2007 was a year Nottingham based imprint Low Point came into its own. Releasing music by well known artists like Machinefabriek and Chris Herbert, while retaining an interest in local musicians like Apalusa and The Last of the Real Hardmen. In this interview head honcho Gareth Hardwick talks retrospectively about that year and also delves into the future as he bids to grow and nurture his specialist little label. Not bad for a label that started as an in-joke.

Hi Gareth, can you tell us about your background in music and how you became interested in recording your own compositions?

I guess I am quite a late developer in terms of playing music. Aside from mucking about in a few three chord punk rock bands in my friends garage during my late teens, I didn't start playing music seriously until about 2003 when I formed the guitar based ambient duo Economy of Motion with my friend Chris Summerlin (who now plays in the bands Lords and Last of the Real Hardmen). EOM played a handful of gigs (with bands that included Growing, Christina Carter, Fursaxa and Don Nino) and self-released a CD-R before the band ran its course. However, my interest in playing this sort of music had by now been well and truly piqued, so when the opportunity to play my first solo show came about in October 2005, I jumped at the chance. Recording and self-releasing my own compositions seemed like a natural progression from this and fortunately for me several other labels since then have deemed my music worthy of release too!

Who do you regard as your biggest influences?

I absolutely adore the music of Stars of the Lid. I can still vividly remember being blown away when I saw them perform live back in 2001. It was the first time I heard guitars being used to create different sounds, textures and tones in a way that sounded as far removed as possible from the music I was listening to at the time. The fact that I also got to see them perform three times when they recently toured in the UK again this year was a very special experience for me. In terms of other ambient/drone music, there is a huge list of people I enjoy listening to; Andrew Chalk/Mirror, Tim Hecker & Oren Ambarchi to name just a few. Just about anything that reduces me to a near catatonic state will always rate highly.

What prompted you to found Low Point Records and tell us about this venture's aims and goals?

Low Point was primarily started as a vehicle for releasing my own music. The first Low Point CD-R was released in March 2005 and was a 3" CD-R by Bologna Pony, an improvised noise duo that I was active in at the time. Only 30 copies of the CD-R were made and they were sold at the live shows that Bologna Pony played. The inclusion of the name Low Point and catalogue number on the artwork was only added as a private joke between myself and David, the other half of the band and at the time it was never my intention to start running a label!

I guess it wasn't until mid 2006 when I started to involve and approach other artists for releases, (mainly as I thought that running a label exclusively to release my own music to be quite narcissistic) that I actually began thinking about what I wanted to achieve from running a label. The Mission Statement of Low Point is something that I've always summed up in one sentence: to release music of genuine interest to me in an attractive, yet affordable manner.

What sort of labels have you taken inspiration from?

Albums released on Kranky without a doubt. The fact they have stayed true to their vision over the course of 100 + releases whilst remaining independent and focused on releasing such high quality music should be an inspiration for anyone who wants to start a label, regardless of genre. Labels like Root Strata and Students of Decay have also demonstrated to me how it's possible to produce high quality and innovative releases on a smaller scale. My friend Matt who runs Gringo Records, which is also based in Nottingham but focuses more on the indie rock side of things, has also been a great help in giving me advice on how to go about releasing music.

2007 has seen Low Point release several records, what do you consider your proudest achievement so far?

It goes without saying that I'm very pleased with how all of the releases have turned out so far, but the split single between Chris Herbert and Felix in particular is a highlight for me. The single was the first vinyl release I did and I think in some ways it marked the start of Low Point as a 'proper' record label. The fact that I'm also good friends with both artists and that it was a real team effort putting the whole release together makes the record quite special for me.

Talk us through some of the records Low Point issued, they feature some notable artists including Chris Herbert and Machinefabriek. How did these relationships come about?

As mentioned already, I've been friends with Mr. Herbert for a couple of years now, so I thought it made perfect sense to want to release some of his music on the label. Chris has always been incredibly encouraging of both Low Point and my own music, so part of me feels indebted to him and more than willing to support his music in any way I can.

I was introduced to Rutger (aka Machinefabriek) via the world of MySpace and then subsequently through trading CD-R's of our music. I'm in awe of how prolific Machinefabriek has been and the sheer number of amazing releases he has under his belt in such a short space of time. When I was contemplating who to approach for the flip side of the Split LP, he was my first choice, mainly because I felt his contribution would be the perfect compliment to my half of the release.

When considering an artist for Low Point, what factors influence your decisions?

So far, all of the releases on Low Point have been by artists I've had some sort of contact with previously. This has been through aspect such as seeing them perform live, being a fan of their music or just knowing them personally and respecting whom they are and what they do. I do get sent and listen to demos from people on a regular basis, but unfortunately so far I haven't felt passionate enough about what I'm hearing to warrant a release, which is a shame. Ultimately though, if I like the music and the artist fitted in with the overall aesthetic of Low Point, then there will always be the possibility that I would want to release it.

If money was no object, who would you like to sign to your label?

I'd certainly like to commit to producing more vinyl releases. I love the format, though unfortunately nowadays it's quite expensive to get manufactured for small runs. Having a pool of money would certainly remove some of the pressure of trying to break even. Additionally, I'd be incredibly happy if anyone I've mentioned so far in the interview would want to have something released on the label!

Low Point records are always uniquely packaged, as an independent label is this an important factor in creating a unique identity?

I've always wanted each Low Point release to look as good as possible. Sometimes I think that people are often reluctant to buy CD-R's because to many, the phrase 'CD-R release' immediately brings to mind something packaged in photocopied sleeves with marker pen artwork or worse still, liberal doses of spray paint everywhere. In some cases that approach works really well, though it is something I've personally always wanted to avoid. My thoughts are that if I'm selling an item, I want someone to feel that they are getting good value for money. This was particularly true for the earlier releases where people were effectively taking a gamble on the label, so packaging the releases in a way that made people feel satisfied with what they were buying was an important factor to me.

The artists also have a high input into how the release will look. For instance, both the sleeves for Diluted by Chris Herbert and the Machinefabriek/Hardwick LP (review link) were designed by the artists themselves. Additionally, I've also been lucky enough to be able to call upon the help of several people when I've needed assistance with artwork issues. My housemate Chris is a freelance graphics designer (check out honeyisfunny.com for more info), so he's always able to help with the layout and design of the sleeves. A lot of the artwork also gets produced at my friend Phil's printing company, which enables me to save money on production costs and keep the sale price low. It's the small factors like that allow me to keep producing attractive looking packaging.

As a label owner what is your stance on illegally downloading copyrighted music? If, for example, a Low Point record sold out of physical copies would you be for or against people sharing a download of the release across the net?

Well, now that we're in the age of fast broadband internet connections, the downloading of music, illegal or otherwise is something that is going to be inevitable, so label owners should at least expect it to happen.

Personally speaking I'm not against people sharing music, as it can be argued that people putting the music up on the internet for download is good promotion for the label as it allows people who are not aware of the artists the opportunity to listen to them - there have been occasions where people have gone on to buy copies of the releases once they have downloaded them because they liked what they heard.

Saying that though, it can be a bit disheartening when I discover a Low Point record available to download in its entirety literally less than a week after its release date - I can particularly feel the pinch on the vinyl releases where every sale counts towards breaking even.

Will it always be your intention to release Low Point records in limited numbers of 100 or 200 or will more be available as the label grows?

It is my aim to increase the numbers of each release though at the moment, Low Point is still pretty much a cottage industry, with everything run from a room in the shared house where I live. Sadly, it's impractical to have boxes of records stacked up everywhere, so until I manage to secure some proper distribution for the label, releases will have to remain in more manageable numbers. Saying that though, I've been slowly building up relationships with several web retailers (including Boomkat and Norman Records who have both been superb to deal with) who have helped a great deal to promote the label.

Low Point features a number of artists from Nottingham, from your own work through to Apalusa. How important is it for a label to support its local scene?

I think it's pretty much common sense to say that if there's something of great merit on your own doorstep then it'd be pretty foolish to ignore it!

What can you tell us about the Nottingham scene, is there any interesting artists worth checking out?

Nottingham is quite diverse in terms of what is going on, with everything from electronica to rock bands and improvised noise gigs all managing to pull in audiences. I'm involved in the collective Damn You! (damnyou.co.uk) that promotes gigs of various sizes throughout the city on a not-for-profit basis, so I'm fortunate enough to be able to see live music of different genres on a fairly regular basis. In terms of local bands, Souvaris are definitely worth checking out. I went on a European tour with them last April and I couldn't have wished to be stuck in the slowest van in the world with any other guys.

Final question, with 2008 fast approaching, what do you have in store for us in terms of your own music and Low Point?

In terms of my own music, there will be a CD-R of two live performances available from the New York based label Install (www.installsound.net) early on in the year. I've also just started the recording of a new full length album which is quite exciting as it has been something that has been delayed, avoided and put-off for various reasons for nearly a year now!

The first release from Low Point in 2008 will be a vinyl EP by Strategy of Portland, Oregon featuring some exclusive music that was road tested during his recent live shows in the UK. Paul is a swell guy so I'm definitely looking forward to this release. I'm currently in the process of approaching a couple of other artists, but I don't want to jinx anything by naming names. I'm pretty sure there will be a few more CD-R's along the line though!