Toby L – Transgressive Records

(Watch Transgressive Record videos below)

From: London, UK

Label: Well, Transgressive Records

“My fear of starting a label was the idea of starting with one or two good bands and then splaffing your load. You know we’ve all been in that situation as men. We’re in the bedroom, we’re all revved up and then we exert ourselves to early. I didn’t want to let down anyone who got interested in the label or any of the bands.”

This is Toby L of Transgressive Records' fairly unique explanation of the pitfalls involved in running an independent label. But before we talk of the success of Transgressive, let us put CTP show 6’s guest into perspective. Aged 21, Toby L is younger than every member of the Cross The Pond Team. At 15 Toby established one of the first online music magazines, Rockfeedback.com. Two years later the website began a North London monthly club night, The Basement Club. On the first night Ed Harcourt headlined, Boy George spun the records. Rockfeedback has since blossomed as a production company, producing programmes for Channel 4 and MTV2. Toby has taken up presenting duties, becoming something of Zane Lowe’s number two on MTV’s indie sister.

With an average age of 26, us Cross The Ponders have just launched a weekly podcast show. Hmmm.

And then there is Transgressive Records. Since its inception in 2004, it has become home to a who’s who of the UK indie world. The label was co-founded by Toby and Tim Dellow, and funded on the latter’s £1,000 student loan. Tim was no slow starter himself, he was responsible for the first Bloc Party single released on the Trash Aesthetics imprint. Among the artists to release their own first singles on Transgressive were The Subways, Mystery Jets, The Pipettes and GoodBooks. The label entered the long-playing realm of albums in January with a special UK release from New York songstress Regina Spektor. The next album to be released, ‘Voices Of Animals and Men’ by The Young Knives, will be a highly significant step forward.

Joining The Young Knives on the current roster are Ladyfuzz, Burning Pilot, Polytechnic, former CPT guests Battle, and future CPT guest Jeremy Warmsley. It’s a list of honest and earnest artists that sums up a label with the very same intentions. Toby L’s enthusiasm will undoubtedly prove this to you when you tune into Cross The Pond’s Podcast number six.

Sound a bit like: A really strong record label

Like it? Try this: Young and Lost Club

For more: Transgressive Website
Transgressive on Myspace

Some Transgressive Records videos:

Hate me you do by Rumblestrips