RF Records

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We are still recruiting students for our exiting foundation degree in Music and New Media Management, run your own record label and events and attend international events in France, Spain, Germany and Texas, details HERE!RF15 OUT NOW!!!Buy it now from The Record Label Shop for £ 5.99Find out more about this year's CCMC on Wednesday 2nd May here . 1997 - 2007A fully operational record label run by staff and students, RF Records was originally set up for CCM by Phil Ellis in June 1997 to help students achieve the release of their recorded work whilst at college and now also focuses on emerging regional talent. In recent years it has sold 200,000 units on compilations around the world it has achieved 5 out of 5 Music week club breaker chart positions in the top 15 including a No1, 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9 between 2006/7 with its Dance label imprint, D6 records. The labels are distributed (Physicals) by NDN and (digitally) at iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster and others via the Orchard. RF will be revamping its website in autumn 2007 with its own download store which returns to the UK download charts www.rfrecords.com www.myspace.com/rfrecordsThe label has enjoyed an international industry profile, attending the annual Midem conference in Cannes, France, Popkomm In Germany, South by south west in Austin Texas (where RF celebrated a decade of sound in march 2007), and co-promoting several events with the Major Trade associations and Radio One. www.midem.com www.popkomm.de www.sxsw.comIn 2006, the Music and New Media Management team launched a range of new label imprints to cover a wider genre and provide CCM students and others with opportunities to release their music.D6 Records is the new commercial Funky House/Dance and Breaks Label. The first release from D6 Records and Liberty City Music featured tracks from Uniting Nations, Aswad Vs Simon Gigante, Isaac James, Nik Denton, One Hit Wonders, Murk, Mange Le Funk. With more to come from Adiva, Armand Van Helden, Robbie Rivera, Alison Limeric and others, its first 5 promo singles all entered the music week club commercial charts ranging from number1 to number 12 over the last year and it has released 3 commercial compilations, 3 promo compilations, 10 promo singles and more scheduled for autumn 07 including a D6 breaks compilation. The label is gaining a high profile in the dance world and is managed by recent music and new media management graduate, Darren Eager, Darren is an experience artist manager and combines the work of his company (Liberty city music) with Exclusive entertainment and city college to produce the growing D6 brand www.myspace.com/d6records and www.libertycitybizCoarse Recordings is an Indie based guitar label and has released two compilation albums in 2006 and a new album for Autumn 2007 www.myspace.com/coarserecordingsBass Foundation Records is a Manchester Hip Hop/Urban label, formed in January 2006 by five students from City College Manchester under the umbrella of the already established RF Records, this label has had great reviews and has released its first compilation in 2006 and two further albums in 2007 (Three is released in Autumn 2007) featuring some of the best local talent in the North West. www.myspace.com/bassfoundationrecordsRaw Strings Originally launched in 1997 with its first release ‘words and pictures’ selling out its first edition run, a second acoustic release came out in 2003 and a decade later has its new image and compilation number 3 released in Autumn 07, Raw strings is managed by second year music and new media management students, Talula Hutton & Sophie Richards. www.myspace.com/rawstringsBabyBoom Records is a Manchester based independent label with a fast growing national & international reputation and ‘big buzz’ with radio stations ranging from All FM in Manchester to K Rock in LA! It’s first two compilation albums and the EP from Western Isles of Scotland act ‘Our Small Capital’ has received much praise and a second EP from London act ’Prince Edward Island’ www.myspace.com/princeedwardisland is released in Autumn 2007. The label is run by Chris Williams and Phil Ellis, further projects for 2007/8 include its international online presence with babyboom France, Japan, Canada & Scandanavia www.myspace.com/babyboomrecordsukWomen in Music – Creative Women (WMCW) is a network launched in September 2005. It provides a platform for women in the music and creative industries to meet, network and share ideas, business and practice on an international level. With a support website, newsletter and CD release of music and art, WMCW is based in room A30 at City Campus and you can join/find out more by calling in to speak with Jo Hilditch, phoning us on 0161 279 7302, emailing Jo on [email protected] or visiting the website at www.wmcw.co.uk Tell us what you are up to! Submit your creativity for our next release. www.myspace.com/womeninmusiccreativewomenHE Recordings A student specific label run by staff and students (on music technology and performance courses) at City College Manchester. Its first release was launched in Austin Texas in March 2007 at SXSW including an artist performance. Contact Chris Stevenson at [email protected] and visit www.myspace.com/herecordingsCreative Entrepreneurs A mentoring and network support project, which is funded by ESF and the LSC. If you are a creative industries person living in Greater Manchester, you could qualify for support with your career and business, attend our excellent network events, get some great advice and even financial support for an event or project. Visit www.creativeentrepreneurs.org or call into the RF records office between 9.30 and 4.30pm Tel 0161 279 7302Pop Star Parties Formed in summer 2006 by the RF records team, Pop Star Parties is a commercial fun solution for parents planning a party with a difference for 9-13yr olds. The client brings up to 8 friends to our studio for a two hour recording experience (selecting 3 songs from our 6500 strong catalogue of backing tracks) we mix it and personalise a printed cd for each person. In addition we are adding a video recording and dvd service and expanding the service for adults and to companies for team building days. Visit the pop star parties link at www.rfrecords.comRF Productions We provide a custom pressing service at a highly competitive rate for staff and students and we also provide a cost price DVD and CD duplication service (with on-body print) at the RF Records office for short runs (ideal for MC’s DJ’s and Bands)We offer Student Rates for commercial recording time at the Cutting rooms studio, visit http://www.citycol.com/cuttingrooms/Think Sound Think sound is a range of music industry workshops starting in autumn every Monday evening 6-9pm lasting for ten weeks with a certificate for attending. The subjects range from setting up a label to the art of hustling and are ideal for creative people working or looking to work in the music industry. Each workshop if £35 to attend or £250 for all ten (saving £100) the programme revolves 30 weeks of the year so you can jump on programme at any point and complete all the workshops. Further details from Phil Ellis at [email protected]RF Reps The best way of being discovered in the music industry is with self exposure and promotion. What we do is connect musicians to musicians and musicians to the industry. We offer unsigned artists free promotional services. You only pay for costs incurred, i.e. cost of merchandise, studio time... etc RFReps is a completely non-profit organisation with a passion for music. Our target audience is anyone creating music and trying to get off the ground. It doesn't matter if you're into Heavy Metal, Acoustic, Grime, Indie, Jazz, Rap or Folk music... etc, we will do whatever we can to help you on your way. Whether that’s: making sense of html for your site/myspace layout, artwork for CD covers, reviewing your band/gig/album, getting some recordings done, featuring your tracks, getting/listing gigs, putting you in touch with record labels or even getting a new band member... We can help! Ok... so what do we get out of this? Well, apart from meeting some great people, hearing a massive variety of music and the fact we actually love doing this... Experience! Literally, that’s it, at the end of the day this is a great experience and we're students too... we have the same aspirations as you, which means we know how difficult it is trying to start out. The advantage of RFReps is that we deal with any organisation, can negotiate for you and we deal with any hassle. We hold monthly meetings at the college where student reps will discuss activities of the labels and future projects. Come and say hello at www.myspace.com/rfrepsCCMC In addition, the label organises and runs music conferences and since June 1997 has attracted over 5000 students to a series of 16 music and media related events under its City College Music Conventions (CCMC) banner. The bi-annual conventions have brought together some of the most prominent music industry practitioners and professionals who have passed on advice, guidance and encouragement to aspiring students as well as debating key industry issues. The events are also embedded in a Sound Advice Tour, an educational road show in which we partner as a host with the twelve major UK Music industry trade associations and BBC Radio One. The most recent convention staged by Music and new media management students featured DIY, demo feedback panels and a very popular Urban SummitWorking with Industry City College Manchester and RF Records have built a very strong relationship with both the UK Music Industry and many other overseas partners. An example of our extensive partnerships include;• BBC Radio 1 Working in partnership with R1 when hosting two UK Sound Advice tours in Manchester, Radio 1 joined students and the label in Cannes for the annual ‘Midem’ music industry event to track the student experience and report it on the R1 web site. Phil Ellis also acted as an advisor at Radio 1 Road show. www.bbc.co.uk/radio1• BBC Fame Academy Seen as recognition of its success in providing quality education and training, the college was chosen to receive £50,000 from the Academy to assist students with the purchasing of music and recording equipment and funding to enhance their pursuit of success in the music and media industry.• Channel 4 ideas factory RF records have presented workshops and e-learning support to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in developing an on-line recording label project entitled ‘Make Tracks’ this involves working with musicians from the Scottish Highlands and Islands in partnership with Hail (label Music development Agency), Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Go Events and Channel 4 Scotland. www.goevents.info• Sound Advice Tour City College Manchester and RF Records work in partnership with Major trade organisations including Mechanical Copyright Collection Society, Performing Right Society, Music Publishers Association, Music Managers Forum, Music Publishers Guild, Association of Recording Artists, British Association of Songwriters and Composers, Association of Independent Music, The British Music Council, The British Phonographic Industry, The Brits, Public Performance Limited and many others. We hosted a series of Music industry conventions and worked with AIM to present HE students with quality work experience opportunities in London.• Working with Higher Education RF Records and the music department proudly work in partnership with a number of Universities and Colleges in hosting conventions, providing progression for HE students and sharing practice. Our partners include the Universities of Paisley, Salford, Westminster, New Durham, Glamorgan, Nottingham, Chiltern and Buckinghamshire, Stowe, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, North and mid Cheshire colleges• ‘Break’ In The City Break ITC is the official ITC Fringe annual major Manchester music industry event and is supported by RF Records. We help to resource the event and showcase our artists and the WMCW network along side The Band Agency and Radio One. 2007 is no exception with an industry day at the bridgewater hall and a showcase of talent at the Jabez Clegg. www.breakinthecity.co.uk• Go North & Rock Ness RF records proudly work with and support the music industry in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland www.hailmusic.com and the annual events in Inverness, Moscow and Manchester, we showcase artists and present workshops in partnership with Go events (which this year included the highly successful Rock Ness festival www.goevents.infoFishing for Tracks! Please submit your demos for our next collection of albums. We are particularly interested in receiving demo’s from students at City College Manchester studying on any of our courses.These albums will be taken to the many music conventions and events we travel to throughout the year and will be promoted to thousands of industry professionals.We live in A30 in the basement of City Campus on Chorlton Street Manchester and our number is 00 44 (0) 161 279 7302The RF Records & WMCW team are: Phil Ellis, Chris Williams, Jo Hilditch, Darren Eager, Kate Holmes and Helen MillerMail to RF Records, City Campus, Chorlton Street, Manchester M1 3HB Email [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected] welcome input from all, come and visit, bring ideas, arrange a work placement, discuss release ideas, review music with us, give us content for the website! Join our steering group, which meets each month to have your say in what should be happening at RF Records www.myspace.com/rfrepsRF Records is supported by ESF (European Social Funds) WMCW is supported by ESF (European Social Funds) Creative Entrepreneurs is supported by ESF & LSC CCMC is supported by ESF (European Social Funds)