Friday Mixtape: celebrating 20 years of Bella Union

Date
15 December 2017

2017 has been the year of many ups and downs but one definite music-based positive was record label Bella Union celebrating its 20 year anniversary. Marked by a string of collaborative shows earlier this year, as well as releasing albums by long-standing signings Father John Misty and a Beach House B-Sides and Rarities compilation, Bella Union also introduced debuts by Holly Macve, Lowly and Lost Horizons, a new collaboration between the labels founder and ex-Cocteau Twins member Simon Raymonde and drummer Richard Thomas — and that’s just a few!

In between an excitedly busy year of celebrations and new releases, Simon took the time to create this week’s mixtape which signs out both the label’s year and ours too. Enjoy.

Why have you picked these songs?

It is a strange uncertain time. Some days I am full of love and joy, optimism and excitement about the future and then a split second later I am full of dread and wondering what the fuck is going on and how we are gonna get through. These songs, in so many ways, paint a picture of what the inside of my head must look like on a daily basis at the moment.

When or where should this mixtape be listened to?

I like listening to music at home on the turntable when it’s getting close to dinner time, but these songs work in most scenarios. On headphones in the park with the dog, walking along the beach; it feels best as they are at certain times contemplative.

What have you enjoyed the most about Bella Union’s 20th birthday celebrations?

It gives us (ie, the Bella team) a great opportunity to slow down for a minute and consider what we are doing and how much we actually have achieved. And we love celebrating together. Not for a pat on the back exactly but to feel good about our community and the friends we’ve made doing what we do.

If a film was to be made about Bella Union what song would play on the trailer?

Building Bridges by Maximum Joy.

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About the Author

Lucy Bourton

Lucy (she/her) is the senior editor at Insights, a research-driven department with It's Nice That. Get in contact with her for potential Insights collaborations or to discuss Insights' fortnightly column, POV. Lucy has been a part of the team at It's Nice That since 2016, first joining as a staff writer after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design Communication.

lb@itsnicethat.com

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