“The vision of the label is informed by collectivity” says James Vella, founder of Brighton-based label Phantom Limb. “It’s a broad picture, like a mosaic.” Since its first release in 2017, the label has snowballed from its initial offerings of curious electronica into uncategorisable music of all colours and styles. From film scores to dancefloor excursions to ancient folk music, observing the label from a birds-eye perspective produces a picture of a vast network of creativity.
At a glance, it’s clear that the artists are the focal point of the label’s story. “They have all become very important parts of Phantom Limb, very important silks woven into the thread.” Boasting spacious theremin compositions from Hekla, contemplative beats from Loraine James and the full throttle melting pot of WaqWaq Kingdom, as well as releases from Dylan Henner and Kevin Richard Martin AKA The Bug, the mosaic of Phantom Limb’s musical community is dazzling in its variety. The unique character of the label is in part due to the excellent variety of the Phantom Limb roster - this creative focus has set them apart from other labels and propelled them forward. In celebration of their fifth anniversary, they proudly showcase their rich catalogue with releases across the broad musical spectrum.
Helming this early landmark moment in Phantom Limb’s history is the joining of musical minds behind the label’s operations. Phantom Limb consists of James Vella joined by Ken Li, George Clift, Andy Halliday and Dean Wengrow who combined sport 50 years of collective independent music experience coming from the likes of FatCat Records, Thrill Jockey, Hot Salvation, and Mute as well as their own musical endeavours, with Vella recording under A Lily and the band yndi halda. “We can be as creatively and emotionally invested in a project knowing that level of obsession that goes into writing music” he adds.
To celebrate our Label Spotlight feature we have exclusive and limited edition represses from WaqWaq Kingdom and Miguel Noya as well as exclusive merchandise including a Phantom Limb aluminium water bottle. We are also offering 20% discount on selected titles from the Phantom Limb catalogue for a limited time. Be sure to check out the Selector's Picks of the catalogue also, featuring KMRU, Meitei, Iggor Cavalera, MC Yallah, Ami Dang, Lexy Morvaridi, Matt Werth and Tom Ravenscroft choosing their top releases.