Progression, innovation and collaboration is the formula at Fascination Street Records

Alistair Chant is well versed in all aspects of the music industry.

Producer, engineer and musician, Ali has been making records for around 15 years and has gone on to produce records for people like PJ Harvey and M. Ward, Yard Act, Oslo Twins, Perfume Genius and Gruff Rhys.

From creating music to producing music through Toybox Studios until 2016, Ali has now set up a new record label, Fascination Street Records, in collaboration with Factory Studios.

“I met Leon, Zoey and Sol from Factory Studios last year when I found out about their artists mentorship scheme that they’ve been running,” Ali tells Bristol24/7.

“We had a chat and they were thinking of trying to put something together as the next stage for the scheme; to be able to sort of offer a kind of release platform, and offer ongoing assistance, I suppose, for people who are coming through Factory Studios.”

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Factory Studios and Fascination Street Records aims to offer new bands and young artists the opportunties when beginning the first steps in their career.

With so many record labels existing in Bristol, what does Fascination Street Records offer to aspiring artists?

“My production style is going to be a big part of the label, at least initially; the plan is for me to produce all of the artists who come through it. We’re quite keen to sort of makes make an ecosystem that sort of ties together visually as well as physically,” Ali answers.

“What’s useful to emerging artists is help with early recordings and studio time and we’re going to pay for radio plugins and for press coverage. Initially we’re looking at four track EPs so you’ve got what could essentially be a four to six month release campaign. That’s what we’re offering, help to take it to the next level.”

Putting emerging artists at the forefront of their work is why Ali decided to collaborate with other companies in Bristol, including Factory Studios and Audiotarky.

Offering clear progression routes for new artists is a valuble and viable way of supporting them through a difficult industry.

Beginning with the the mentorship scheme and the record label, the natural next step of the progression route follows with the releasing of music.

Taking over this part of the narrative is Audiotarky; a new streaming platform that directly challenges the Spotify model.

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“I feel like in my lifetime, the industry has swung so radically, from one extreme to the other,” Ali explains. “Most of them, don’t expect private yachts and jets and stuff, they can’t even afford to pay their rent.

“Spotify is a big part of that problem. When Simon [Metson, founder of Audiotarky] came to me and said I’ve got this idea of trying to run a streaming site but using cryptocurrency and making it super streamlined in a way that just cuts out so much sort of chaff in the middle, I thought was a really interesting idea.”

The grassroots ethical music streaming company prioritises artists over algorithms, allowing listening to support their favourite artists by paying them directly as soon as you listen to their music.

More platforms to release music means more people are able to listen to up and coming artists.

“The best case scenario would be see this as a sort of cultural change, forcing distribution outlets to think, ‘hold on a minute, these guys are doing something that’s quite revolutionary, maybe there’s something we can take from that.'” Ali tells us.

“Then you can apply this to things like Bandcamp or SoundCloud. I feel like there needs to be more diversity in the streaming marketplace and and I think innovation is what’s going to drive it.”

A more collaborative, innovative and sustainable approach to the music industry is at the forefront of these Bristol based companies.

Main photo: Tom Ham

Read next:

• Future Sound of Bristol Initiative unveiled to help emerging artists and labels
• A look at the new, improved and all-inclusive Factory Studios

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