Experimental Irish record label Farpoint celebrates 20 years with hectic release schedule
Dublin-based stamp Farpoint Recordings takes great pride in its output, lavishing time and love on artwork, packaging, documentation and quality control
Farpoint Recordings was founded by Anthony Kelly and David Stalling and is one of Ireland’s most adventurous record labels. It is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and along the way has brought us albums that have been dubbed experimental, electronic, classical and avant garde. Farpoint is all of these things and more.
Much of the label’s catalogue can be enjoyed on streaming services, but the stamp puts plenty of emphasis and effort into lavish packaging for its physical products. Anyone who purchases one of its albums can see and feel the love and care that goes into each release.
Farpoint opened its 20th anniversary account with a stunning album from Victor Lazzarini called vlz - very low impedance, a set inspired by the jazz fusion and progressive rock of the 1970s and hailed by RTE Lyric FM as "… brilliantly crafted, intellectually rigorous, some of the very greatest pure electronic works in this island (Ireland) at present."
Next up in 2024 was a debut album for Farpoint Recordings from sound artist Joseph Young which summoned the rich and complex histories of the Big House in Ireland through field recordings, voice and retro-futuristic sonic layering. Sonic Hauntings in a Big House was a digital-only outing through the imprint’s Bandcamp store but a limited edition vinyl version will follow later this year.
Hot on its heels came the Orpheus Down album by composer Ian Wilson whom Gramophone Magazine described as "a composer of imaginative resource and a sure formal sense… has the gift of making even the barest ideas interesting".
The limited edition CD format of this dark but soothing set of ten movements comes as a four-panel fold-out book sized cover including extensive liner notes by Ian Wilson and images by hugely talented visual artist and photographer Doreen Kennedy whose work has been hugely important in the visual identity of Farpoint Recordings.
Its latest long player Secret Space is a collaboration between composer Benjamin Dwyer and poet Alison Grace Koehler. The rather special piece of work couples improvised music by Dwyer with the poems and spoken word of Koehler. It all fits together perfectly.
It comes housed in a limited edition large format 40 page book that contains Koehler’s poetry and full colour photographs by Tony Carragher, all printed on heavy uncoated papers with the CD attached to the inside cover. Exquisite.
Next on the agenda from Farpoint is the Always The Same, Never The Same album from Brussels-based members of ensemble 0 (Jean-François Brohée, Florent Garnier and Sylvain Chauveau) on August 15. It’s a set of nine delicate acoustic compositions, varying in pace and mood featuring harmonium, organ, piano, guitar, prepared guitar and percussion.
The 20th anniversary line-up should also include before the end of the year Demonstrable Progress by Brian Duggan & David Bremner on 12in coloured vinyl with a booklet and faint red / pencil lines by Phil Maguire on CD in October.
Happy anniversary Farpoint Recordings. Here’s to the next 20 years!
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