'Steve Coe (24 December 1950 - 26 August 2013)'
Steve Coe is probably best known for helping to kick-start the World Music genre in 1982 with his hit song "Ever So Lonely" by Monsoon. It was a Top 10 hit again in 2001 for Jakatta.
After Monsoon (featuring Sheila Chandra) he co-wrote and produced all of Sheila's subsequent 16 solo albums. (4 on Peter Gabriel's Real World label)
Steve Coe's Indipop label had been virtually dormant since 1985. They preferred to act as a production company and license their Sheila Chandra solo albums to independent music loving companies like MNW (Sweden) Caroline (USA) and Narada (USA)
However, summer 2012 saw the dawning of a new era of Indipop. Their 12 Sheila Chandra Albums are now available as downloads ("Archive" is released July 21st 2013). Coincidentally, Sheila's 4 albums on Peter Gabriel's Real World label are being re-issued and promoted as part of their 'Gold' series 2012/13.
Click here for more information |
Click here for more information |
THE WORLD OF INDIPOP
"Steve Coe's small but influential Indipop label has enjoyed over 3 decades of innovation,fun,and musical independence.Revelling in its autonomy,the unique spirit of the label shines out in the confidence,creativity and sheer boldness of its pioneering output.
For instance,Indipop recordings regularly pre-dated and pointed the way forward for many now established genres such as World,Chillout,New Age,Voice And Drone and Asian Fusion.
Indipop Records was one of the earliest World Music labels.It fostered Monsoon and Sheila Chandra Also its occasional series of CompilASIAN albums throughout the 1980s represented to a wider worldwide audience [and media] the potential of Asian Fusion.
Indipop have variously been called over-indulgent mavericks and trailblazers - they have certainly displayed a cavalier attitude to music industry 'norms'.
Because Indipop have no structural hierarchy they have always been spontaneous and flexible enough to take musical risks.
They have always been run as a small-scale 'cottage industry' where the music making is not compromised by the business.
It is also releveant to point out here that Steve Coe's writing and production work [eg Monsoon,Jakatta and other mainstream hits] have always funded the initial production costs for the Indipop's recordings...and therefore allowed a more adventurous musical policy [and the release of many one- offs and limited edition projects]
Steve maintains"I still relate to and am influenced by the ethic of the Psychedelic and Progressive Rock musics of the late 1960s and 1970s.There was a spirit of serious musical exploration among the musicians of that time....and a passion for long form,often quite intricate but well-structured tracks.i've always felt that World Music [and New Age/Ambient]is well suited to this approach.
It's good to hear of an 'enthusiast' label in a still specialist,niche field that has both survived and thrived.Indipop [Records and Publishing] have quietly sold over 1.5 million albums and singles.Innovators and risk-takers,their sound is still totally distinctive in the market place."
[Narada]
"Indipop is an inspired label for both a record company and the music it produces - a unique blend of Indian textures and rhythms,ambient sounds,dance grooves and lyrical melodies"
[Don Heckman,Los Angeles Times]