Indie Music

Indie Touch & Go Slashes Staff, Ends Distribution

Touch & go
After more than 20 years, seminal Chicago based indie label Touch & Go is severely cutting back its operations.  20 staff members have reportedly been given 6 weeks notice and the distribution arm of the company is shuttering entirely.

The label says it will continue its core operations, but rumors are
swirling that new signings have been Broken record
halted and that a catalog-only
operation with only a skeleton staff is likely. Touch & Go was once
home to The Jesus Lizard, Slint, Butthole Surfers, The Mekons and TV On The Radio, as well as, current releases
by of Calexico, Mi Ami, All the Saints and others.

Indie labels left looking for distribution include: 2131, 5 Rue Christine, All Natural, Atavistic, Drag City, Emperor Jones, Estrus, Flameshovel, Jade Tree, In The Fishtank, Kill Rock Stars, Le Tigre Recordings, Merge Records, Overcoat Recordings, Pretty Activity, Post Present Medium, Record Label, Robcore, Suicide Squeeze, Trance Syndicate, Trixie, Voodoo-EROS, Warm Electronic Recordings.

The text of a statement issued by Touch and Go founder Corey Rusk:

"It is with great sadness that we are reporting some major changes here at Touch and Go Records.  Many of you may not be aware, but for nearly 2 decades, Touch and Go has provided manufacturing and distribution services for a select yet diverse group of other important independent record labels.  Titles from these other labels populate the shelves of our warehouse alongside the titles on our own two labels, Touch and Go Records, and Quarterstick Records. 

"Unfortunately, as much as we love  all of these labels, the current state of the economy has reached the point where we can no longer afford to continue this lesser known, yet important part of Touch and Go’s operations.  Over the years, these labels have become part of our family, and it pains us to see them go.  We wish them all the very best and we will be doing everything we can to help make the transition as easy as possible.

"Touch and Go will be returning to its roots and focusing solely on being an independent record label.  We’ll be busy for a few months working closely with the departing labels and scaling our company to an appropriate smaller size after their departure.  It is the end of a grand chapter in Touch and Go’s history, but we also know that good things can come from new beginnings."

 

Bruce Houghton on 02/19/2009 in Indie Music | Permalink | Comments (3)
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3 Comments

  1. I can’t believe this. They distribute Merge (Arcade Fire, Spoon, Neutral Milk Hotel), Suicide Squeeze (Minus the Bear), Kill Rock Stars (Elliott Smith, Sleater Kinney), and lots more. I don’t know how they can’t be doing well. I am blown away.

  2. Im sure they dont make a large amount of money from running their distribution, but they have kept it up this long. From me owning a record store, I never went through Touch & Go to carry releases by the labels they worked with, I always went direct with these labels. Even though this looks like a big mess i dont think it will be a crazy thing where people are running up and down the streets screaming for that long.
    I can see two or three of these labels coming together and forming a new alliance for distribution and more labels will jump on board – or maybe Secretly Canadian Distribution label group which handles accounts for: Tomlab, Fatcat, k, Asthmatic Kitty…. will open their doors and say “come on in” and grow their label accounts 🙂

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