Benjamin, Stuart (11 January 2023). "Craig Fortnam – Lunar One A Sides / Lunar One B Sides". Echoes and Dust. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  12. ^ a b Ewing, Jerry (6 March 2024). ""My idea of a pop tune!" Kavus Torabi launches new solo album with video for Snake Humanis". Prog. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  13. ^ a b Ewing, Jerry (5 April 2024). "Kavus Torabi shares video for new single, the epic, trippy Heart The Same". Prog. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d Evans, Matt (3 August 2011). "Features | In Extremis | On A Knife Edge: An Interview With Kavus Torabi". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Knifeworld". UK Festival Guides. 8 March 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Album: Various artists, Leader of the Starry Skies (Believers Roast)". The Independent. 12 December 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  17. ^ a b c "BBC - Magic Numbers and XTC raise funds for Salisbury musician". BBC News. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  18. ^ Mr. Spencer (20 April 2011). "The Cardiacs - an epic overview by Mr. Spencer with help from Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Captain Sensible". Louder Than War. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  19. ^ Kitching, Sean (10 May 2016). "Features | Strange World Of... | The Golden Age Is Now: The Strange World Of Kavus Torabi". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  20. ^ Graham, Ben (15 June 2011). "Reviews | William D Drake". The Quietus. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  21. ^ Robertson, Paul (8 August 2011). "Knifeworld - Dear Lord, No Deal (Believers Roast)". Bearded Magazine: The Home of Independent Music. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  22. ^ Evans, Matt (2012). "Thumpermonkey - Sleep Furiously (Believers Roast)". Rock-A-Rolla – via Facebook.
  23. ^ a b Tuffrey, Laurie (29 July 2013). "News | Kavus Torabi & Friends For New Collab LP". The Quietus. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  24. ^ Evans, Matt (2 September 2023). "Various Artists - The Exquisite Corpse Game (Believers Roast)". Rock-A-Rolla – via Facebook.
  25. ^ a b Johnston, Emma (2 July 2014). "Life At The Sharp End". Prog. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  26. ^ Jeffries, David. "The Gasman Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  27. ^ Gardner, Noel (27 November 2018). "Features | Noel's Foul House: Your New Weird Britain for November". The Quietus. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  28. ^ Kendall, Jo (26 June 2015). "Knifeworld: Home Of The Newly Departed". Prog. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  29. ^ Lawson, Dom (17 April 2015). "Limelight: Karda Estra". Prog. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  30. ^ Hunt, Steve (2016). "Admirals Hard - Sleep Furiously (Believers Roast)". fRoots – via Facebook.
  31. ^ Ainscoe, Mike (26 April 2018). "Kavus Torabi: Solar Divination – EP review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  32. ^ Ewing, Jerry (3 May 2020). "Kavus Torabi releases Cemetery Of Light video". Prog. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  33. ^ Ainscoe, Mike (18 May 2020). "Kavus Torabi – Hip To The Jag: Album Review". At The Barrier. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  34. ^ Wood, Ben (18 September 2020). "Arch Garrison: The Bitter Lay (Believers Roast)". Bearded Magazine: The Home of Independent Music. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  35. ^ Gardner, Noel (8 February 2021). "Features | New Weird Britain In Review For February By Noel Gardner". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  36. ^ Ewing, Jerry (18 March 2023). "Kavus Torabi and Richard Wileman announce new album". Prog. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  37. ^ Ewing, Jerry (28 November 2023). "Richard Wileman unveils new prog and folk horror concept album". Prog. Retrieved 17 January 2024.

External links