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Irdial Discs

Profile:
Irdial Discs is a fiercely independent label that has been running since the 1980s. Owned and run by one person, Akin Fernandez, it has released a large volume of varied and experimental electronic music, including the debuts of several now legendary producers such as Lee Purkis (In Sync), Anthony Manning, Neuropolitique, Aqua Regia and Morganistic.

As well as being a landmark label in UK electronic music history, Irdial wowed the world in a wider context with some of it's "found sound" projects, most notably the "Conet Project" CD which revealed the decades-long held secret of Numbers Stations, and the "Electric Enigma" CD featuring recordings made of the Aurora Borealis.

As part of it's embracing the Free Music Philosophy, Irdial has made the majority of it's catalogue available for free download from the Internet.

Catalogue numbers 31 - 40 do not appear as Discogs entries as they do not exist as physical releases. These places in the catalogue were taken up by radio transmissions under the title "Monster Music". The shows were pre-recorded and given to DJ Chips who aired them on his show on Touchdown FM, a prominent London pirate radio station in the early-mid 1990s. Subsequent to this they were also aired on Radio 4U in Berlin by Monica Dietel.

The Monster Music shows are listed below by Irdial catalogue number, compiling/performing artist, and title.

31 ird mmr 1 - Akin Fernandez - "Yes UFOs"
32 ird mmr 2 - Akin Fernandez - "Once Upon A Time"
33 ird mmr 3 - Matt Cogger - "Cosmat Selection"
34 ird mmr 4 - Akin Fernandez - "Perfect Game Music Fan Collection"
35 ird mmr 5 - Akin Fernandez - "Perfume World"
36 ird mmr 6 - Akin Fernandez - "Hip Hop 1983 collection"
37 ird mmr 7 - Akin Fernandez - "Creed Taylor To The Rescue!"
38 ird mmr 8 - Cultureclash - "Cultureclash Utrecht"
39 ird mmr 9 - Akin Fernandez - "Disco Lesson"
40 ird mmr 10 - Akin Fernandez - "Omnus Carwash"

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Discography

Releases:
03 ird td 1 Thieving Dreamer It's All Dreams (Cass, Album, C74) 1987
05 ird td 2 Thieving Dreamer Hot Love 2 (12") 1989
07 ird aqr 1 Aqua Regia Hot Love 3 & 5 (12") 1988
09 ird aqr 2 Aqua Regia Pump Up The LED's To Red, Take Some Drugs And Shake Your Head ! (2 versions) 1988
10 ird aqr 3 Aqua Regia Big Band House (12") 1989
10 ird aqr 3 r 2 Aqua Regia Big Go Band Go House (12") 1989
11 ird aqr 4 Aqua Regia The Age Of Aqueous (2xLP, Album) 1989
12 ird aqr 5 Aqua Regia New York City Smile On Me! (12") 1989
12 IRD AQR 5 R1 Aqua Regia New York City Smile On Me! (12") 1989
16 ird aqr 6 Aqua Regia The House Tribe (12") 1989
17 ird aqr 7 Aqua Regia Omnus Carwash (12") 1989
18 ird aqrfb1 Aqua Regia Aqueanosolo (7") 1989
19 ird vco 1 Veco 19 Eep! (12") 1990
20 ird aqr 8 Aqua Regia Rugelach (2 versions) 1990
21 ird rmj 1 Ramjac Corporation Cameroon Massif! (12") 1990
22 ird rtc 1 Ray Tracing Slodato (12") 1990
22 ird rtc 1 Ray Tracing Slodato (12") 1991
23 ird hnt 1 Hainault Japan (12") 1991
24 ird bto 1 Beautyon Couple / Pendolino (12") 1991
25 ird aqr 9 Aqua Regia Phreak (12") 1991
26 ird mat 1 Neuropolitique Untitled (12") 1992
27 ird ins 1 In Sync Storm / Warm (3 versions) 1992
28 ird rmj 2 Ramjac* Analogue City (12") 1992
29 ird col 1 Aqua Regia vs. Rhythm Doc* Levels 1 - 5 (12", EP) 1992
30 ird bto 2 Beautyon Your Ignorance Makes Me Ill, And Angry (12") 1992
41 ird mgc 1 Morganistic In The Shadow (12") 1992
42 ird mat 2 Neuropolitique Fusion-Neu (12") 1992
43 ird ins 2 In Sync Untitled (12", TP) 1993
43 ird ins 2 In Sync + Pluto Ratcatcher EP (EP) (3 versions) 1993
45 ird tjj 1 Thee J Johanz EP (12") 1993
47 ird ins 3 In Sync Pomping World (12") 1994
49 ird mat 3 Neuropolitique Facility Junction (12") 1993
50 ird com 2 Various There Are Too Many Fools Following Too Many Rules (2xCD) 1994
50 ird com 2 Various Monster Music (12") 1994
51 ird aev 1 Anthony Manning Elastic Variations (12") 1994
52 ird mat 4 Neuropolitique Menage À Trois (Album) (2 versions) 1994
53 ird tjj 2 Thee J. Johanz* Confidential (Album) (2 versions) 1995
54 ird aev 2 Anthony Manning Islets In Pink Polypropylene (2 versions) 1994
55 ird com 3 Various The Electric Family - Mariopaint (3 versions) 1995
55 ird sexcat 1 Aqua Regia A Taste Of Electricity (12", S/Sided) 1995
56 ird aev 3 Anthony Manning Chromium Nebulae (Album) (3 versions) 1995
57 ird tef 1 Various The Electric Family - Mariopaint (The 12 Inch) (EP) (2 versions) 1995
59 ird tcp 1 Conet Project, The Recordings Of Shortwave Numbers Stations (2 versions) 1997
61 ird aev 4 Anthony Manning Concision (2 versions) 1997
62 ird tcp 2 Stephen P. McGreevy Electric Enigma: The VLF Recordings Of Stephen P. McGreevy (2xCD) 1996
63 ird amf 1 Mrs. Mimi Magick Mimi's Utilities (12")  
64 ird bto 5 Beautyon No02 (CD, Album) 1997
67 ird oct 1 Dilemma (2) Chip Tunes (2 versions) 1996
70 ird moy 1 Madonna Over Yorkshire Madonna Over Yorkshire (CD) 2001
none Various Pi34 Perfect Sync Selection Vol. 1 (CD, Promo) 1997
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Reviews & Discussion

Review by Jul 18, 2001 (edited over 8 years ago)
Irdial Discs is Europes most forward thinking and acting record label. When the web had only 20,000 sites, Irdial-Discs was there. They were the first to embrace Napster and, were cited in the Amicus Curae from Shawn Fanning, Napsters inventor, as an example of a company choosing to use Napster to distribute its copyrighted works. Irdial has adopted the Free Music Philosophy; allowing everyone online to download its recordings for free. Irdial is unflinching, brave and not constrained by the cowardice that strangles other labels.

They release the works of Britains greatest exponents of the music referred to as "Electronic Music", and released several classic works that would have been lost to the world due to plain and simple cowardice on the parts of inferior labels. Case in point, the classic track "Storm" by InSync, which was universally rejected simply because it was mastered on cassette. They took that cassette, cut directly from it, and created a sensation. This is how Irdial works, taking the raw, unfiltered genius of the chosen few, and then unleashing that genius without restraint.

Irdial takes risks. They live on the edge.

Shortwave Numbers Stations, the encrypted transmissions of worldwide espionage organizations, send messages to their agents in the field using the voices of erotic women, robotic men and German girls. The sound of these stations is extraordinary. No one in the thirty year history of these remarkable stations ever released a document detailing their operation and sound.

The British Library did not have a single recording of a Numbers Station in its archive. No spy novel referenced them, despite the fact that they can be heard by anyone with a simple hand held shortwave radio. Irdial was the first to act. Thanks to thier release, "The Conet Project: Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations", this most secret of subjects has been brought out into the open. The first ever newspaper and magazine articles about Numbers Stations have been published, and the television media is finally waking up to the incredible nature of this phenomena.

Anthony Manning, Aqua Regia, Neuropolitique, Luke Slater, Beautyon; all of these legendary artists were the cutting edge of their day, and the ones that are still recording and releasing are now revered. In 1989, They released a record that flooded the mailbox of a certain BBC radio DJ John Peel, becoming one of his most requestd records of all time. People are *still* asking for information on that disc.

In 2001, Irdial-Discs surprised everyone again, by releasing a newly found super-genius, Philip Minns, who is "M/Y". Like all other Irdial-Artists he was found through a demo; they never employ "the usual suspects" and this is a part of thier strength. It is what keeps them unique and separate from other labels. M/Y's first and very beautiful release will probably confuse, startle and annoy the public, but "WTF do they know" has always been the Irdial battle cry and, as with the unheeded original warnings about CD, Irdial have been proved right again and again and again.
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